Hotel Colonial — Hotel in Nuevo León

I signed up for Tripadvisor after I read the last review. My experience was very different when I stayed here for a few nights around the beginning of 2014.||||Great location, period. I enjoyed my view of Hidalgo. Across the street is the beautiful Hotel Gran Ancira.||||I moved here from the cheapest hotel downtown (in the Barrio Antiguo). This was the next hotel up in price at a super special of 500 pesos (about USD$40, credit cards accepted at the same rate) per night, as advertised on the sidewalk. (The rack rate is supposed to be around 900 pesos, but I suspect the regular rate to be closer to 700.) The cleaning lady was very helpful and friendly and provided the soap that was somehow missing in the room. I was surprised that the heating did not work in my room; however, the maintenance man, also very helpful, after checking it brought a space heater to use for the rest of my stay. Yes, the smoke detectors were beeping and echoing all down the hall, but when I mentioned this at the front desk in the morning all the batteries were changed out within hours. The remote to the television did not work, but one of the employees came up to the room to reenter the correct code after new batteries did not fix the problem. My card did not always work, but it was reprogrammed at the front desk right away. A substitute cleaning lady cut my towels from two to one, but again when I mentioned it to the regular of course I got my second towel. The Wi Fi signal in the room was very weak, so I did appreciate the free use of the computer with Internet at the entrance to the hotel.||||As you can see, even though I had no problems whatsoever with hot water in the "dial-lever" bathtub, there were any number of imperfections at this hotel. However, it was a real bargain for downtown Monterrey, and, most importantly, all my concerns were addressed promptly and considerately by staff that was readily available. If I can get a similar discount next time, I will be happy to stay here.||||A couple notes:||||The cleaning ladies, as in some other budget hotels that I have been in in Mexico, are not allowed to touch any money in the room. Apparently, tips are not usual. My solution is to leave them on a piece of paper with PROPINA and an arrow. The regular cleaning lady was definitely deserving of them.||||The unmarked hotel taxi was relatively expensive (80 pesos to the bus station, 270 pesos to the airport). However, I had to leave early in the morning and there is never much traffic on the hotel's street due to its configuration, so it was a great last-minute...

I traveled here in Oct 09. We took a bus from Matamoras to Monterrey and then taxi to the Main Plaza area to look for a hotel. There are plenty of hotels so you do not need a reservation but don't let any taxi drivers take you to a hotel of their choice. I think they make a commission on bringing travelers in. Hotel Colonial we found while trolling the area. We paid 585 pesos each night=$44. usd. We had a wonderful room overlooking a cute park. This is right across a narrow street from Hotel Arnica, which cost twice as much. The bell hop was very friendly and spoke some english. We are working on improving our spanish. There is a computer in the lobby that you can use for free. I liked being able to check my email. The room had a king sized bed, 2 lovely windows and a adequate batrhoom. The entire hotel is a colonial style and very nice. Clean. The lobby was gorgeous and there was an area outside our room with a set of chairs with real leather seats. Looked all hand made. Really nice. When we left, the bell hop arranged for a taxi back to the bus station and he told us that Hotel Colonial is our home in Monterrey. Delightful. You will be pleased. It was easy to walk the plaza and see the monuments and museum. The Barrio Antigua is lovely with old building, lots of clubs and excellent dining. No swimming pool at Hotel Colonial but not many in any hotel in Monterrey. A visit to Monterrey is a visit to a city for sights not sitting...

Before I get into the review let me make one thing clear: Hotel Colonial is not going to suit either high-end travelers (the Ancira is across the street) or backpackers. ||For around $55 per night you will get a small room right in the heart of Monterrey's Zona Rosa. Nearby you will find shopping, restaurants, museums, and the Barrio Antigua. It is also just a block away from the subway. While the room had seen better days--with aging, industrial carpeting and a temperamental shower head--it was comfortable and clean enough. ||The hotel staff was very helpful. Housekeeping was friendly and responsive to a burned out bulb. The front desk staff snickered a bit at my attempts at Spanish, but one bellman spoke excellent English and helped me well beyond the call of duty a couple of times. I had to make a purchase in what was a very bad part of town, and he not only found me a taxi but got someone who was willing to look out for me.||If you expect reasonable accommodations you won't be disappointed. This hotel seems aimed at middle-class Mexicans and prices and value...