Hotel Casona Maya Mexicana

The eggs at breakfast tasted rotten and made us nauseous. At checkout, the receptionist wouldn't call us a taxi or help with our bags. Staff had to be begged to carry the bags up to our rooms, and they didn't give us a remote for the air conditioning. The towels smelled as if they'd been folded while still wet, and there was barely space for luggage and personal things. The front desk staff were rude and gave us the wrong room, even though we had specifically booked two separate beds. They said the hotel was fully booked, but when we walked around that evening, several rooms were clearly empty. I can't get over how unhelpful the staff were.

The staff knew the area well, gave us good recommendations, and were happy to call taxis for us. I loved the hotel's distinctive decor and cozy feel, and the lobby bar was a nice place to have a beer or two before going out. Our room was comfortable, with soft beds, powerful AC, and a luxuriously large shower. The pool was perfect for cooling off in the heat. I highly recommend their special regional coffee in the morning. It's an oasis in the city, and I would absolutely come back.

We turned down the offer of a two-double-bed room because we'd booked a king room, and went elsewhere. That means they lost our business for these three nights and probably forever. The customer service, usually exceptional, was anything but this time. Why take our credit card to hold a room if they were going to give it to someone else? It made us feel like nobodies, and that's no way to treat people choosing to spend money at your business. Be forewarned, even with a reservation, you might arrive and find you don't have the room. Last week, my husband called to reserve our favorite room for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights. They said there was no reservation for those dates yet, but guests had booked the two nights before, so they wouldn't reserve it in case those guests wanted to extend their stay. Yesterday he called again and asked whether they planned to extend. We were told no, assured the room would be available for our dates, and left our credit card number to reserve it. When we arrived tonight, they told us the room was occupied. They said they'd tried to call, and they had, but our phone service didn't work across the border, so the phone never rang. Since they couldn't reach us, they gave the room to someone else despite having our card number. They offered us a two-double-bed room for tonight, then the room we'd reserved for tomorrow and Monday.

Wi-Fi was extremely bad, even at reception, and should be better for the price. Aside from that, we thought it was good value. The hotel is very cozy, with a beautiful garden and pool, and the rooms are comfortable. The AC worked perfectly and nights were quiet. The staff were extremely polite and friendly. From the moment we walked into Casa Mexicana, we felt welcome.