Carlota Guest House

*Update:* I spent a few nights here in April ’23 and had the room with a terrace. I really like Carlota Guesthouse. On my earlier visit, I stayed two nights and really enjoyed this cool little boutique hotel. The room had a fridge for keeping water cold, and there was a shared kitchen and deck upstairs. Coffee in the morning was a thoughtful touch, and they provided a water bottle to refill. Tatiana was sweet and made check-in easy, with both of us using Google Translate. It's in a nice neighborhood off the main tourist drag. Highly recommended. Just remember to turn the lock three times to secure everything. The doors are excellent.

The room was quiet and private, and the location was great for the price. Housekeeping comes regularly, and you might think your dirty laundry has disappeared. It hasn't, they tend to tuck it into baskets or cabinets, so check those. The check-in was the one problem. Our flight was delayed by two hours, and we arrived 30 minutes after the estimated time we'd communicated, but still within the check-in window on booking.com. The staff had already left, so we waited outside on the street. Luckily, another guest gave us their number to call. We'd set up phone and data service for Mexico, which let us contact them and check in after waiting for them to return.

I liked the original front door, and it felt very secure. The room had several ways to keep cool: air conditioning, a ceiling fan, and a screened patio door. There's also a shared refrigerator, sink, and microwave, plus purified water. You can eat at the back patio dining area or use the table and chairs on your private balcony. It was much quieter than my usual hotel, very clean, and felt safe. Close to lots of local restaurants and my dive shop.

The staff were great, the accommodation was clean and well organized, and they helped us get a rental motorbike for a good price. We really liked the place. Our room, though, was very moldy and smelled really bad because of it. It was also pretty noisy, since it's on one of the main roads in the city center.