Amazingly Average

Advantages: Central location
Disadvantages: Very basic

...the necessities (including air con) and a few extras (like free bottled water). Plus, the hotel has a Mexican feel to it, unlike a sterile, international chain (NB I LOVE sterile international chains). I wouldn't want to stay there again, or to have stayed for more than one night, but as basic, budget hotels in Mexico go, it wasn't all that bad. Their official website is very annoying (too much 'design', too many bits to click on) and available only in Spanish, but it does make the hotel look a lot nicer than it actually is, if that helps. http://www.hotelconchadorada.com/ The hotel is located in Veracruz city in Veracruz state, a decent distance (some 200 miles) from Mexico City, so let's keep the Swine Flu comments to a minimum, ok? From someone at the centre of the action (I live in downtown Mexico City) the only thing we're dying...

zoe_page 30.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Concha Dorada, Veracruz

Mexico's Party Paradise Hotel!

Advantages: Great hotel, service and location
Disadvantages: Some people can be quite loud

...Paradise in Mexico! The Riu Cancun is an amazing hotel, the location is great, the service is great & the people/staff are great. ------------ Location ------------ The Riu Cancun is in Cancun, Mexico. It is situated about 20 minutes from Cancun Airport. This is great as transfers are easy and not too long, especially after a 10 and a half hour flight. The airport is a reasonable size and very modern. The Riu Cancun is located in the heart of the resort of Cancun in the 'hotel zone', but not too close that all you can hear is constant music/noise/drunks from the hotel. The main club/bar strip is only a 5 minute walk from the front door of the Riu. ---------------- The Resort ---------------- Cancun is known for its party atmosphere, spring break and that general 18-30's atmosphere. If this is what you think, you are...

Absy_Baby 28.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Riu Cancun, Cancun

Down Mexico Way

Advantages: Wonderful ancient ruins to explore
Disadvantages: food was often fairly poor

...A few years ago I went on a cultural tour of Mexico, visiting Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Oaxaca, Palenque and Monte Alban. Getting There The journey to Mexico from London Heathrow was easy and uneventful (apart from being upgraded to first class then being forced to use the Concorde Lounge. The First Class Lounge was being renovated) A direct BA flight taking just over 11 hours. Mexico City We had nothing booked on arrival apart from the first night's accommodation at the Best Western Majestic Hotel. This was a lucky choice as it must be one of the best in Mexico City, on the west side of Zocalo, the main square, with a 7th floor roof-terrace and restaurant overlooking the enormous plaza de la Constrictucion, Catedral Metroplitana and Palacio National. An absolutely fantastic location, and the roof terrace...

AndrewPo 03.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Mexico

Tequila and table dancing in Tijuana, Mexico

Advantages: Good shopping, bars and clubs
Disadvantages: Can be sleazy

...take passport and/or visa, and be prepared for questioning at the border control when re-entering the usa. The US authorities are understandably, very security conscious. The border at Tijuana is said to be the busiest in the world, and illegal immigration is a big problem so be prepared for a wait! My experiences at the border was that when entering Mexico there are no controls whatsoever. When leaving Mexico, on one visit, we waited for 2 hours before we went through. At other times, which were very early mornings, we near enough walked through. Immigration are likely to ask if you bought anything, may check your bags, and want to know your intentions in entering america. * tj- partying and shopping! * tijuana is often referred to as "t-j", maybe english speakers are too lazy to use the spanish pronunciation. This border...

MissDirect 28.09.2003 (30.10.2007) · Read review
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Review of Tijuana (Mexico)

The Floating Gardens of Mexico City

Advantages: Unique day or half day trip
Disadvantages: A fair distance out of town

...Having lived in Mexico City since the start of July, I can't believe it's taken me over 3 months to visit this place, since it's one of the most famous attractions in the city and has been since the 1920s. Xochimilco (soch-ee-milk-oh) is an area located to the south of the city, known for its series of canals, the remains of old Lake Xochimilco. Quick trivia here, this was home to canoeing and rowing competitions when Mexico hosted the Olympics back in 1968. ~ Getting There and When To Go ~ Xochimilco isn't just a bit south of the city, it's a long way away, so much so that it took me over an hour to get there and I already live south of the centre. Metros only run as far as Tasqueña (end of Line 2, the blue one) and from there you can either catch the Tren Ligero ("electric train" or as I would call it...a tram) or take...

zoe_page 21.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Xochimilco, Mexico City

