We stayed one night at the Hotel Santa Anita before beginning our trip on El Chepe. The hotel is modern and quite good looking from the street with a lobby restaurant and travel agency. Our room ($110+ tax) was small but clean and modern. There were problems however with the hot water - we were assured when we checked in there would be hot water and after we found none, the hotel again promised it would be provided but never delivered. Also, the hotel at first told us there was no hotel shuttle service to the train station, after we pressed the desk clerk, he reluctantly said it could be arranged. The hotel van did drop us off at the train station, but only shortly before the train left the station, we had to scurry to make the train before it departed. Our room was supposed to be "non-smoking" but apparently this option does not exist in this hotel. There was no internet access in the hotel lobby.
I would try another hotel next time.
- Santa Anita Hotel
