Hotel Río 1300

My room faced the pool and was quiet and relaxing. With glass along the outside wall, it felt open, and I could spend some peaceful time on the balcony. Everything was new and worked, and the free valet parking can’t be beat. I had a wonderful stay. The staff seemed to enjoy their work, and you could tell from how they treated guests.

The hotel is in a central, touristy part of town, and the rooms are comfortable, though the showers have weak pressure. There’s a nice restaurant with great service, and they offer massages and other services too. My main complaint: housekeeping came in and cleaned our room while we were out, even though we’d left the do not disturb sign on the door.

The staff deserve five stars, while the building itself is more like a three or four. We mostly had the place to ourselves because of the pandemic, and the people working there were extremely friendly, as is typical in México. The rooms have a modern but traditional feel. Treat yourself to a room with a balcony. The hotel is centrally located in one of the nicer areas. In rainy season, mosquitoes will feast on you, but there’s a pharmacy across the street with a solution. At the restaurant, ask for Abraham, a very sweet, helpful young guy who’s eager to serve. I was surprised by the little taco stand across the street. Staff said the hotel owner, or one of the owners, makes some of the best quesadillas I’ve tried. The street cart says Aurelia, the same name as the restaurant. The green drink was perfect for two days, then something went terribly wrong on day three and it failed the test. One last thing: the roof opens during the day to let in natural light, and sometimes rain falls onto the plants below.

It’s a beautiful hotel, and I really wanted to give it five stars. The location, pool, and amenities were all five-star for me. But there was only one towel in the room, the WiFi didn’t work, they wanted to charge for ice, and I was told breakfast was included when it wasn’t. I’d stay again to see if things improve.