Marina Palace Teques

The lounge food is just as good as the main dining, with fresh ceviches and aguachiles that had a nice amount of heat and looked great. At dinner, the grilled octopus was perfectly tender, and the duck tacos with mole were packed with flavor. Breakfast stood out too, especially the chilaquiles with smoked árbol chili salsa. If you care about fine dining, the hotel's contemporary take on haute Mexican cuisine is reason enough to make the trip.

We really enjoyed the three-course dinner on the terrace. The sea bass was cooked just right and came with tamarind sauce, and the staff suggested Mexican wines to go with it. In the mornings, the buffet had regional fruit at the right ripeness, freshly made picadas, and Yecapixtla cecina. The restaurant's menu balances fresh seafood with the stronger flavors of Morelos cuisine, and it makes this spot by the lagoon a real culinary gem.

We couldn't get any rest because we were worried more scorpions might show up while we slept. There were five in our bed, three alive and two dead. I know it's very hot here and these creatures are part of the area, but finding two dead ones made it clear the room hadn't been cleaned properly. They hadn't even dusted the bed. The place was dirty and run-down, the pool was filthy and poorly maintained, and the service was awful. We arrived at night and it was too late to go elsewhere, so we had to stay. I'd tell anyone with the chance to skip this so-called hotel.

The room hadn't been cleaned when they gave it to us, and they didn't provide a key to lock it. The sink was clogged, the outlets didn't work, and the bathroom smelled like urine, with shampoo packets left by earlier guests. The beds were awful, every spring in the mattress was noticeable. The whole place is old and badly maintained, and the staff were terrible, especially Rolando and Xóchitl, according to the manager. Disgusting all around. If you can avoid going, do. My one star feels far too generous.