Why You Should Avoid Hotels in Guanajuato's Historic District

Let me begin by saying that there's nothing wrong with the hotels in Guanajuato's Historic District, specifically. I've been in all of them when I was researching my new book, A Walk Through Mexico's Crown Jewel. They are fine establishments, for the most part, run well, more or less, and located right downtown in the heart of Guanajuato's El Centro, snug and charmingly ringing the Jardin de la Union.

The fetching appeal in El Jardin is immediately obvious. The small sidewalk cafés that sit outside the hotels, the plentiful green benches to sit and do nothing for the healing of your Gringo haggard soul, the music in the form of Mariachi bands or the small orchestral ensemble that plays on Sunday in the gazebo. All of these are attractive and centrally located. The wife and I have spent many a relaxing afternoon doing nothing and loving every unproductive minute of it. And, if you are on a Spanish study vacation, then there you can make all manner of contacts to practice your Spanish.

El Jardin Hotels

The Guanajuato hotels sitting proudly in the El Jardin area vary in price. You will pay for the privilege of staying in the most centrally located spot in the city. You will find Hotel Posada Santa Fe, Hotel Luna, Hotel San Diego, and Hosteria del Frayle. Around the corner from El Jardin and practically across the street from the post office, you will find a pretty decent place called Casa del Agua. Hosteria de Frayle and Casa del Agua are not directly on El Jardin but close enough to share the same thing in common with all these hotels.

If you want to get a good night's sleep in any of these hotels, you are going to be out of luck!

Though located in the most charming area of the city, though nestled in the richest colonial architecture and near most of the intensely Baroque decorated churches, though closer to the University of Guanajuato than anywhere else, it is the nosiest spot in the city and you will not sleep a wink.

I don't know if this simply does not occur to potential tourists or if the desire to be centrally located overrides their thinking processes. But, to stay in Guanajuato, Mexico's historic center's fine uber-expensive hotels will most assuredly afford you sleeplessness on your dream Mexico vacation.

We know tourists who were rattled by the all-night wedding parties (and they will last all night long), concerts, Mariachi marathons, Guanajuato's Estudiantinas (roving gangs of singing young people), church bells that can jar your soul or give you a heart attack, fireworks (read weapon-grade explosions), and of course, the happy and merry bar crowd. These tourists were so rattled they checked out of the Hotel Posada Santa Fe to find quieter quarters elsewhere.

Quieter Guanajuato Hotel Accommodations

Though by no means guaranteed, there are places in the city where you can stay that might afford you a better chance at actual sleep and rest. Yes, I know, they aren't centrally located. But, what do you want? Do you want to walk through your vacation like a zombie because of lack of sleep or do you want the energy to enjoy running around and seeing the sights Guanajuato, Mexico has to offer? It seems a no-brainer to me.

You will find the area called Paseo de la Presa a pleasant change from the riotous ruckus you will find in El Jardin. The partiers, the musicians, the private parties seem (but not always) to want to hold their noisy merrymaking in El Jardin. I think you stand a better chance in other parts of the city, even though they are not centrally located, and you can always cab, bus, or walk into the center.

Now, some of the places in Paseo de la Presa can look like you would have to take out a second, third, and fourth mortgage to pay for your night's stay. The place called Quinta las Acacias can set you back about $200.00 USD a night. But, take heart because it includes an American breakfast (until December 21, 2007). We looked at this 17-room hotel and immediately wanted to live there for the rest of out lives and be waited on hand in foot.

An Alternative to Guanajuato Hotels

Something tourists are beginning to consider more and more is renting a house or apartment for a short time. This is a great money-saving venture, in my view, because you can get some places that are not only in less cacophony-saturated areas of the city, but you can save on meals by buying from the grocery stores in the barrios (neighborhoods) and cooking for yourself. I know several who do this all the time and prefer it to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants.