El Marques Hacienda Hotel

The location is kind of far from the city center, and the area outside the hotel isn't walkable. Signal is scarce and Wi-Fi is spotty too. We stayed four nights in a cabaña and never got cleaning service. The room was dusty, had spiders, the mattresses were rock hard, and the pillows, sheets, and towels were dirty. The restaurant food was good, but there were only two servers for at least ten tables, so service was extremely slow. The place is seriously neglected and clearly understaffed. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

I came here looking for a quiet break in nature, and the grounds were exactly the draw: lots of trees and green space, birds, and lovely paths to wander. There are play areas for kids and a small spot with farm animals. The manager was kind enough to show me around the farm, and we chatted about the labeled trees. Bikes, a pool, sports courts, and a chapel are also on site. My room looked out over the forest, was cleaned each day, and had fresh towels and sheets. It had plenty of useful basics, including Wi-Fi, a TV, coffee maker, iron, hair dryer, and two beds. You can hear the birds, and sometimes a rooster in the morning, so ask for a room farther from it if that would bother you. Reception and restaurant staff were helpful. The hotel is outside Guanajuato, so you'll need transport to reach the city. The shuttle wasn't running during pandemic health restrictions, but reception could help arrange a taxi. I paid 100 pesos, under five US dollars, to get to the bus station. I did visit Guanajuato twice, and it's beautiful. The location suited me because I wanted a nature-focused stay. I saw the food restriction around the pool, so ask about it if bringing your own food matters. The restaurant was fine, though the included breakfast didn't fill me up. I would've liked more fruit and vegetables alongside the menu. I had a really restful, beautiful stay.

The pool area was the one part I really liked, and might be worth a day pass. The food itself was decent, maybe a four out of five, but there was only one restaurant and service took ages. A drink took 20 minutes, soup took half an hour, and my green juice arrived an hour after I ordered it, just as I was leaving. The server asked if it hadn't been brought to me, without even apologizing. The location is far from everything, with no cell service and awful Wi-Fi. Taxis may not want to drive out that far either. I also couldn't bring food or drinks in, which I've never run into at a hotel before. Our cabins weren't clean: dust in the bathroom, dirty floors and stained white towels. The faucet barely worked, and the shower head felt extremely cheap. When we asked for cleaning, staff confirmed it, but the room was untouched when we returned. We booked several rooms, and people in our group said their rooms weren't cleaned and they ran short of toilet paper and hand soap. Reception also refused us an extra towel, insisting we already had enough. There's a rooster and, I think, a goat that can keep light sleepers awake, and conversations from the next room carry through. The staff service overall was very mediocre. I wasn't expecting much, but the stay was a hassle, and I can't recommend it.

The hacienda architecture is lovely, and the central square has a green, forest-like feel. That's about all I liked. The cabins were only okay, dusty, and had empty beer bottles and wine coolers left by previous guests. Food nearby was terrible, and the on-site restaurant was open only for breakfast while we were there. Breakfast was included, but it was just yogurt, cereal, toast, and coffee. Not worth it.