Barcelo Costa Mexico

Advantages: Great staff
Disadvantages: None

...Barcelo Costa Mexico, Cancun I recently visited Mexico on June 2008 and I stayed in the Barceló Costa hotel. Barceló Costa is situated on the hotel zone in Cancun. The hotel zone is built along the beach so each hotel has got their own section along the beach with a beach bar and sun loungers. The hotel is near Cancun town which has bars, nightclubs, restaurants and shopping markets and a 5 minute bus trip which costs around 30pence GBP to get to. The hotel staff are very helpful and pleasant for example if you are lying on the beach there is one or two staff serving your drinks so there is no need to get off your seat. The staff in the restaurants is also helpful and can't do enough for you. The rooms are very spacious and decorated very modern. There is a king-size bed in the double room with a large television. The bathroom...

traceyk100 04.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Cancun (Mexico)

Bella Italia in Mexico ... literally

Advantages: Yummy food, nice atmosphere
Disadvantages: A bit like Pizza Hut meets any other pizza chain in the world, and clearly not Mexican

...Mexican food, proper Mexican food as opposed to that Tex Mex stuff, is not all that vegetarian. That's how I justify the fact that I live in Mexico and, um, eat Italian food. A lot. Italiannis is a restaurant chain here that is owned by WalMart, which is a little random, though WalMart own quite a few places here including another supermarket chain, some clothes stores, and VIPS restaurants. As the name would suggest, Italiannis is the Italian Restaurant part of the "family". ~~ Ambience ~~ "Buongiorno", chirped the hostess as we arrived last night. As my 4th language of the day, she just got a muttered "Buongiorno" in return before I go into Spanish. She then asked my name, as she or her colleagues have every time I've been to any of the local branches. I try to spell it for her "Zeta, oh ay" and she things I'm called "Shazay...

zoe_page 28.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Italiannis, Mexico

Viva Las Mexico

Advantages: Great weather, great people, cheap prices loads to do!
Disadvantages: None

...Back in 1996 Alex and I decided to take our annual holiday, usually when we took our holidays we would go in the winter months, this was always cheaper and it was easier for me to get holidays at work. Anyway this year I had changed jobs and I was the one that decided the holidays and vowed that I would be taking a summer holiday for a change even if it meant more expense. A lot of my friends have told me that they are saving up for the holiday of a lifetime, but how do you know that you are going to enjoy that holiday? I like to take the holiday as it comes and make form it whatever you will then decide if that was your holiday of a lifetime. That is exactly what happened when we went to Puerto Vallarta in 1996, there was no lifetime saving (I am only 27) no working all the hours under the sun! Just a last minute deal to Mexico...

Squidget 28.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)

Mexico a go go

Advantages: Fantastic Scenery, Friendly People, Great Food, Cheap Drink
Disadvantages: Big and Hot

...week cut off from the outside world , dependent on the odd local newspaper and a bad CNN connection for news. Don't expect the luxury of information you get at home. ~~ Film If we go on holiday we like to take pictures. I got four 35 mm films for six quid in Britain. The equivalent price for a single film in Mexico was around eight US Dollars. So get your films before you go out. ~~ Money US Dollars and Mexican Pesetas, though I keep calling them Pesos, were accepted everywhere we went. I don't think it matters too much which you go for. They also have a Cirrus ATM network, which meant I could use my Nationwide card to draw cash. ~~Phone Calls These are very expensive from Mexico to Britain. Try to avoid them. I tried using a public phone and it just kept asking for more pesetas, and ended up going through the hotel...

mikeydred 26.09.2001 (18.10.2001) · Read review
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Review of General: Mexico

Hotel International

Advantages: Location, breakfasts
Disadvantages: Poor rooms

...I recently went on a cultural girlie trip with a friend to Paris. I was left to do all the booking. I was looking for a reasonable hotel, near a metro stop, which included breakfast. I came across the Hotel International on various travel sites and it seemed fairly highly rated so I booked us in for three nights. LOCATION: The hotel is located 6 Rue Auguste Barbier in the 11th Arrondissement. The nearest Metro stop is Garcourt which was a two minute walk away and it was a five minute walk to Republique which gives good links to other lines. It's not really central enough to avoid the Metro and walk to the attractions but it was located so close to a stop that it seemed ideal. PRICE: Prices vary depending on size of room and season. There are singles, doubles and triples available. We paid Euro254 for the whole time...

tartlette83 17.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel International, Paris