Hotel Zócalo Central

The morning walking tour was a great way to get oriented on our first day. Nadia led ours, and she was fantastic, a natural communicator with loads of information to share. It was easily the best walking tour we've taken. The hotel offers one every morning at 9:30 for free. We were also just a short walk from Constitution Square, the Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor. After our 12-hour flight, our spacious, comfortable room was a welcome place to recover. The rooftop bar served a terrific breakfast and would be a lovely spot for a beer in the afternoon or a cocktail late at night. For a busy big-city hotel, the service felt surprisingly personal, and the staff couldn't have been more helpful.

The breakfast had lots of options and the waiters did try to help, but there were several problems. I had to send my drink back twice because it wasn't hot, even though I'd asked for it very hot. They brought the wrong omelette, and I had to keep asking for salt. The dining room was so cold that people wore sweaters or jackets. On a particularly cold day, even the waiters were rubbing their hands together. They should have portable heaters. The orange juicer was also very loud and ran nonstop, drowning out the music. I was also surprised that there wasn't a minibar or small fridge in my room. Reception said those were only in suites. I told them I didn't think a 4-star hotel should be without minibars, but nothing changed at first. Ten minutes later, the concierge called to say I could leave anything that needed cooling downstairs. I asked to speak with the manager the next morning, and five minutes after that a minibar was brought up. That's not how a 4-star hotel should work. Check-in was efficient, but still had its issues. The doorman didn't offer to help with my big suitcase, and the receptionist didn't smile. He took my credit card, but I later found out he hadn't registered it, so I had to pay for each charge separately. It's a 4-star hotel in a great location, and most things, including the room, amenities, breakfast, and staff, are at the level you'd expect. I liked finding a little sweet or chocolate in my room each day.

The free breakfast was exceptional, and the 24-hour coffee shop was great. I booked a junior suite, which was a very nice room, though the bed was much too soft for me and sloped downward on half of it. We ate at the restaurant our first night: two okay tacos and a good Margherita came to about $80 USD, which felt excessive. Being near the Zocalo is handy if you want to stay in the historic area, but our room got a lot of outside noise. Sometimes it lasted until 10:00 pm or later, and on our last night there was hammering all night. I tried calling reception, but the phone wasn't working, so I got dressed and went down to tell them. They couldn't do anything about it. Some staff were nice, others mediocre. All in all, the hotel was okay, with some excellent points and some that weren't so good. I'd say there's about an 80% chance you'll enjoy it.

The Wi-Fi was the main problem. It kept dropping out or had a really weak signal, and without smart TVs in the rooms, streaming wasn't possible. Our queen room was small, but quiet and fine for us. The bed was great, and the AC worked well. The rooftop restaurant has unreal views and good food, though it's very expensive. Breakfast each day was excellent, and the free 24-hour cafe was great too, with drinks, coffee, food, and pizza. The hotel is just a few feet from the Zocolo and all the excellent tours. Everyone gave fantastic service, especially Karina !!! It's a top-notch hotel and we'd come back. Thanks to everyone who works here.