Hotel Boutique Casona de la China Poblana

There are plenty of good places at lower prices. After staying here for two nights in late June, we had no hot water, and there was nobody on site after dark. The hotel was empty and felt like a scary ghost town. We'd read lots of old positive reviews and hoped for a nice breakfast, but it was basic a la carte food. It may have been nice in the past, but it clearly passed its prime some time ago. Don't count on help carrying luggage up the steep concrete stairs or getting assistance with anything, since there's hardly anyone around. You might be lucky enough to get hot water for a shower or washing your hands. With nobody working at night, security also seems questionable. The hotel manager, Veronica, told us we'd get a refund for one of the two nights. Over the past six months, I've tried many times to find out when it would be processed, but never got a clear answer, and now they don't respond at all. This is an update based on my periodic attempts to contact the hotel.

Whenever I'm in Puebla, I make a point of eating at this hotel restaurant. The "degustación de moles" is amazing, and I love the mole Rosa, also called mole de piñón. The food is marvelous, fresh, creative, and original, with excellent service. It's my favorite restaurant in the city.

We weren't staying at the hotel, but on our way to the Zocalo we spotted a grand statue inside a historic building and went in to have a look. We found a restaurant at Hotel Boutique Casona de la China Poblana, liked the menu, and chose to have lunch in the lovely courtyard. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves, with delicious food and drinks and attentive service. The owner noticed us taking photos by the impressive statue and kindly offered to take a picture of us. It was a truly delightful meal.

The only drawback was the early morning road noise from the cobblestone streets. Otherwise, it's a place I'd return to on my next visit. The location in downtown Puebla is fantastic, and the staff are attentive to guests' needs. Breakfast is hot, with plenty of good nearby options for a meal or snack if that's not enough.