paradeofmonkeys

Has anyone stayed at Luz en Yucatan in Merida? His wbsite is extremely funny and he gets wonderful reviews at the always suspect Trip Advisor.

Thank you.

suze

I have no idea but I'm not sure why you call Trip Advisor "always suspect". If you are reading in the reviews section, just flip over to the forums to talk to people directly.

emd3

I had a reservation at ths ago Luz en Yucatan 2 monin Nov. 2012. I went ti the hote and daw it and then looked at another hotel ablock down the dame st. and I decided to stay at the other hotel,

Merida is a very unexpensive city for accomodations. Luz en Yucatan sounds great for around $50

emd3

Sorry, I accidentally hit post way too soon, will fnish and repost.

paradeofmonkeys

I have no idea but I'm not sure why you call Trip Advisor "always suspect". If you are reading in the reviews section, just flip over to the forums to talk to people directly.
___
This is based on the comments and reviews by those who have visited the city where I have lived all my life and countries that I visited more than once. And half the people do not know what they are talking about, it has been written over and over again about the placement of false reviews both good and bad, and the limited experience of the people who review.

I trust the people here more and it is easier to spot someone who tries to make a career out of one week visit.

paradeofmonkeys

Thanks emd3. We have never been to Mexico but have been numerous times to Belize, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. We speak enough Spanish to be fed and keep out of jail and have traveled independently for over 40 years.

suze

Sorry... just not my experience. I get better information from a much wider group of posters, especially for Mexico on TA.

Please know I am talking about their FORUMS (same set up as here) not the reviews (which you seem only to be focusing on).

emd3

Merida is a very inexpensive city for accommodations. Luz en Yucatan looks great on the website for about $50 a night (at least that is what it was in Nov.) and when I looked at it in person. But then I looked at a hotel one block down the same st., Hotel Santa Maria, and I realized I could get a really nice, large, clean room w/great AC, comfortable beds, quiet rooms off the st. (the large lobby and pool are between the st and the rooms), a pool, colonial architecture and charm, esp. in the lobby and courtyard areas and around the pool, free internet in rm., and a 24 hr desk staff (I like that and Luz en Yucatan doesn't have that last one) for 1/2 the price of Luz en Yucatan.

Luz en Yucatan definitely has a boutique feel as hotels in MX go. What you see on the internet is what is there. You pay for that. One thing I did not like was that at night, you let yourself into Luz with your key, and the street is a bit dark, not a lot of st. light right there at front of the hotel. There is no one at the desk then, and the outside doors are locked. I am a solo female traveler and I like being able to walk right in the lobby area and have a desk person there at all times, I do not want to fiddle w/a key to let myself in the door on the street.

If you are willing to let go of some of the boutique feel of Luz, take a look at Hotel Santa Maria online. I could not believe I got a room there for $26. It was the best quality and value I have ever gotten anywhere in MX in the last 20 yrs or so.

My review of Hotel Santa Maria is the 2nd one on tripadvisor now (eileend10 in Springfield, VA)

http://hotelsantamariamerida.com/instalaciones.html

emd3

I went to Luz en Yucatan intendng to stay there. It looks just like it does on the internet. But then I looked at the Hotel Santa Maria one block down the st. from Luz, and I stayed there instead.

Merida is very inexpensive for lodging. Luz was going to be $56 a night USD Hotel Santa Maria was half that, $26, and it gave me a 24/7 lobby clerk w/front doors open at all times (Luz does not feature this), nice pool, great AC, quiet rooms off the st (lobby and pool are in front), HUGE immaculately clean room w/two very comfortable queen beds, hot water all the time, lovely colonial rchitecture and decor, esp in the lobby and courtyard areas, and really freindly front desk staff (Gabby became a friend). It is literally one block down same st. as Luz.

At Luz, at night you need to let yousefl in the big wodden front door w/a large key. There is not a lot of light on the st, there, and the hotel is very close to a park. I did not want to be fiddling w/a key in the dark to get in.

I lovedHotel Santa Maria, it is a gem, a real find for me. It had more value and quality for the price than I have gottne anywhere in MX n the last 20 yrs of my 35 yrs of travel in the country.

No matter if you stay at Luz or Santa Maria, GO TO THE PARK down the same st. on Thurs. night for the free concerts. Great music and costumes, food carts (crispy crepes filled w/melted gouda cheese - sounds strange but very good), vendors, and its free.

My review for Hotel Santa maria is the 2nd one posted now on tripadvisor (eileend10, from Springfield, VA)

http://hotelsantamariamerida.com/instalaciones.html

emd3

p.s. the park is Santa Lucia.

Katzgar

TA has a huge influence from from real estate and destination commercial interests. Be careful what you read over there and who you beleive.

paradeofmonkeys

EMD-Thanks for taking the time to wtite about your experience.

emd3

sorry for the double post, not sure what I did there...

I LOVED Merida and want to go back. I hooe you are going at a nice weather time when it is not unbearably hot. The culture (art museums, folk art, textile art, it's everywhere), music (also everywhere, in the parks at night, streets closed down near the zocalo Thurs - Sat nights for live music and dancing), architecture (the Paseo de MOntejo is a GREAT stroll).

Here is a great site for help planning time in Merida:
http://www.yucatantoday.com/en/topics/merida

Stewbear

Suze one problem with TA is they do a lousy job of screening their "Experts". One for Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa has NOT to my knowledge (& I'm there every winter for months) stepped foot into the area in 5 years. This person lists as living there on their profile! Also being a Travel Agent IMO this person has their own agenda.

suze

Well I don't pay any attention to who is or is not a DE ("destination expert"). Anyone can be one. You can nominated yourself.

I post on 5 different destination forums fairly regularly. It's easy to figure out who knows what they are talking about and who is full of it.

I like the PM feature, so you can contact anyone directly and ask more about what they have posted.

Here on Fodor's we no little to nothing about each other.

Pardon to our OP. I'll get off this thread now.

november_moon

I post on TA as well - and like suze, I don't pay any attention to who is a DE and who is not. I was asked to be a DE for a place that I had visited once for a few days - hardly an expert does that make me Anyway - I have found the hotel reviews there to be helpful, of course you have to read between the lines sometimes, but so it goes.

Anyway... we are visiting Merida in a little over a month and I cannot wait.

emd3

How in the world did this get derailed into a tripadvidor validity discussion? The OP asked for comments on a particular hotel, which I had looked into, and since I ended up staying at what I thought was better value nearby, I added in info on that hotel alsomand some general Merica resources. I don't understand how most of the thread is about tripadvisor validity instead of experiecnes in Merida, in particular w/the hotel the OP asked about.

emd3

Cybor is another poster on these boards who loves Merida and is staying there a good while in the next few months. I hope she will chime in.

paradeofmonkeys

I made a passing, but disparaging, comment about TA, which prompted a larger discussion.

suze

emd3, I read the two sentences in the OP. One asked a question about a hotel in Merida. The other slammed TA. I was replying to the second sentence because I personally don't find that to be true, in many years of posting both there and here. That's all.