Hotel Central Merida by Kavia

The location was great, with centro within walking distance, a bus stop right out front, and taxis and Uber available. We paid 200 dollars for 5 nights, a real bargain. It was noisy at every hour, though if you're tired from walking all day, you might not notice once you get to bed. Don't lose your key, since replacing it costs 1500 pesos (around 6 dollars). And bring your own toilet paper, because what they provide isn't enough.

The location is great, but it's the only good thing. The AC in my first room didn't work, and there was a big coakroach walking on the bathroom floor. I asked for another room and got one. The AC in the second room worked, but barely, and didn't cool it down. There was a big spider and its smaller friend on the ceiling, another kind of bug on the side of the bed, and a stained sheet. I booked 3 nights, but I'm not sure I'll stay even the first night.

The elevator was broken, so we had to take our luggage up the stairs. We're a young couple and got no help, which makes me wonder how older guests manage. At 6am, staff played loud music in the hall. When we asked for activity recommendations, they didn't suggest anything and just pointed us to a book under a bag on the desk. The shower flooded after 5 mins. They didn't clean the room during our three days, which we could tolerate, but they did leave an envelope for tio by the TV. We arrived 30 min before official check-in. The hotel wasn't full, but they wouldn't let us in yet, which I could understand. Once we got our room, the table and chairs were wet, and water got on my backpack, trousers, and tablet. The room was really dirty. When I told the receptionist, she didn't apologize and seemed surprised and doubtful about what I said. She immediately gave me another room, but in a rude, disrespectful tone. There were chips on the floor in that room. When I complained again, she acted surprised and like I was overreacting. A cleaning colleague came in and did a quick 30-second clean, but the room stayed dirty, so we put up with it. Staff also never said good morning or evening when entering or leaving the hotel.

For what you pay, it wasn't bad, and it was fine as a place to sleep. The location is great, right in front of the bus station and within walking distance of other attractions. My third-floor room was a good size, the AC worked perfectly, and the TV was a good size with plenty of programming options. I had no noise or leaks. The restaurant was good and cheap. My two complaints were the very, very weak water pressure in my room and an extra 100 pesos charge for checking out 35 minutes late. When I mentioned the water, I was told nobody was there to help and it would have to wait until tomorrow. It was about 10pm, so I let it go. The late checkout charge felt pretty ridiculous, like they were nickel-and-diming me. My experience wasn't as bad as some reviews. People tend to post the negative and leave out the positive.