Hotel Plaza Palenque

We were traveling around Yucatan, Tabasco and the surrounding area with my family, and booked the Plaza in Palenque with breakfast included. The entrance looked nice, and the pool is beautiful, but that didn’t match what we found in the room or restaurant. Our stay came with plenty of odd moments, including snakes on the building and parrots screeching loudly enough to wake us up. The room was very basic, with an old air control unit taking up a prominent spot in the middle and paintings bolted to the walls. The beds squeaked. The bathroom setup offered very little privacy: you could see people showering from the hallway, and since the toilet was in that same area, there were sometimes strange smells. The water temperature also changed if someone else on the floor showered at the same time. Ask for the Wi-Fi code, because they won't give it to you otherwise. The pool bar was open, but there was nobody there to serve us. We had to go to reception so the receptionist could phone in our order. When we later asked whether it had been added to our room, the receptionist said yes and took our towels. Then, as we were walking down the street, someone from the pool bar appeared because we'd left without paying. Breakfast was frustrating. The first morning, the American breakfast was one piece of toast each, nine pieces of fruit, and scrambled egg. The next morning was worse. After 15 minutes, I got coffee from the pot myself for us and another couple. The servers looked shocked when they finally came over, then spent another five minutes checking room numbers we'd already given at the entrance. They took our egg orders, two with bacon, two with mushrooms, and one with both, but after another 35 minutes our food still hadn't arrived. A large group had come in and was already being served, while we'd been waiting over an hour. Three plates of eggs and bacon finally came. The person who had ordered bacon and mushrooms didn't complain about the missing mushrooms and was just glad to get something. The food was cold. The last two plates arrived after the first three were finished, and the mushrooms looked, tasted, and were shaped like ham. We were happy that everyone eventually got something to eat, but the toast got dropped on a neighboring table. When I told the server we still hadn't received ours, she just said, "OK." I said that wasn't OK, and she said it again. After waiting more than an hour and a half, we had to leave for our eight-hour drive so we wouldn't arrive too late. They stopped us for the bill, which annoyed me, so I asked for the toast to take away. The server brought four slices in a box for our group of five and gave me a look. I just replied, "OK." This hotel isn't a good choice if you're on a schedule, sensitive to smells, or want everyone to get enough to eat. If those things are fine with you, the pool is beautiful, and there are snakes on the building and parrots that might wake you with their screeches. I'd rate the hotel 6/10 and the restaurant 1/10.

The best parts of our stay were the entrance and the beautiful pool. The room was a different story: the old air control system sat right in the middle, the beds squeaked, and paintings were bolted to the walls. It felt like a retro museum. The hallway also gave you a view into people's showers, and the toilet smells could be odd. Don't shower at the same time as someone else on your floor unless you want the water temperature to change. You have to ask reception for the Wi-Fi code. We couldn't get a drink at the pool bar because no one was there, so the receptionist had to call in our order. Later, someone from the bar came after us about an unpaid bill, even though reception had told us it was added to our room. Breakfast tested our patience. The first day we got one toast each, nine pieces of fruit, and scrambled egg. On day two, after waiting 15 minutes, we served coffee ourselves for our table and the neighboring one. The servers finally noticed us and checked our room numbers, though we'd already given them. Our egg orders took ages, and three plates came out cold and wrong. The person who'd ordered bacon and mushrooms didn't get mushrooms, but was glad to have anything. The two remaining plates arrived after the others were done, with mushrooms that looked and tasted like ham. Toast landed on another table, and when we asked about ours, the server only said, "OK." We left after more than an hour and a half because we had an eight-hour drive ahead, but first got stopped for the bill. We asked for toast to go and received four slices for five people. There were also snakes on the building and parrots whose screeching could wake you up. I'd give the hotel 6/10 and the restaurant 1/10. It may suit someone with time and patience, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The pool was the one thing I’d recommend. The beds were very hard, the shower didn’t work, and breakfast was just a little scrambled egg with a slice of ham. A dog barked ALL NIGHT and nobody did anything about it. You can walk from the hotel to places, though it’s a long walk. At least there’s a supermarket 400 meters away.

I’ve never had a worse breakfast. They brought sugar with yogurt, sugar with fruit, and sugar with jam, plus just 4 toasts for 8 people. That doesn’t count as a continental breakfast. Book somewhere else.