Mexico City Travel Forum

Hi all:
Hoping I can get some quick advice on several hotels that we're looking at in Mexico City for a trip in a couple of months.
My wife and I are interested in finding a nice hotel under $100 located in an area central to museums and downtown historic sites. Ideally, it would also be located in an area near reasonably priced places to get breakfeast and dinner.
Here are the three hotels we've been looking at:
-- Hotel Imperial: Paseo de la Reforma 64. Occupies a stately late-19th-century clean white building with a corner cupola right on the Reforma alongside the Columbus Monument.
-- Maria Christina: Río Lerma 31. The hotel is at Río Neva, on the north side of Reforma.In a quiet residential setting near Parque Sullivan, the hotel is close to the Zona Rosa.
-- Marco Polo: Amberes 27. North-facing top-floor rooms have excellent views of Paseo de la Reforma and the Angel Monument, and the U.S. Embassy is close by.
We've heard some mixed things about tackiness, noise and loud nightlife in the Zona Rosa area, so that is a slight concern. But the locations of the three hotels seem more central to what we're hoping to accomplish over five days than hotels in the Centro Historico area.
Greatly appreciate any and all advice on these hotels -- or one that we may have overlooked!

I just stayed at Holiday Inn Zocalo and thought it was a great value. Suerte!

Each of the hotels you mention rate well with people who've stayed there, from what I recall. I'm surprised the Marco Polo can be had for under US$100, though. I've stayed at the Maria Cristina, but it's been some years now. Nice hotel that likes to exaggerate a bit in its marketing materials. The Imperial is beautiful.

Much of the 'knock' the Zona Rosa takes is offered, I beleive, by people who don't know the area well - don't know the city well, either. It's not a bad zone to stay. However, the major pedestrian street - Calle Genova - is under renovation and it'll be a mess most of the rest of the year. Add to this the fact that the Marco Polo is situated on a street that's become the principal nightlife area in the city for young gay men - it's very noisy outside until about 2 a.m. Maybe that's why the Marco Polo is offering a good rate. I wouldn't stay there, this trip. By the way, the city has closed about a dozen gay bars in the zone in the past two months.

You might want to do a bit of checking on an all-suite hotel by the name of "Suites Del Angel." The hotel is located almost next door to "Hotel del Angel" (don't confuse them) and has in the past offered very good rates (in the Us$75 range) for excellent accommodation. It's on Calle Rio Lerma (the same street as the Maria Cristina - only about 1/2 mile away - very close to the Angel of Independence Monument, the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel and the U.S. Embassy.

I recommend against staying in the Centro Historico district, unless you have prior experience there.

Have a great trip!

The Zona Rosa is not really a bad place to stay, but there is tackiness, noise and nightlife. Still many of the bars, restaurants and clubs are upscale international quality appealing to Mexican and foreign tourists. Periodically over the years, there have been generally successful projects to improve the street appeal of the area --Apparently there is one on going at this time-- but during the day there continues to be a little hangover feel that disappears by nightfall.

In spite of the risk that it may leave you with the wrong impression, I just have to share a little story from one of my recent visits:

Myself and several buddies were walking along one nice street in the Zona Rosa a few years ago when we were approached by a couple prostitutes who invited us to enjoy some of real Mexico. When we declined explaining that we had no money for sex, they countered stating that they did accept Visa.

I guess that I should not have been surprised, this is the same place where cell phones have replaced pistolas in the holsters of mariachi band members.

Have a great visit. bob

I'm also surprised to read that you can get something at the Marco Polo for that price..... but I'd also say this isn't the best place to stay if you're concerned about the noise and crowds partying around your lodging place -- not to mention traffic jams during the daytime not only in Zona Rosa but all along Reforma avenue, towards downtown and towards Chapultepec area (where some of our main museums are located and which I suppose is one of the areas you will be covering).

If you can really get something at Maria Cristina for less than $100 I'd say it's better to stay there, still very close to Zona Rosa but not to the major nightlife spots that may make it hard for you to have a good night's rest. Hope you enjoy your stay.