Hotel Geneve Mexico City

Touristy but Comforting

There is an enormous supply of hotels in Mexico City so I felt confident that I could find something desirable in a reasonable price range. Looking through Trip Advisor at the hotels sorted by popularity, I read the reviews for reasonably priced hotels looking for comments that would indicate an "excellent location". The Geneve hotel is two blocks from a subway (Insurgentes) in a very touristy neighborhood (Zona Rosa) with many restaurants and stores that stay open into the evening. There is a convenience store (often a 7-11) located in almost every block of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, on the roof of a building adjoining the hotel at the back, there are fans that run 24 hours / day, effectively producing the equivalent noise to having an air conditioner running in your room all night. The actual air conditioner for the room was quiet and effectively unnoticeable. Drinking water was supplied in two medium sized bottles. The lobby was so posh that I knew instantly that I’d overshot my requirements. There was carpet on the floor of my room, which is the only time in my trip to Mexico that this occurred. There were a large number of security guards at the entrance, but Mexico City itself seems to be brimming with security, police and paramilitary. There is no (interesting) view out the back or side of the hotel and the room itself was pleasant but felt a bit dated.

The best price I found for February 2008 was on Travel-Center at US$75. After taxes and service fees this ended up costing US$87. I prepaid Travel-Center, meaning that my credit card was charged immediately, but there was no problem with the reservation or any extra fees at the hotel. With "Travel-Center", you receive a series of emails gradually confirming your reservation. Although they claim this is fully automated, there seems to be a manual step in the process that only works on weekdays. I had made the reservation on Friday night and still did not see any response beyond the first email on Monday. I called on Tuesday morning and discovered that Monday had been a holiday in Mexico and that yes, my reservation would soon be confirmed by the hotel. And indeed it was. Arriving at the hotel, I was asked if I would like to open an account with my credit card at check-in, but I declined. From the South bus station (Terminal Central Sur - Tasqueña) I arranged a taxi to the hotel for 95 pesos. When I left the hotel to go to the North bus station (Terminal Central Norte), the taxi wanted to charge 150 pesos. The driver even had a nicely laminated sheet showing all of the prices to various destinations. I noticed that he would have charged 150 pesos to return to the South bus station, so I knew that I was being overcharged, but I didn't feel like wandering the streets looking for a slightly cheaper option with the sun not yet up.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Business Travel

Hotel Geneve Mexico City Photo: The lobby

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