Casa Montore by Barrio Mexico

Room 6 upstairs was roomy, clean, and comfortable. We spent the evening in the kitchen at the end of the balcony, beside the quiet terrace, and the neighborhood made it easy to enjoy the area without spending much. The woman who looks after the rooms was so kind, she even watched our 4-month old while we got our things out of the car. There’s no front desk, so having no formal check-in or check-out felt a little odd. Still, it’s a sweet little hotel, and it welcomes pets.

The room had charming decor and those high ceilings gave it a hacienda feel. The shower was great, with strong pressure and hot water right away, and checking in was simple with the instructions sent by email the day before. The location is a real plus: from Room 3 on the first floor, we could walk to lots of bars and restaurants in La Colonia Americana in about 10 minutes, with the hipster area one way and the old historic center the other. The room also had some serious problems. In August it got very hot and stuffy without air conditioning. The fan helped a bit but wasn’t enough. Since we had to open the windows for airflow, mosquitoes came in through both the bathroom and bedroom windows. There are no screens, and even with repellent we were swarmed trying to sleep. I also felt uneasy about the door, which only has a smart lock and deadbolt, with no extra manual lock inside. Anyone with the code could open it while you were asleep.

My family and I had stayed with Barrio Mexico twice a year for four years, but after this experience I don’t plan to use any of their locations again. Our trip was unexpectedly canceled, so I contacted them a month ahead through the WhatsApp chatbot to cancel. It confirmed the cancellation and said to get in touch if I wanted to reschedule. It gave no policy details or other next steps. Then, on the original check-in day, I got an email saying my check-in was coming up. I contacted an administrator, Alexander, who said the chatbot had made an error and the cancellation hadn’t gone through. He explained that fees were non-refundable, but dates could be changed at no extra cost. Since I visit often, I thought that was reasonable and asked for another date. Alexander refused, saying I’d asked too late and changing dates was no longer possible. I pointed out that their chatbot had failed to cancel the booking or explain anything else, but Alexander wouldn’t take responsibility and kept referring me to a vague policy that didn’t cover this situation. He showed no interest in working out a solution, and I felt he just wanted to keep the money without accepting any responsibility. I’d avoid this place, especially if traveling from abroad. My family and I won’t stay with them again. There are better-priced hotels in the same area with kinder, more reasonable administrators.

The neighborhood kept me busy for two weeks, with plenty of cool cafes and bars around. I had a great stay, and the room was lovely.