For people arriving to Mexico City, where to stay was a question answered long ago. It’s often decided just moments after booking an air ticket. But for lots of would-be guests, the ideas that Mexico City hotels are too expensive, too far afield, or too unpredictable, are often deal breakers.
There’s no question that AirBnB has been a positive for Mexico City. At least for the City as a whole. But Mexico City hotels are not exactly reeling from the impact, either.
There are a few reasons that Mexico City hotels have not folded up in the wake of App-based room sharing schemes. Number one, local hoteliers have been long used to catering to a primarily Spanish-language travelers. The industry developed, historically, serving exactly that traveling public. With a little Spanish, you’ll be welcome in any of them.
A little Spanish opens a whole new set of options for primarily English-speaking peoples.
Below, we’d like to tackle the five most important misperceptions about accommodations in Mexico City. That way, in the unfortunate event that your choice accommodations fall through (experienced AirBnB-ers know, it can happen), you still get a lot of options. And you can book, and go, the same day.
This one has held on way too long. It’s been decades since Polanco had a monopoly on international visitors to Mexico City, though they once did. True, big international chains still take an important place for business travelers. But if you’re not right on the park, today there are a wealth of competitive smaller, independent, and even chain hotels. They’re all over the city, too. The compete fiercely by offering better rooms, ultra-cleanliness, and all kinds of locations.
This is one of the easiest to disprove. Walk in and ask if they can put you up. Or give them a call. This has been a big relief for travelers who’ve found their AirBnB just didn’t match up to the photos. Post-pandemic 2022, Mexico City reservation numbers are still not going to reach their pre-pandemic levels. There’s lots of inventory.
Today these are called apartment-style hotels and there are a lot of them. Prices are comparable if not a little higher than just a guest room. But they’re quickly gaining steam in almost the entire city.
The truly great thing about Mexico City is that independence for hotels has had to mean ever-increasing commitments to quality, cleanliness, and service. That’s not to say there’s no flea bag hotels.
Check the webpage and the review services. Always read the lowest rated reviews. Google will translate most of them fairly well. Do your standards match those of the reviewer? Compare.
Finally, a little bit of internet research will almost always put you in these four neighborhoods. But longer reviews of the City hotel scene will try to edge you into:
All of those make excellent neighborhoods for staying too. But the truth is, even outside these areas, there are dozens more accommodations to choose from.
Again, read the reviews. Visit. Pay only when you’re sure. But chances are, you’ll find plenty that’s affordable and to your own standards.
A Polanco Park dedicated to exiles from the Spanish Civil War . . .
A remarkable National Monument and School of Music . . .
A modernist church in a giant 20th century neighborhood . . .
The seat of Ecuador's diplomatic mission to Mexico . . .
The seat of Cuba's diplomatic mission to Mexico . . .
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