During my recent Mexico vacation to the nation’s fourth-largest city, my husband and I stayed at Ikonik, a Puebla hotel that’s located just outside the main part of the historic city center. This is a review of our experience.
THE STYLE: Ikonik represents a somewhat bizarre combination of styles. Part of this Puebla hotel is set within a historic former residence. The larger part is a decidedly 20th-century, modern piece of architecture that’s been grafted onto and over the historic home. It’s hard to miss the giant purple-and-glass façade (and various national flags) rising above the more subdued colors of the original edifice. The property is designed to be a mid-priced or value-priced choice, and it pretty much succeeds.
The glass-enclosed lobby is graced with a few pieces of interesting modern art, and a giant circular staircase and elevator shaft dominate the room.
THE HOTEL ROOMS: There’s a singular décor element that we love the most about the hotel rooms at Ikonik: The pop culture personalities that grace the walls. We stayed in room 106, which is basically a standard room but with an outdoor balcony (although, strangely, no chairs on the balcony). The comfortable queen-sized double bed, bathed in white, is overlooked by a giant pop-style portrait of Capulina, a famed Mexican comedian and performer who died a few years ago. As far as I can tell, every room features a different pop star.
Our hotel room was on the smaller size, but clean and well designed, with a small work desk, two night stands and a small closet. The mini fridge and reliable free Wifi were a nice touch, but there was no safe deposit box. The bathroom is small and attractively tiled, with standard bath amenities, a hair dryer and a separate water closet and shower stall. The staff was friendly and attentive for the most part, but we were rather disappointed to find that, after being out sightseeing from 8:30am until 5pm, we returned to find that the room had not been cleaned.
HOTEL FEATURES: Ikonik Hotel Puebla has a small gym on the top floor that’s free for guests to use, and there’s an upscale restaurant on site (although we didn’t eat there).
The hotel’s central location and reasonable room rates are big selling points; the most interesting part of the historic city center begins right across the street, and the Zocalo (main square) and cathedral are just a few blocks away. The room rates at Ikonik are generally lower than most midscale hotels that are within the more attractive historic center, making it an attractive alternative.
BEST FOR: Leisure travelers planning a Mexico vacation in Puebla who want to stay near the historic center but stick to a tighter budget while also enjoying comfortable and clean accommodations.