| Central American Hotels |
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Billy Bickford Jr.Casa Palopó Lake Atitlán, Guatemala Rooms 7 rooms, 2 villas Price $150–$1,047/night Luxury 5 stars Specialties Volcano hiking, water-skiing, kayaking Contact casapalopo.com If it feels like you’ve stepped into someone’s private estate when you check in at Casa Palopó, an immaculate, brightly hued hotel on the mountainous banks of Lake Atitlán, three hours west of Guatemala City, it’s because you have. This nine-room boutique property is also the weekend home of Billy Bickford Jr., an ebullient, Rice University–educated, 43-year-old engineer whose English expat grandfather built Guatemala’s National Palace during World War II. Bickford Jr. is president of the family construction business (which is currently renovating Guatemala City’s new international airport), runs a cement plant, and owns two of the country’s most fashionable restaurants. He’s a busy man, but the hotel is his favorite project. One look at the view over Lake Atitlán—a volcanic version of Tahoe, with three 10,000-foot volcanoes standing sentry over the clear blue water—and you can see why the Bickford family has kept a house here for nearly 40 years. “My parents brought me to this lake when I was one month old,” Bickford says. “It’s part of my soul.” Bickford opened the hotel to guests in 2001, giving every room a private veranda over the lake and paying attention to the finer things: The Frette linens are from Italy, the bar is top-shelf (ask for an 18-year-old Macallan and you’ll get it), and the two helipads turn the three-hour transfer from Guatemala City into a hop (just minutes). The experience is so sublime, the details so carefully crafted, that you can’t help but wonder, What will Palopó look like when Bickford gives it his full attention?  RESORT REPORT Predawn, launch kayaks into Lake Atitlán and paddle the black-glass water while the sun rises. After breakfast, jump into the lake again for water-skiing, followed by bloody marys. Pick up a packed lunch and ferry across the lake for the hike up 9,908-foot Mount San Pedro. Return for a dinner of fresh black bass poached in garlic sauce. Then ease into the hotel’s hot tub and send smoke spooling off the cigar you plucked from El Jefe’s personal collection. |
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