Help with two-week Mexico itinerary please
Dec 6th, 2012, 03:01 PM
#22
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RAC, that hotel looks phenomenal! It is near the archeological site. TQ1, fyi, there are hotels nearer the site, sourrounded by jungle and within a km or 2 like the one RAC suggests, and there are hotels in Planeque town (about a 10 min. van ride down a straight rd. to the site). We stayed in town, and although there are some good places in the Canada area (nicely lush and green overgrowth in that area) of Palenque town, Palenque town for the most part is kind of pit. And there is not anything I would call "boutique hotel" or 4 star in the town.
I tend to do more budget travel when I travel alone in MX, which is the case on most of my trips. While researching Merida, and while staying there in the centro historico a few wks ago, I did take a look at "Luz en Yucatan." While it is relatively low in price for U.S. standards, remember that Merida is very inexpensive generally relative to other tourist destinations in MX. Luz en Yucatan calls itself boutique, and weighs in at about $100 a day for the large penthoue apartment that is very nice. The hotel is generally very nice. But it may not have as much service as you would want from a typical 4 star hotel.
http://www.luzenyucatan.com/
I think the nicer hotels than that (like the hotel Roses and Chocolate, which I was in bc I got some spa services there) are in the PAseo Montejo area, which is about a 20 min. walk from the Centro Historico. Paseo Montejo is a wide boulevard that is often called Merida's Champs Elysee, and is lined w/cool old historic mansions from the henequen/sisal era when Merida was a very wealthy city. Great for strolling, and if you go for an upscale hotel in Paseo Montejo, you can easily walk straight down to the Centro Historico or have a short cab ride. Roses and Chocolate is a real boutique hotel.
Check out the other 4 star hotes on Paseo Montejo Ave. I went into one for lunch, it was next to the Casa de Artesinia on Paseo Montejo, and it looked very impressive (lunch was great too).
http://www.rosasandxocolate.com/index.htm#Home
Mexico City has a plethora of 4 star hotels and boutiques. It depends on what area you want to be in. I like the Centro Historico for hotels, some like the Condessa or Roma, some like Polanco and area around Chapultepec park. The subway is so good and cabs are plentiful. It depends on whether you want to stroll around the neighborhood around your hotel and be able to go to bars and hotels by the hotel, or whether you want to be close to the vast majority of the historical sites and have easy access to them. Take a look at the neighborhoods above and see what appeals to you, then we can help w/hotels in that area.
San Cristobal - I have only researched good budget-type hotels, but I did see Hotel Bo while I researched, and it looked very impressive on the high end, and gets good reviews. It's remodeled old comonial style hotel, but very fresh and new, contemporary vibeI planned to check it out during my trip to San Cristobal in Oct. 2012, but since I had to cancel that trip, maybe you can do so and tell us about it. Restaurant gets good reviews also.
Click the little half icon for English on home page.
http://www.hotelbo.mx/index.html
The other high end boutique hotel in SAn Cristobal is the Casa de Alma Boutique and Spa. Definitely 4 star and people swoon over it, including some freinds of mine who were there a month ago, and the restaurant also. Much warmer atmosphere than Hotel Bo. All suites, runs about $140 to $300 a night depending on how great the suite is. If I was taking my husband to San Cristobal, this is where I'd stay w/him.
Ooolala, can we go NOW?
http://www.casadelalma.mx/
I tend to do more budget travel when I travel alone in MX, which is the case on most of my trips. While researching Merida, and while staying there in the centro historico a few wks ago, I did take a look at "Luz en Yucatan." While it is relatively low in price for U.S. standards, remember that Merida is very inexpensive generally relative to other tourist destinations in MX. Luz en Yucatan calls itself boutique, and weighs in at about $100 a day for the large penthoue apartment that is very nice. The hotel is generally very nice. But it may not have as much service as you would want from a typical 4 star hotel.
http://www.luzenyucatan.com/
I think the nicer hotels than that (like the hotel Roses and Chocolate, which I was in bc I got some spa services there) are in the PAseo Montejo area, which is about a 20 min. walk from the Centro Historico. Paseo Montejo is a wide boulevard that is often called Merida's Champs Elysee, and is lined w/cool old historic mansions from the henequen/sisal era when Merida was a very wealthy city. Great for strolling, and if you go for an upscale hotel in Paseo Montejo, you can easily walk straight down to the Centro Historico or have a short cab ride. Roses and Chocolate is a real boutique hotel.
