I booked Hotel de Cortes as I wanted to stay in a historical hotel. My plan was to write about it in a travel article. First of all, we were not greeted in a friendly way except for the concierge, Fernando. We looked at about 5 rooms before choosing room #202. It had a sitting room and a bedroom which had a balcony facing the busy street. At this point, it was the best of the lot. The rooms looked trodden and rundown but clean. The price was to be $140 but we were able to finally get it for $120. I feel that this hotel would be reasonably priced at $50 per night. The night manager kept changing prices and availabilites. It looked lifeless as if no one was in the hotel but us. Fernando, the concierge was very helpful. Isador, the ex manager was friendly and alive! The day manager was abrupt at first but mellowed a bit when the ex manager was so positive towards our efforts with Spanish. We had to keep confirming in the morning that we had a buffet with our room price. On the second day, the manager put a price for our buffet even though the day before he had approved it. When we checked out, the day manager added all kinds of extra prices...CHECK YOUr Bill...We had about five errors in ours. Fernando offered trips but they were so expensive! When we got a taxi provided by the hotel, we were ripped off....a 10 minute ride to the bus station for $15. The morning buffet was to us, inedible except for fruitloop cereals. We just had a bad feeling about the staff and hotel...always feeling ripped off. I would not recommend this hotel at all.

With what I had read, and with the history and location of the hotel, I had high expectations. They were dashed. We had to try four different rooms to find one that was even reasonably private and quiet and that had all of its amenities working. Even with that, we had bugs in the bathroom and courtyard staff noise early in the morning (e.g., starting around 7:00 a.m.). We had one meal in the restaurant, which was mediocre. The one computer in the lobby worked slowly or not at all. But what was by far the worst about the hotel was the concierge staff. All but one was rude or lacking in knowledge or dishonest. For example, one tried to overcharge us for a tour to Teotiuacan (and laughed when we caught him). We accepted a restaurant recommendation from another, only to learn that, despite his promise of a seat in the non-smoking section, the restaurant had no non-smoking section. And when it came to directions, the staff either didn't know or, worse, gave wrong directions. We do not recommend this hotel.

Although the price was OK ($95) we had to look at practically all the rooms before getting two very nice large rooms. Most of the rooms have no windows and face a dark inner courtyard. We had two rooms - first (110) on the ground floor with non-opening windows - which was quite warm. Otherwise, it was quite nice, with a modern bathroom and large towels. The second room (206) was a mini-suite, also without opening windows. This room was rather cold. A fair amount of street noise, but not enough to prevent us from sleeping on the comfortable, firm mattress. Rooms opening onto courtyard would probably have been quieter, although darker. No hot water in the evening, although plenty at night. Inexcusable in this price range. Staff pleasant although not particularly knowledgeable. Couldn't recommend local restaurant for a quick bite on Saturday night. Weren't sure where some of local attractions were located. Convenient location, near metro station and pleasant park. Easy to walk to Zocalo.

If You're lucky enough to be in Mexico City, than you should be lucky enough to stay at the first hotel ever built in Mexico City. Originally a SanFransiscan Monastery, monks would stop here before going to their mission. This hotel still withholds the tradition of providing solitary peace and comfort even in one of the largest cities in the world. The rooms are built of 2 foot thick stone walls, there are great works of art throughout the lobby and the hallways. You can see that the management of this hotel really cares a great deal about making this the best hotel they can. This is actually one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at and I usually demand a pool. When I left it looked as though they were putting in a excersize room. The staff is very friendly and extremely helpful. Every meal is perfectly prepared. There are cooks who will make omelette for you in the morning and tacos for you at lunch. The restaurant in the courtyard is a buffet style and there is plenty of selection. Don't be afraid of the food, eat as much as you can, you'll come home trying to recreate it. It won't happen. Eating in the courtyard is also an activity in itself. It was one of the highlights of my trip. I enjoyed listening to the many species of caged birds singing as well as the many churchbells ring. The location is priceless, walking distance to most of the finest attractions in the city. A lot of venders in the park right across the street.. Try the japanese peanuts, they're amazing! There is also a tour bus that stops at the museum half a block from the entrance. I highly recommend going on this tour. It's inexpensive and 3 hours. You can also get off at any stop and the next bus will be by in 20 minutes. If you wish to take a taxi, request one from the front desk. They arranged one for us to the pyramids. Our driver spoke english, and also was an archeological guide which really makes you feel like you're on pilot guides. By far, if you don't want to spend a lot of money and you want to get the best value go with this one.

Great, intimate lodging. If you want to experience the true flavor of Mexico and enjoy walking, this is a wonderful place to stay. Yes, the rooms were modest, but they were very clean, lots of hot water (good water pressure) and the service was excellent. Also, the food here is excellent and moderately priced. Many local residents dine at this hotel. Fifteen minute walk to the Zocalo, with many wonderful sights to see on your walk there. The Alameda and Central Historical Districts were definitely save areas to walk in. Hotel provided excellent travel advice and have a fleet of taxis available for guests. The sounds from the the central patio area are generally pleasant (water fountain and singing birds), but admittingly, the Friday night show could be a bit loud. I suggest that you make plans to be out on Friday night or have a couple of cervezas and join in the fun. If you are looking for a pleasant, moderately priced hotel, this place is for you. If you need the stale, high priced, glass and steel structures (like you have at home) go north up the Reforma.