Mexico city hotels

What recommendations can anyone give me for inexpensive hotels in Mexico
City? My husband and I will be in the area the beginning of July. We plan
to do some of our site-seeing in the zocalo area, San Angel, Coyoacan,
Teotihuacan, and will be flying in and out of the airport in D.F. I have
been to Mexico City before but it's been at least 8 years. I've got a
couple travel books, but would appreciate some first-hand recommendations.
We're on a relatively low budget for this trip, but want at least a hot
private shower and a safe environment. Any restaurant recommendations would
be appreciated as well.

We'll also be traveling to Patzcuaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende y
Dolores Hidalgo - so any recommendations for those cities would be most
appreciated!

¡Muchisimas gracias!

I suggest the Hotel Canada near the Zocolo, I have stayed there a couple
of times. More info below.

HOTELS IN MEXICO CITY

At the airport: The Hilton hotel is located above the International
section of the airport. The Mariott, tel 5133-0033, is reached by an
overhead walkway from a kind of storefront office near area C.
However, both of these hotels usually charge around $200 US per night.
Less expensive hotels can be reached by taxi or shuttle. The
cheapest nearby hotel is the Hotel Aeropuerto, around $25 per night,
which can be reached by walking past the metro station and taking the
overhead walkway to the other side of the road. I have not stayed
there, but I have heard reports that it is OK. The JR Plaza and the
Aeropuerto Plaza are located near the Hotel Aeropuerto, on the
Boulevard Aeropuerto. The JR Plaza and the Holiday Inn have free
airport shuttles, and charge around $100 US per night. The Wings
restaurant, between the JR Plaza and the Aeropuerto Plaza, is less
expensive than the hotel restaurants. I can report on the Mariott and
the JR Plaza, both good hotels. I prefer the JR Plaza, but the
Mariott is newer and fancier. The airport hotels are more expensive
than hotels in town, and far from the tourist attractions, so only
make sense if you are in transit and have an early or late flight.

Near the Zocolo: Hotel Canada, Avenida Cinco de Mayo No. 47, tel
5518-2106. The rooms are small, the price is reasonable, a half block
off the Zocolo (central plaza). It is very professionally run. Few
foreign tourists stay there. A short walk to the Cathedral or the
Templo Mayor museum.

Near the Alameda Park: Hotel Metropol, Luis Moya No. 39, tel
5521-4901, fax 5512-1273. This has been our favorite hotel in Mexico
City, large rooms, fancy lobby, very comfortable, but reasonably
priced. The Alameda Park is surrounded by some of the best museums,
such as the Franz Meyer and the Pallacio de Belles Artes.
Unfortunately, the neighborhood is not the best. Although the area is
busy during the daytime, a newspaper described the area as a ghost
town after dark. Drug dealers and robbers were reported to occupy
vacant buildings in the area. There is a proposal for urban renewal
in this area. (Novedades, Mexico city, July 11, 1999)

Note that the Hotel San Francisco is on the same block, Luis Moya No.
11. I have not stayed there, but it appears similar from the sidewalk,
and both are four-star hotels.

In the Zona Rosa: Everyone speaks well of the Maria Cristina,
although I have not stayed there. Rio Lerma No. 31, tel 5566-9688,
fax 5566-9194. The Zona Rosa is the fancy tourist zone.

The Casa Gonzalez is also often recommended. Rio Sena 69, in the Zona
Rosa, tel. 5514-3302. Less expensive than the Maria Cristina, $56 USD
for double in 2002.

Price: I believe that the Hotel Canada and the Casa Gonzalez are less
expensive, with the others somewhat higher. Note that pricing varies
depending on the exchange rate and other factors too subtle for me to
discern. I suggest calling a couple of places, getting prices, and
then choosing. (For instance, I have paid as much as $75 US at the
Metropol, and as little as $40. It is worth the higher price, and a
bargain at the lower price. I have paid $30 at the Canada, but
suspect that it is cheaper now.)

Taxis, Metro, and Security: Crime in Mexico City has doubled since
1994. Buy your taxi ticket at the ticket window at the airport, tell
the ticket seller what hotel you are going to, and then give the
ticket to the taxi driver after you are in the taxi. Usually $8 to
$10 US to desinations in the city. The bus stations have a similar
system. Do not take roving green beetle taxis or unofficial taxis, as
robberies of taxi passengers are a serious problem. Your hotel can
call you a radio taxi, and usually will log the taxi licence plate
and other information on a clipboard for your safety. As far as the
Metro (subway), I do not recommend it if you are carrying luggage or
valuables. The rules actually prohibit baggage, but the more
important issue is theft. A gringo with luggage makes a pretty obvious
target, and you could easily lose both your luggage and your wallet in
a few seconds. City bus robberies are so frequent that the government
lists the routes and times most subject to robbery. Put your credit
and ATM cards, your passport, and your valuables in the hotel safe.

Richard Ferguson

September 5, 2003



Amy wrote:
What recommendations can anyone give me for inexpensive hotels in Mexico
City? My husband and I will be in the area the beginning of July. We plan
to do some of our site-seeing in the zocalo area, San Angel, Coyoacan,
Teotihuacan, and will be flying in and out of the airport in D.F. I have
been to Mexico City before but it's been at least 8 years. I've got a
couple travel books, but would appreciate some first-hand recommendations.
We're on a relatively low budget for this trip, but want at least a hot
private shower and a safe environment. Any restaurant recommendations would
be appreciated as well.

