Best Western Gran Hotel Residencial (Ave. Alvaro Obregon 249.)

Not worth it - over-priced low-quality pretention

We stayed here for 3 days in July. We would have stayed longer, since we realyl needed another day but were so UNhappy with the accommodations, service, and staff, not too mention the price that we hustled to do what we had to do to avoid staying longer. Most Americans stay here because You can practicalyl walk to it from the bridge, but you are wasting money, reallly. Not too mention most of the Americans still drive in anyhow, so just drive farther at stay at the BW Hotel Paza (see other review) - much more pleasant and thrifty).

The main reason we stayed here, is because it comes off as being really swank and the [price tag made us think, well, if the other BW was so much cheaper and that awesome, this one (about 50% higher price) must be awesome. I hadn't seen my husband in 4 months (since the March trip), so I decided to splurge. It was about $300 for 3 nights. They mad e abig ruckus about our reservation and the AAA rate, even though I brought copies of the reservation/payment page. My husband is from Mexico and we had both travelled a long way to get there so we were not in our finest attire and it was obvious that there was a huge snob factor going on. They made me look up my reservation online (which they charged me to use - ridiculous!), even though I ahd a printed page. The inside lobby is realyl prety (we are convinced the maintenance of these banquet halls are paid for by the high nightly price of staying in the actually rooms, since the rooms were really).....

We paid just about 100 a night and the rooms were gross. The whole room was kind of moist smelling. The room seemed very cheaply made, the beds were uncomfortable. If it had been more like 40 or 50 bucks a night, maybe it would have been okay, but NOT for 90-100/night. Besides, the staff was really rude. We definitely felt looked down upon. The food was REALLY expensive. They had a great looking buffet but about 10-12 dollar a piece. We were supposed to get a continental breakfast (only toast and juice or coffee), but on the last morning no one would come to our table (we tipped each time). We finally just walked out.

A friend of mine was supposed to get married there (her husband's family lives in Matamoros), she had only seen the pretty lobby and banquet halls. She had planned for her family (from Wisconsin) to stay at the hotel for the wedding weekend. However, a couple months before the big day her parents came to help make arrangements and stayed there. They were so unhappy with their stay that she pulled out the reservation, deposit and all, and instead had the wedding at the tower hotel next the Bennigan's, much farther away from the bridge (it is veyr nice and fancy, but not so convenient for tourist who want to get out and do stuff).

2 sets of 2 thumbs down from me and my husband for this over-priced pretentious hotel. Go to the BW Plaza Hotel, instead, cheaper and better all-around : )

Unique Quality: Pool was just about the only nice thing there. Easy to access and nice design.