East of Mexico City
The motel-style Hotel Alifer is up a small hill from the zócalo, and while some rooms are a bit dark and dingy (avoid bottom-floor rooms that face the…
Must-see hotels in Mexico
La Huasteca Potosina
This 1930s hacienda-style building may be in need of a little love and a fresh lick of paint, but it has good bones. There's a big pool (a plus in this…
Central Pacific Coast
This budget courtyard hotel on the main drag has six rooms. The rooms have seen better days but they are fairly well kept, with tiled floors and cable TV…
Taxco
Taxco’s backpacker-friendly guesthouse has basic, clean rooms, three well-tended balconies of flowers, and a variety of rooms and ample terraces for…
Northern Central Highlands
On the west side of the Jardín Principal and right in the heart of the town, Hotel Misión Jalpan has attractive gardens and a good restaurant, plus well…
Central Pacific Coast
Handy for the beach, this motel-style setup offers a relaxing base, with rooms along the veranda of a low-slung bungalow that faces a grassy lawn…
San Miguel de Allende
Its tasteful plant-filled courtyard is lined with 13 uniquely decorated apartments, all featuring comfortable bedroom with cable TV, living areas and…
Barra de la Cruz
Pepe’s has well-built wood-and-palm-thatch cabins with fans, mosquito nets and shared toilets and showers, plus a large palapa (thatch-roofed) comedor…
Veracruz City
Bright, clean and well run, this is the best backpackers in town, though it can be low on atmosphere. The breakfast spread is unusually good for this…
Veracruz
The pick of Tlapacoyan's hotels (not that it's much of a horse race), Posada Oliver is just off the main square, with stone arches and a greenery-filled…
Celestún
One of the better budget hotels in town, this rather shabby family-run hotel has direct beach access and its own pool. Weathered sinks and showers could…
Veracruz
These simple, adobe-walled, fan-cooled bungalows on a peaceful riverside patch on the western edge of town are a boon for groups and families. It has a…
Dolores Hidalgo
The centrally located Cocomacán is an aged but reliable option and has lots of Mexican ambience. Of the 37 rooms, those on the upper levels, with windows…
Veracruz
Looking like an eccentric castle, this family-run place is in a quieter part of town, less than 10 minutes' walk from the center. It has some pleasant,…
Guanajuato
A very secure spot that is a maze of quirky guest rooms in a centrally located house. Rooms vary in size and facilities – some are apartments and several…
Coyoacán & San Ángel
This lizard-themed (for the roaming critters in the garden) HI hostel offers a clean and affordable base to check out Coyoacán's nearby sights. The house…
East of Mexico City
Jaqueline’s 20 basic but clean-enough rooms, overlooking the uphill side of the zócalo, are one of Cuetzalan’s best-value options with cable TV and 24…
Central Pacific Coast
This colorful place has an array of hanging shells, a decent-sized pool and a restaurant (open 8:30am to 6pm) in the heart of town. You can also camp here…
Zipolite
Run by a long-time Zipolite resident from France, El Carrizo is a classic basic backpacker joint with a friendly atmosphere. There are four very simple…
Isla Mujeres
A breezy old-school hotel facing the ferry dock, the ample rooms here with double beds, minibars and cable TV are decent enough, with the caveat that you…
Veracruz
The grand exterior of the Reforma leads into a smart atrium lobby with a small fountain and some 98 comfortable if rather functional rooms. They include…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
A bare-bones hotel: rooms have a bed, a bulb and a bathroom, and not much else. The saving grace: the rooms open onto a leafy courtyard. Run by friendly…
Guadalajara Region
Just a bit away from the action and a lot quieter as a result, this modest hotel with 13 clean and bright rooms conveniently sits above a restaurant…
Ensenada
Despite the unintentionally retro, 1960s-ish exterior, this hotel offers pleasant and spacious carpeted rooms. An attractive pool area with adjacent bar…
Toluca
The extremely central location of this one-grandma-run posada makes a handy, if very no-frills, base for a quick visit of Toluca's sights. Wifi is patchy…
Bahías de Huatulco
Toward the north end of San Agustín beach, El Tronco comedor (food stall) is run by a friendly family and has a tent to rent as well as hammocks. It's…
Veracruz
This friendly budget option has 25 clean rooms just off the zócalo. It's well kept, though plain. Some rooms have balconies and views – try for one of…
Chiapas
Virtually on the central plaza, the mellow yellow Hotel Galilea has a convenient restaurant and boring medium-sized rooms around a parking area, with dark…
Valladolid
Conveniently located one block west of the bus station and a block east of the main plaza, rooms here are set around an open-air courtyard and get old…
Oaxaca City
One of the few midrange accommodations with a pool. Rooms are large and mostly bright, with good showers; breakfast is ample and Tía Tere also offers a…
San Cristóbal de las Casas
This Italian-owned place is a fair budget choice. It's well maintained and offers pretty rooms with cable TV, all set around a covered patio with potted…
Querétaro
This hostel in a gorgeous little side street has been very attractively designed with clean and bright dorms and simple rooms, some with their own…
Teotihuacán
At the east end of town, en route to the pyramids, this well-run hotel has 16 fine but unexciting carpeted rooms, all with TV and bathroom. Junior suites…
Southern Baja
This is one of the newest hotels in town and is definitely the top choice here. It offers pleasant, spacious rooms decorated in cool cream marble…
Chetumal
Unlike many of the budget hotels in town, rooms here get plenty of natural light and they're spacious, too. The only drawback is that it straddles a busy…
Mérida
Across from the park of the same name, this dated but centrally located hotel is clean and secure. The pool is small but clean, and the 66 rooms have TV,…
Guadalajara Region
A bit worn around the edges, this central guesthouse has a plant-filled courtyard and 12 adobe and tile rooms decorated with local art, high ceilings and…
Southern Baja
This two-story motel has rooms decorated in appropriate desert-colored hue, set around a palm-filled courtyard. Bathrooms are small, unless you opt for…
Puerto Morelos
This hotel is really nothing special but it's one of the only semi-budget options in town during high season. The best rooms are the rooftop ones, which…
Chetumal
A good central option for the price, Villanueva's minimalist rooms overlook a decent-sized indoor pool flanked by palm trees. The larger suites get you a…
