An Authentic Experience

In a small town where modernization is moving fast and eating through traditions that span hundreds of years, Hotel Madrugada stands apart from the rest. Located just 1km from the amazing Mayan ruins of Copán, it has been been described as a step back in time — because it is.

Its History

Founded in the early 90's, Madrugada was not always a hotel. Originally a tobacco farmer's home, Madrugada has gone through several transformations — including the former home of Tunkul Bar in Copán — before becoming the gem it is today. It was during the Tunkul days that it came to the attention of Jorge and Martha Molanphy.

At the time, there wasn't much left of the original farmer's home. In fact, walking from the bar to the kitchen required an adventurous trek through a mostly rotted wooden plank with nothing to hold on to. But Martha had the vision to see past its worn down exterior at what it once was, and what it could become once again. There were many attempts to talk Jorge and Martha out of buying the run down structure, but having pioneered the tourism industry in Honduras, they knew that there was something lacking in Copán — and they had just found it.

Fixing it Up

Martha's touch at Madrugada is evident everywhere. A sort of old Spanish colonial style with a beautiful garden maintained by Don Manuel — our very own handyman. And if you're wondering about the name, Madrugada, it means dawn. And once you're here you can figure out why we called it that for yourself.

From its first day, Madrugada was set out to be different from the rest. There were to be no televisions here. No air conditioning, phones, computers, and no loud restaurants. In a town where everyone races to build bigger hotels with all the conveniences of the modern world, Madrugada stands out as simple and rustic, or as we like to call it — authentic.