We'll also be traveling to Patzcuaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende y
Dolores Hidalgo - so any recommendations for those cities would be most
appreciated!

¡Muchisimas gracias!

Hi,

We stayed in Hotel Catedral this January and would highly recommend it.
Decent rooms and restaurant, good price and right in the historic centre.
The website is http://www.hotelcatedral.com/

Adios,
Randal

I second the Hotel Canada. I stayed there twice last fall and found it very
convenient, spotless and well run. If I recall, the room was around 25usd.
For everyday meals the concierge sent me to a very good place only one block
further on the same side of the street. There is also a fabulous breakfast
cafe and pastry shop across the street, to the right.
Louisg


"Amy" wrote in message
...
What recommendations can anyone give me for inexpensive hotels in Mexico
City? My husband and I will be in the area the beginning of July. We
plan
to do some of our site-seeing in the zocalo area, San Angel, Coyoacan,
Teotihuacan, and will be flying in and out of the airport in D.F. I have
been to Mexico City before but it's been at least 8 years. I've got a
couple travel books, but would appreciate some first-hand recommendations.
We're on a relatively low budget for this trip, but want at least a hot
private shower and a safe environment. Any restaurant recommendations
would
be appreciated as well.

We'll also be traveling to Patzcuaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende y
Dolores Hidalgo - so any recommendations for those cities would be most
appreciated!

¡Muchisimas gracias!

Richard Ferguson wrote in
:

Hi Richard and all,


Near the Zocolo: Hotel Canada, Avenida Cinco de Mayo No. 47, tel
5518-2106. The rooms are small, the price is reasonable, a half block
off the Zocolo (central plaza). It is very professionally run. Few
foreign tourists stay there. A short walk to the Cathedral or the
Templo Mayor museum.

Do you know if the Canada has a fax no. or email address? I'll be in Mexico
City in December for a few days and wouldn't mind staying somewhere
different for the sake of it (stayed in Hotel Catedral last time) and would
rather fax or email than call as I'm not wildly confident with my Spanish!

Adios,
Randal

Try this link

http://www.seccionamarilla.com.mx/

The state in this case is the DF, you will probably need to select
"Negocio".

It will probably list a fax number, probably not an email. Even if a
fax number is not listed, try to fax one of the numbers, maybe a number
further down the phone number list.

If all else fails, call by voice and ask for their fax number, in
English or Spanish. They probably speak that much English, or in
Spanish, "Tengo una pregunta. Que es su numero de fax?".

Faxes are by far the best way to make hotel reservations in Mexico,
especially if your Spanish is weak. You can fax in English, and
somebody there, probably on day shift, can read it and write a response.
I usually call and get prices by voice, to get an instant response,
and then fax to actually make the reservation. Of course, I include my
fax number to let them fax my confirmation back to me.

Richard



Randal Sheppard wrote:

Richard Ferguson wrote in
:

Hi Richard and all,


Near the Zocolo: Hotel Canada, Avenida Cinco de Mayo No. 47, tel
5518-2106. The rooms are small, the price is reasonable, a half block
off the Zocolo (central plaza). It is very professionally run. Few
foreign tourists stay there. A short walk to the Cathedral or the
Templo Mayor museum.


Do you know if the Canada has a fax no. or email address? I'll be in Mexico
City in December for a few days and wouldn't mind staying somewhere
different for the sake of it (stayed in Hotel Catedral last time) and would
rather fax or email than call as I'm not wildly confident with my Spanish!

Adios,
Randal

I took my own advice, found two listings for Hotel Canada, one of which
said, when I looked closely, FAX.

55129310

Richard



Richard Ferguson wrote:
Try this link

http://www.seccionamarilla.com.mx/

The state in this case is the DF, you will probably need to select
"Negocio".

It will probably list a fax number, probably not an email. Even if a
fax number is not listed, try to fax one of the numbers, maybe a number
further down the phone number list.

If all else fails, call by voice and ask for their fax number, in
English or Spanish. They probably speak that much English, or in
Spanish, "Tengo una pregunta. Que es su numero de fax?".

Faxes are by far the best way to make hotel reservations in Mexico,
especially if your Spanish is weak. You can fax in English, and
somebody there, probably on day shift, can read it and write a response.
I usually call and get prices by voice, to get an instant response, and
then fax to actually make the reservation. Of course, I include my fax
number to let them fax my confirmation back to me.

Richard



Randal Sheppard wrote:

Richard Ferguson wrote in
:
Hi Richard and all,


Near the Zocolo: Hotel Canada, Avenida Cinco de Mayo No. 47, tel
5518-2106. The rooms are small, the price is reasonable, a half block
off the Zocolo (central plaza). It is very professionally run. Few
foreign tourists stay there. A short walk to the Cathedral or the
Templo Mayor museum.


Do you know if the Canada has a fax no. or email address? I'll be in
Mexico City in December for a few days and wouldn't mind staying
somewhere different for the sake of it (stayed in Hotel Catedral last
time) and would rather fax or email than call as I'm not wildly
confident with my Spanish!

Adios,
Randal

Richard Ferguson wrote in
:

I took my own advice, found two listings for Hotel Canada, one of which
said, when I looked closely, FAX.

55129310

Richard

Thanks for the info!

Randal