City Express by Marriott Tapachula

I usually don’t care for this hotel chain, but this City Express was comfortable and in a great spot. I really enjoyed my stay, and the staff were helpful and nice.

The kitchen service is EXCELLENT, and breakfast had fresh fruit, cheese, and delicious house-made chilaquiles salsas that weren’t spicy. Cleanliness was excellent too. Restaurants and Oxxo stores are within walking distance, and the guards were very nice. The pool is small, but the water is pleasantly warm. I didn’t connect with the reception guys. They were always on their phones and didn’t seem service-minded. There are issues with the linens: the pillowcases look ugly and feel poor quality, though they’re soft. The shower curtains were broken, and when I arrived there wasn’t one in my room, so I had to ask. This seems to have been an ongoing problem. The water was off that day, though I’m not sure why. On checkout day, my keys were deactivated an hour early, which made it inconvenient to come and go during that last hour.

The pool was nice, breakfast was good and included, and the staff were very friendly. Check-in took less than five minutes. I’m giving four stars because the bathroom had a nauseating bad smell. It was clean, so I think there may be an issue inside that needs to be checked right away.

I asked three times for help arranging airport transportation and got a bad attitude instead of support. The receptionists weren’t helpful. I eventually booked through the hotel, but the transport never showed up, so I had to call a taxi at the last minute.