Hotel Casa De La Palma

You can walk just about everywhere from here, and the staff and atmosphere were both great. We loved staying in an 1800s heritage home turned boutique hotel in a UNESCO city. The beds were comfortable, and the building had plenty of charm. There’s no lift, which makes sense for a home of its age, but the modern amenities mattered less than the character.

Our room was cleaned every day, which we appreciated, and we had no trouble with hot water. The pressure was a little weak, but it didn't spoil our stay. On the third day, we didn't get fresh towels, and the ones provided seemed dated. It would be nice to have newer ones. The managers were friendly and polite, and the rooms were stunning. We spent three nights here over Christmas and loved the unbeatable location for exploring the area. We're already looking forward to coming back to Puebla.

This place has real character, and we come back twice a year for four nights at a time. I especially like the second-floor rooms by the walking streets, where you can take in the daytime and nightlife. It can be noisy and warm, but you're in El Centro, only a block from the zocolo, with plenty of good restaurants and museums within walking distance. The front desk staff are great at arranging cabs and suggesting restaurants. Hopefully we'll get our favorite room again.

After just one night, we wanted out. Our room, 201, faced a lively street, and we hadn't expected that to be a problem. It was hot, so the receptionist brought us an old standing fan when we asked for one. The Wi-Fi codes didn't work, and when I called reception a couple of times, they said they'd send a new one but never followed up. The only outlets for charging phones were in the bathroom. The fan was very loud and only blew hot air, so we opened the balcony window. That brought its own problems: a man digging through trash and tossing cans kept us awake, then the trash truck came at 1am, followed by a loud group partying outside until 3am. We closed the window after mosquitoes bit us, but then had the fan noise again. This was not even during a heat wave. We'd chosen the hotel after reading reviews and thinking a historic colonial building would be a great experience. Instead, it was a huge disappointment. We booked four nights, but the next morning reception was closed when I went down after calling earlier and getting an answer. The housekeeper told me the receptionist had the day off. There was no 24-hour front desk as advertised. Calls seemed to go somewhere else, with nobody on site, which would explain why nobody called us back. I asked the housekeeper to contact the manager because we couldn't spend another night like that. At 8:30am, she refused, saying it was too early, but promised to call our room after speaking to him. We waited and heard nothing, so we packed up and came downstairs after 10am. Reception was still shut. She said the manager might not come until 1pm, and relayed that her boss would give no refund at all. She handed us the hotel's business card and asked us to deal with them by email only. We expected management to work with us and offer options, such as moving us to another room so we could enjoy the rest of our stay. Nobody has called since we left yesterday. The way this was handled was terrible, and the customer service was the worst we've experienced. There are plenty of other places to choose from.