While planning for my recent trip to the city of Guanajuato, Mexico, my best friend and traveling companion Mark (yes, our parents weren’t very imaginative) found a value-priced hotel with good reviews on the outskirts of the city. The hotel was near the bus station and offered a free shuttle to the historic city center. But since the main reason for visiting Guanajuato on a Mexico vacation is to immerse yourself in the historic vibe downtown, I decided it would be better to splurge, spend just a bit more and be right in the heart of it.
There are multiple hostels downtown, but we didn’t want that. There are also some pricey luxury hotels, and we couldn’t afford that. So I found something that lands between those two categories, with a great location. So we checked into the Hotel San Diego, a mid-priced hotel set in the heart of historic downtown. This is a review of our experience in one of Mexico‘s most beautiful cities.
THE STYLE: Hotel San Diego is set in a historic building in the equally historic downtown, and the lobby reflects that, with heavy decoration inspired by centuries past. It’s not a luxury hotel by any means, but it’s attractive enough and enjoys a privileged location on a corner near Garden Unión, one of the city’s most picturesque small plazas. The hotel interior is set around a couple small courtyards with arched, open-air walkways (to be honest, the hotel’s public spaces are more attractive than the hotel rooms, but you don’t visit Guanajuato to spend much time in your hotel room, and especially if you’re on a budget).
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THE HOTEL ROOM: We stayed in room 207, in the back building. It’s a compact-but-well-planned suite (not a suite in the luxury sense of the word, simply in the sense that it has two separate sleeping areas with a door that separates them). Each of the sleeping rooms has a king-size bed and a desk area, and a large, floor-to-ceiling window that opens to the street. Unfortunately there are bars on both windows so you can’t step out onto what could be a tiny balcony. Also, the street noise is a bit intense at times.
There is no air conditioning in the rooms, but the pleasant climate made it unnecessary; each room was furnished with a stand-up fan and we slept with the windows wide open (although the street noise at night kept me awake at first; so if that’s an issue be sure to book an interior-facing room or bring ear plugs).
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The bathroom was small but clean (OK, I saw one cockroach in the shower, but I’ve seen the same in my own apartment in New York City and this ain’t the Ritz).
HOTEL AMENITIES: Our biggest complaint: The WiFi was free, but it basically never worked when we were in our guest room. Sometimes it worked in the lobby, but we were basically on our own in the room. So you’d have to run the risk of not having Wifi if you stay here. Breakfast isn’t included in our room rate, but there was free coffee and tea in the lobby. There is a somewhat pricey restaurant on the second floor.
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The biggest selling point, in my opinion, was the price and location. We got a two-bedroom suite in the heart of heart of Guanajuato’s historic district for about $85 a night. It’s walking distance to nearly all of the city’s main attractions, as well as lots of restaurants and shops and architectural landmarks.
BEST FOR: This Guanajuato hotel is ideal for budget-conscious travelers who want a very central location in historic Guanajuato.
https://departurelevel.com/mexico/3-things-that-may-change-how-you-visit-cancun/