304 Casona Hotel

The location is fantastic, and the photos show the building accurately. Its original features are attractive, but that couldn’t make up for the poor service and lack of basic hotel courtesy. We only needed somewhere to sleep and shower, and even that was difficult. Music played late into the night, and every morning staff conversations woke us at 6:30. Bring earplugs if you stay. There was no hot water in the afternoon; you have to ask staff to turn it on, then wait for it to heat up. At check-in, nobody gave us the Wi-Fi code or air-conditioning remote, so we had to ask for each separately. At 10:30 p.m. on our second night, we found ourselves locked out with no way in and no warning. The previous night, the hotel had stayed open to the public, with lots of shouting and screaming, well past midnight. We knocked for ten minutes before anyone responded. The man who came was angry that we’d knocked loudly, though we hadn’t at first, and there’d been no answer. The interior is dated, some floor tiles are loose, there are no windows that open, and the rooms were dirty throughout. We’d booked partly because of the restaurant and roof terrace, but after the experience we didn’t want to use either. They seem to rely on the location and were terrible at everything else. We could have spent our money better elsewhere. Avoid this place.

The location was five-star, but this was our worst hotel in Mexico and didn’t feel worth the money at all. At check-in they swapped our room with another family member’s, which was awkward to sort out, and nobody apologized. The gorgeous elevator was out of service, so we had to haul our luggage up and down the stairs. We made two trips to reception to ask for the Wi-Fi details and how to use the AC. The room we’d booked didn’t have a real balcony and was extremely loud all night. The only service we got was daily room cleaning. We were there for a wedding, and the place looked special in the photos, but there are many better hotel and Airbnb options. Don’t book it just for the architecture.

A classic old-Puebla downtown feel, with lots of places nearby. The terrace lounge bar has a nice view, good drinks, and good service at fairly low prices. The music is very good, too. There’s a parking garage close by, though it isn’t affiliated with the bar. Some friends stayed at the hotel and had no complaints.

If you want to stay downtown, eat amazing food, enjoy a great view of the cathedral, and sleep comfortably, this is the place. The sky bar is awesome, with different promotions each night. Such a lovely spot and an amazing experience, with exceptional staff. You have to stay here!