Posada Riscal

For about $30 a night, it’s a modest but clean hotel, just a couple of blocks from downtown Zihuatanejo.

It’s far from the city center, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless it’s your last resort. I was there on a day trip, and this is a very basic hotel, not even worth one star, which is saying a lot. It does have air conditioning, but it only works from 6 PM to 9 PM. The beds are hard and have only sheets. There was no hot water, just two small bars of soap, and you have to bring your own toilet paper. The electrical outlets didn’t work either. The bathroom has no towel hooks or place to set clean clothes, and there’s no shower enclosure, so everything gets wet. The Wi-Fi signal is weak. There’s barely any furniture, and what they do have is small and old. I’ve seen nicer chairs left on the street. The pool is tiny. I didn’t use it, so that’s just my opinion. They say this is why it’s a one-star hotel, as if that explains the lack of basics. The TV only gets a few channels, though that’s the least of the problems. If your room faces the street, it’s incredibly noisy. Sorry to the owners, but they need to improve to compete in tourism.

We thought there were no rooms when we arrived, but they kindly let us know when one opened up. It was inexpensive and quiet, with a pool and air conditioning. The rooms were comfortable, and there’s a shop right there, so you don’t have to go far if you need to buy something.

The pool was dirty and wasn’t cleaned every day. Still, the service was good, and the rooms were spacious and clean. To me, it’s far from the center.