Holiday Inn Express Tuxtla Gutierrez La Marimba by IHG

There are some handy touches in the room: a corner desk with a good light, two USB-A ports and two outlets within reach, plus good pillows. The Wi-Fi worked well, the temperature control was effective, and breakfast was a tasty, filling buffet included in the room rate. The hotel is a few blocks from Marimba Park. Both the lobby and room floors were sparkling, and although the decor feels dated, the room was clean. The lobby was a rough first impression: a rather uninspiring 1970s-style sculpture takes up its small central space, and in the morning two loud music playlists competed with each other. I was also disappointed to learn at check-in that the room I’d reserved with a fridge and microwave wasn’t available. The towels are worn out, frayed and dingy. There was no working ice machine or filtered water dispenser, and the one 500-ml bottle provided each day wasn’t even enough for the in-room coffee maker. Having to keep tracking down enough drinking water was a real nuisance. Outside breakfast hours, there’s no coffee or hot water for tea near the lobby either. All these frustrations add up, and I’d look for somewhere else next time I’m in town.

Getting checked in took a long time. At arrival I was told the water was off and would be back within an hour. I went out for an hour and a half, but there was still no water when I returned. They said to wait another hour. When I asked to cancel the room, the woman said that wasn't possible. I finally left about 45 minutes later, still with no water. I stayed at the Marriott instead, paying about one fifth more, and got much better service.

The breakfast buffet was excellent, and it was an easy three-block walk to Parque Marimba, with Bicentennial Park nearby too. We loved our king suite and its great view of the city. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially Cynthia at the front desk.

The rooms were clean, the hotel was nice, and breakfast was really good. But our door had a battery problem from the first day, and instead of moving us or fixing it, they told us to call whenever we needed help getting in. We had to do that every time we returned to the room, which got really discouraging. One night we arrived at 2 a.m. and were still locked out at 2:20, exhausted and waiting for help. Thank goodness we were only there for three days.