Casa Rosario

I picked the hotel because it was within walking distance of the ADO station. The room felt overpriced, but for one night I thought it would be okay. After exploring Valladolid, I came back with a headache from the heat and tried to rest in the dark. I was in room #1, right by reception, and could hear EVERYTHING: it felt like the front desk was in the room, and I could even hear people clearing their throats. When I got up to use the restroom, I saw three cockroaches, then another as soon as I returned to the room. The toilet wouldn’t flush. I told the front desk guy I couldn’t stay because of the cockroaches and broken toilet. He didn’t dispute either problem. I booked another hotel and asked him for insecticide to spray my luggage. He handed it over without arguing or seeming surprised. As I moved my suitcase, a cockroach ran out from underneath. I screamed and jumped, and the sudden movement caused extreme pain because of my shoulder injury. I had to sit outside the room until the pain eased. My room was beside the front desk, so the guy heard me scream, saw me sit down, and knew I’d hurt my shoulder when the cockroach startled me. Once I was ready to leave, I asked about a refund. He didn’t refuse, but said I needed to contact Booking, which made sense since I had prepaid there. I also asked if he could help me get a taxi, thinking he might have a number. He went to the entrance and flagged one down. I said goodbye and left alone in the taxi, which I paid for myself. After checking into the new hotel, I contacted Booking customer service to report leaving because of the cockroaches and toilet. The next day they said they wouldn’t refund me: Casa Rosario had told them the hotel was fumigated every day, that the toilet wouldn’t flush because I’d left it full of toilet paper, and that they had taken me to the new hotel. I can’t know what Casa Rosario staff do every day, but I know my room was full of cockroaches. Expecting a guest to stay in or pay for a room like that is absurd and egregious. I only used the toilet to pee and didn’t leave it full of paper. I’ve lived and traveled in Mexico and other countries with poor plumbing, and know to be careful. This wasn’t a flush that started and then clogged; the mechanism didn’t start at all. The front desk guy neither disputed it nor seemed surprised, so I suspect they already knew the plumbing was faulty. The claim that they gave me a ride is ridiculous. I got into a taxi alone and paid for the trip myself. I’m going to file a complaint against Hotel Casa Rosario with PROFECO, the Mexican Federal Consumer Protection Agency. If you stay here and they scam you, I strongly suggest doing the same. They’ll only stop this scummy, scammy behavior if they’re forced to.

The rooms were great for the price, and the little pool was perfect for cooling off on a hot day. We could make breakfast in the shared kitchen. Fernando, the host, was really friendly and helped as much as he could, whether arranging a bike or motor or pointing us to the best taqueria.

The private gated parking was a real plus, and the hotel is an easy walk from the city center. Our king-size room was spotless and had its own bathroom with warm water, which we really needed after four days in hostels without it. Definitely recommend.

We cut our two-night stay short and left after the first night. The power went out around 9:30 pm, though some electronics still worked. The lights kept flickering, the TV worked, but the AC didn't, and the hotel had no fans to offer. We couldn't get a refund, but were okay with that because we needed a room with AC and a chance to sleep. With three kids, my wife and me, we obviously didn't sleep in the heat, around 80 degrees with 60% humidity. The guy on site basically said there was nothing they could do, and that the city or electric company couldn't help until Sunday morning because it was Sunday. Maybe it was a one-off, and maybe the power really did go out, so don't let this alone put you off. Just keep in mind that if it happens, there's no AC. The location is convenient for passing through, about a seven-minute walk from the ADO and five minutes from the Colectivo. The hotel is very small, so sound carries. We were in room 4 by the stairs, facing the pool and across from the bathroom. Even before the outage we could hear the man brushing his teeth and walking around. We were very unhappy with how the outage was handled.