Hotel Del Principado

I’ve been staying here whenever I’m in Mexico for twenty years, and I love it. It feels safe and homey. The breakfast and service are fantastic. The rooms and views are just okay, but they’re clean, and for these fair prices you can’t expect much more. You’re not coming to Mexico City to spend all your time in the bedroom anyway.

For a one-night stay, the room was clean and the bed was comfortable and in good shape. Toiletries and water were included, and there’s free Wi-Fi and parking. Room service costs an added 15% to tap. The place looks fancy, though the price is mid-high, and I’ve stayed at more convenient motels with the same or better accommodations for less. There’s no AC, microwave, or mini fridge. Sometimes booking deals include free breakfast, but my family barely ate half of it. There’s only one outlet between the beds. Luckily I had an extension cord, which I ran behind the headboard to plug in the floor fan. Maybe the fan was haunted, can’t confirm or deny. Be careful with parking. I stopped at the front to check in and unload my luggage, which took less than 15 minutes. A man helped carry the bags inside but never mentioned paid parking. When I got back, my car had been booted. I paid 80 to have it removed and waited an hour.

We stayed from 25th to 31st December, and the experience was bad. My sister, my mother, my sister’s son, and I were there. The rooms were small, and breakfast was essentially the same food for all 8 days. The staff seemed unemotional. One morning my mother, who is 64, politely asked for hot coffee because hers was cold, and the waiter rudely told her not to rush. I found that very disrespectful. On the last day, while we were hurrying to the airport, we couldn’t find our bags. Someone on staff had moved them to another room without telling us. We were lucky they hadn’t actually lost them. I’m convinced the positive reviews are written by staff to make the hotel look five-star. Avoid this place.

I arrived very early from the airport after a long trip and booked a room for three hours. Reception and the cleaning ladies were quick to help and very friendly. The room had no heating, though, and it gets freezing in Mex City during winter.