Short version - good for the gay scene and best if you can get a discounted rate. The details: It wouldn't have hurt some of the reception staff to smile once or twice. On our third day they expected us to check-out and we discovered the reservation was wrong. If you organise through a third party check the hotel has it right when you arrive. The problem was dealt with in a slightly confusing way. That said, the front desk staff were helpful organising luggage deposits, taxis, answering questions, etc. but everything was done with a slight air of uncertainty although by the end of the week they knew my name and smiled, which was good. Women on reception friendlier than the men. Overall the hotel is a bit faded but perfectly fine. It's big, 11 floors, and was clean throughout. Bedroom was good, beds hard but comfortable, sheets/blankets not duvets (sigh). Bathroom clean but fittings had seen better days, towels clean but washed a thousand times, etc. Breakfast was very good, range of cooked, deli, fresh fruit, cereals. Coffee not good. Why is this hard for hotels? Service in the restaurant good and the friendliest in the hotel. Here at least we felt they were happy to have us as guests. An independent travel agency works from a desk in the lobby and organises trips at rather high rates but we had a friendly, informed driver who took us to Teotihuacan. There's a also a safe, reliable 24hrs taxi service from the front door. There's a very small 10th floor gym which is fine and has great views of the city. The 3rd floor pool is a leisure not an exercise pool but is heated year-round. The Hotel is on the corner of Liverpool/Amberes. The Zona Rosa is a slightly down-at-heel, commercially tacky and over-developed area but its streets are pleasantly tree-lined and the mood is relaxed. The streets felt safe walking back at 4am after too much Mezcal. However, as we were coming back to the hotel in a taxi, a few blocks south on the other side of the dual carriageway, we saw an armed police raid on a bar. A few blocks walking in the wrong direction makes a difference so ask the reception staff for advice. We used the hotel as a base for travelling to the north and south of Mexico and were on the 7th, 10th and 11th floor during our stay. If you were on a lower floor looking the other way the bass from the clubs might annoy. Ask for a high floor looking south if that's a problem. There is a fantastic restaurant, Fonda El Refugio, just across the street which is definitely worth a visit, and another decent one on Hamburgo a few blocks away, Crux de Milagro, but on the whole there are no classy or authentic venues in the area. Upscale means, I think, commercially bland, and that's true here. If you want cheap, raucous, youthful and drunk then it's fine. Amberes is the city's main gay street and most of the city's gay bars and clubs are within walking distance of the hotel. Contrary to the views of the reviewer some entries below the area is not full of male prostitution just gay men. If you're offended by the sight of two men walking down the streets holding hands then why not go on holiday in the 18th century instead? So, the hotel is probably a good bet if you want to go to the gay scene, if you can get a cheap rate (our rooms were at 50% through LastMinute.com) and if you have more than a few days to explore the city. Insurgentes metro is a few minutes walk away so you're well-connected but because there's nothing of cultural value in the area you're a cab or metro ride away from the sights.
Room Tip: Higher floor, looking south, away from the lifts.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
