Holiday Inn Merida, an IHG Hotel — Hotel in Mérida

Pragmatism and good location are this hotel’s main features, for better or worse, especially when it comes to pragmatism.||||I’ll start with the location of the property: If you’re a tourist in Merida there is hardly a better location to choose from. Yes, there is a new business and shopping district up north of the city, but if you are in town for experiencing and living its true spirit, then the Montejo area is the place to stay at. This hotel is within a comfortable walking distance from high-end restaurants and cheap eats, local and international coffee shops, pubs and bars, gallerias and shops. And if you’re a more fitted person, you can even make it to the historic district where another good amount of restaurants, coffee shops, brew houses, and tourist spots lay. Plus, do not forget that Paseo Montejo itself is an area worth strolling around. ||||Now, when it comes to the pragmatic part of the story, there are pros and cons. On the PROS side the price should definitely be a highlight. Price per night at Holiday Inn Merida is significantly cheaper compared to neighboring hotels. The area used to be upscale a while ago and you can tell by the surrounding brands. However though, new, perkier, more appealing, and equally economic hotels have recently arrived to the area, so you (as well as Holiday Inn Merida) might want to keep an eye on those. On the CONS side, this property is so pragmatic you should see it as a place where to spend the night only. This is certainly not the kind of property enjoyable by itself. If you choose to stay here is because you’ll spend all day out and will be back for sleeping and showering only, meaning: do not venture into the restaurants, expect nothing even close to a sophisticated bar scene, and do not think of the pool as a vacation cliché. And in more general aspects such as décor, ambiance, appeal, and so on, well, keep your bar low. A facelift is urgently needed!||||Finally, when it comes to accessibility this hotel is quite doable on wheelchair; nevertheless, its handicapped rooms (at least 308) are far from being fully wheelchair friendly, especially when it comes to the bathroom. Holiday Inn Merida must have clear that accessibility is not only about security grab-bars on every wall, which are needed indeed but also is needed enough space for a wheelchair to go in. In this case, the toilet and shower were hard to reach on a standard wheelchair because of the tightness of the bathroom, and it was not able to turn once inside. Without a doubt a sign of the years this hotel bears.||||As a wrap up, think of what you want a hotel in Merida for. If you’re planning in spending significant time within your chosen hotel premises, then go find something else. If you want to save some money on your stay while being in in the middle of what Merida truly is about, then Holiday Inn Merida is a good, clean, friendly, comfortable, welcoming, yet...

This is a great hotel we appreciate much more after staying in holiday inn hotel in the US. Here’s why it’s great:

Everything is clean. Our room was clean including the tile grout on the floor and in the bathroom.

Unlike the states you got maid service daily. For example you could leave your towels on the bathroom floor and go for lunch and come back and the dirty towels gone and fresh ones in your room. Our bed was made delay and you could tell areas like the bathroom counter were being wiped down

The buffets at breakfast and dinner were GREAT even including made to order food options. In the evening you had a choice of a quite bar or very well down live music. The music wasn’t to loud so it was background instead of making it so you couldn’t have a conversation.

All the staff was super polite. At one point the gentleman working the concierge area knew my name and I’d never spoke to them! The whole staff personalized your staff saying hello nice to see you again, a smile, and sometimes remembering your drink.

Unlike properties I’ve been to in the states, this hotel managed their private events well. As a “regular guest”, I never felt like we lost use of the hotel to private events the hotel didn’t tell us about.

The hotel concierge could book you taxis and tell you the fair price to places like cenotes and Mayan ruins. The drivers of the taxis the hotel hired went above and beyond what we expected for our ride so we tipped several hundred pesos above the hotel quoted fair.

The location was fabulous. It was a short Uber ride into the downtown area by the cathedral and squares. There were several areas with restaurants and bars within walking distance. We LOVED the Walmart right there for room snakes and small items we forgot. Our room had no fridge so we bought a great cooler for $25 USD at the Walmart to make our drinks cold. The cooler was so nice we made room in our luggage to take it home. One night we even took a horse drawn carriage from the downtown near St. Lucia’s to our hotel because the driver said the hotel was close enough to the square.

I loved the decor of the hotel because it was done in a tasteful way that seemed like you were at a hacienda instead of a hotel.

I’d stay...

This is a great hotel you appreciate a lot more after staying at some Holiday Inn locations in the US.

This is what we loved:

Everything was clean. Our room down to the bathroom grout was clean. Dishes, glasses, table cloths, the pool ect. All clean! We liked the decor of the hotel that seemed like a cross between colonial and hacienda.

Can’t say enough about how great the hotel staff is! They were polite and helpful with everything from offers to help us carry something to knowing where to go to ship a souvenir we bought that was too big for a suitcase. At one point I stopped by concierge desk and they new my name although I believe I’d never spoken with them. staff in restaurants gave service that was above and beyond with details like remembering the drinks we like.

food in all restaurants was great. You have a nice variety of bars and restaurants. I liked that the buffets had fresh made to order options.

The hotel knew how to host events. The hotel had a private event every night, but as guests of the hotel I never felt like we lost use of hotel space options.

Concierges desk was able to help us book transportation to local attractions at a set price. The transportation was on time, clean, safe, and went above and beyond our expectations.

The location was fantastic. We had a short Uber ride into downtown and could easily walk to lots of bars and restaurants. One night we were even able to get a horse drawn carriage ride back to our hotel. Having a Walmart practically right across the street was great for items we forgot. We opted for a room with no fridge, but bought a cooler at Walmart to keep cold. For $25 the cooler was nice enough to take home.

I can’t say enough nice things I definitely...