Check out the other 4 star hotes on Paseo Montejo Ave. I went into one for lunch, it was next to the Casa de Artesinia on Paseo Montejo, and it looked very impressive (lunch was great too).
http://www.rosasandxocolate.com/index.htm#Home
Mexico City has a plethora of 4 star hotels and boutiques. It depends on what area you want to be in. I like the Centro Historico for hotels, some like the Condessa or Roma, some like Polanco and area around Chapultepec park. The subway is so good and cabs are plentiful. It depends on whether you want to stroll around the neighborhood around your hotel and be able to go to bars and hotels by the hotel, or whether you want to be close to the vast majority of the historical sites and have easy access to them. Take a look at the neighborhoods above and see what appeals to you, then we can help w/hotels in that area.
San Cristobal - I have only researched good budget-type hotels, but I did see Hotel Bo while I researched, and it looked very impressive on the high end, and gets good reviews. It's remodeled old comonial style hotel, but very fresh and new, contemporary vibeI planned to check it out during my trip to San Cristobal in Oct. 2012, but since I had to cancel that trip, maybe you can do so and tell us about it. Restaurant gets good reviews also.
Click the little half icon for English on home page.
http://www.hotelbo.mx/index.html
The other high end boutique hotel in SAn Cristobal is the Casa de Alma Boutique and Spa. Definitely 4 star and people swoon over it, including some freinds of mine who were there a month ago, and the restaurant also. Much warmer atmosphere than Hotel Bo. All suites, runs about $140 to $300 a night depending on how great the suite is. If I was taking my husband to San Cristobal, this is where I'd stay w/him.
Ooolala, can we go NOW?
http://www.casadelalma.mx/
Dec 6th, 2012, 05:27 PM
#23
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TQ1: If you or your companion enjoy good coffee, plan to bring back several pounds of different labels from Chiapas. Chiapas produces wonderful coffees. And as long as it is not opened, U.S customs does not care about it. I have gone to U.S Customs several times and disclosed that I have coffee and they just wave me through, so I don't even disclose it anymore.
I have brought back Chiapas coffee from Palenque in Chiapas, and many times from Quintanta Roo (I can get really good Chiapas coffee from a store in Playa del Carmen). IMO, it rivals some of the coffees from Hawaii, Costa Rica, and other great coffee producing areas of the world. In fact, for day to day Joe, Chiapas coffee is my favorite.
I have brought back Chiapas coffee from Palenque in Chiapas, and many times from Quintanta Roo (I can get really good Chiapas coffee from a store in Playa del Carmen). IMO, it rivals some of the coffees from Hawaii, Costa Rica, and other great coffee producing areas of the world. In fact, for day to day Joe, Chiapas coffee is my favorite.
Dec 9th, 2012, 05:37 AM
#25
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I agree with the suggestion of doing Chichen Itza as a side trip from Merida. You can take an early Ado bus from Merida and be dropped at the CI gate prior to opening.
As said, once the tour buses and vendors arrive the place truly losses it's charm. You could get there early, see the ruins, go to one of the nearby hotels for lunch then leave. You could also take a swim there or go to a local cenote for a swim and head back to Merida late day.
In my mind, this availes you the oppurtunity to have extra time in Merida.
As said, once the tour buses and vendors arrive the place truly losses it's charm. You could get there early, see the ruins, go to one of the nearby hotels for lunch then leave. You could also take a swim there or go to a local cenote for a swim and head back to Merida late day.
In my mind, this availes you the oppurtunity to have extra time in Merida.
Dec 12th, 2012, 06:49 AM
#26
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I spent three months there last year. Hope you enjoy the travelogue:
http://andrewchum.blogspot.co.uk/sea...&max-results=1
http://andrewchum.blogspot.co.uk/sea...&max-results=1
