Does anyone have favorite places to stay in Puebla? I'd prefer to be in the downtown area, we won't have a car. We're going to take the bus from Mexico City for two nights near the end of April. Thanks!

Last October I stayed at Hotel Colonial with a small group of women friends. The hotel is just two blocks from the zocalo and on a quiet walk street. Hotel has old-fashioned elevator, great restaurant. Reasonable.

Highly recommend the Hotel Colonial. Great location near the zocalo. It's a lovely old historic building with rooms on 3 or so floors around a lovely central courtyard, which is where the restaurant is located. Rooms are very reasonable priced at something like $60 or so a night for a double. Note that all doubles are same price - but sizes vary dramatically. The best are corner rooms (e.g. #201) - these are really big with very high celings and with floor to ceiling french doors that open onto little balconies (step out depth only). We had 201 the last time we went through Puebla in February. Earlier on same trip we had a much smaller room on the third floor. It was just fine too - just not as much wow factor. Hotel restaurant is pretty good too. Another night when the Colonial was booked we stayed at the Imperial. It was basic, well located, also old but without charm of the Colonial. And about $20 cheaper with breakfast included.

I also stayed at the Hotel Colonial. When I reserved, I asked for a room with a balcony to the outside on the side of the hotel that faces the entrance to the University next door. Those rooms are nice. I got a 3rd floor room w/the balcony I asked for. It was great to have a little balcony to lean out on and see the students and professors going in and out of the University. And it was surprisingly quiet on that street also. I slept with the balcony door propped open for ventilation and air (it was July).

Thank you so much, I'm going to check this place out right now.

I loved the holiday inn centro historico. Apparently, it's been bought by a different chain and is now the hotel san leonardo. Don't let the fact that it was a holiday inn throw you off. This place has so much charm! If you don't stay there, at least make sure you go there for breakfast. Such a pretty lobby and cafe. http://www.worldwideuniquehotels.com...=hotelOverView

Wow, I wish I had known it was Holiday Inn when I was there! I have HI hotel points I could have used...

For inexpensive, the Hotel Santiago around the corner from the Zocalo.

see pictures 015 to 018 in the following set:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623026204048/

that looks nice! thanks for the tip

Michael, actually #15 thru 18 in that slideshow are not hotel pics...and there are 2 diff sets of hotel pics in the slideshow, so which ones are the Hotel Santiago?

I mean the pictures so numbered, which are the 9th through the 11th picture in the series itself. These are the only pictures I took of a hotel room in that series.

That looks like a nice little room for the price that I see quoated on their reservation page now (about $45). I think I paid about $79 at Hotel Colonial.

Actually it is $33 for a double bed, $47 for a king. And that view of the cathedral from the rooftop terrace looks nice. I am tempted to try this place on my next trip to Puebla. While the Hotel Colonial has more atmosphere and charm, Puebla itself is full of atmosphere and charm, and this Hotel Santiago is half as much as the Colonial.

We just returned last Monday from Puebla, Veracruz, and Mex City. We also stayed at Hotel Santiago, this was our second time to stay here, we stayed here a couple of years ago on our way to Oaxaca.

We paid $45 (inc tax) for a room w/2 double beds. The rooms are a little small but clean and comfortable. The location is perfect, just a block or less from the zocolo . . . and the rooftop terrace is very nice.

We had a terrific trip, hope you do too.

Buen viaje,
Sandy (in Denton)

For really cheap, Hostal Santo Domingo, which has a good location in the center. I got a room with bunkbeds (there was only me), and a private bathroom for 280 pesos/night.

I loved the Mesones Sacrista de la Compania. Great rooms, wonderful staff, ideal location

Thank you all for the great ideas, I ended up booking at Hotel Colonial. Can't wait! Any ideas for restaurants and must do activities? We like to wander around, so I know we'll do a lot of that. Michael, great pix!

Have a meal at Meson Sacristia - a lovely place with great food and just a few blocks from the Colonial.

For a great casual meal of tacos al pastor or arabes, go to Las Ranas. Also just a few blocks from Hotel.

We loved the tacos arabes - I can't remember the name of the place where we had them, but they were amazing. Also had some great sandwiches in Puebla.

Las Ranas tacos arabe rate as one of the top 5 foods I have ever had in my life. And it is cheap. SO GOOD, the pineapple juices dripping down the meat on the spit. It is enough reason to go to Puebla, just for those tacos, much less the architecture and pottery and Cholula/the volcano and pyramid, the train museum, and everything else.