Hotel Via Real

The rooms had no windows, and with the high ceilings the ventilation was poor, so it took a while for the room to cool down. The beds seemed full of dust mites, which made it hard to breathe. I also heard a TV late into the night on my first evening, and there was very little privacy. You could hear people in the next room or down the hall. I even heard some pleasurable activity on two mornings in a row. The room arrangements were a mess. They changed the room I had requested before I arrived, then moved me again before my last day, and they never seemed to get the dates right. You can't pay by credit card over the phone either. They require you to deposit money into their account at an OXXO or Santander. There was no parking onsite, so I had to use a lot a couple of blocks away on the main road. In my room, the chair by the desk fell apart as soon as I sat on it. Marika at the front desk then charged me $500 pesos for it. The chair in the next room was wobbly too, so I left it alone. This place was awful. I'll never stay here again, and I'd tell others to avoid it. Next time, I'll sleep in my rental car and take a bath at Taretan.

The rooms are spacious and clean, and the hotel is close to downtown. Just be prepared to wheel your luggage over from the parking lot, which is a block away.

Everything was very nice and clean, and though the rooms were small, they were comfortable. I stayed three nights, and the staff were friendly, helpful, and respectful. They even arranged a taxi for me and a friend at 4 am so we could get to the Arandas cockfighting arena.

The mattress and pillows were rock hard, so I got no rest. I liked the hotel itself, the breakfasts were delicious, and the service was good. Getting luggage to the hotel was a hassle. The parking lot is a few blocks away, and because the hotel is on a main road, you can't just pull up outside to unload your bags.