Hotel Maya Palenque

We booked Hotel Maya Palenque for its good price and proximity to the bus station, expecting a basic place that would cover our needs. Instead, the staff made us feel like honored guests. We kept commenting on how warm everyone was, and how they seemed to bring the kind of service you’d expect at the Ritz-Carlton. Xel-Ha at reception and Arely in the restaurant were especially friendly and helpful, and every staff member we met was wonderful. The food was surprisingly good too. We were impressed to see the pool cleaned twice during our two-night stay. The pool area also looked even better in person than in the photos. Our room had powerful air conditioning, and each floor had a large purified-water dispenser with plenty of clean glasses. Even the Marriott we’d just stayed at didn’t provide that. Xel-Ha also arranged our laundry. The usual service would have returned it by 8 a.m. the next day, which felt too close to our 9 a.m. train, so Xel-Ha found another lavandería that brought everything back that same evening. I asked at lunchtime, so we really appreciated how fast it was. They even removed a terrible stain I’d picked up that day. It cost MX$50 per kilo, about $2.75 USD, and a kilo is roughly what fits in a typical American plastic grocery bag. There’s no elevator, and music from a nearby bar was loud, though the air conditioner drowned out most of it. Those things were easy to overlook given how much we enjoyed the stay. We’d enthusiastically recommend Hotel Maya Palenque and its restaurant to anyone visiting Palenque. We only expected a bed and a clean room, but got much more. Thank you to the wonderful staff. Whatever they’re paid, it’s not enough! 💜

No hot water 🥶. We said stairs were fine for us, but they put us on the third floor 😩.

I’ve stayed here twice, and both times the reception and service were horrible. The staff weren’t very friendly, and the restaurant was just as bad and unfriendly. During this stay, rainwater came into my room, so I asked for extra towels to dry it up. They eventually moved me to another room, then charged me for a towel they said was “dirty.” I’m upset about the charge, which was more than usual. Next time I’ll book at the hotel across from it, Hotel Cañada Internacional. It’s not child-friendly, and there’s no kids’ menu.

The hotel is clean and the staff are really friendly, and the restaurant is good. The location is noisy, though.