I stayed at this Holiday Inn Parque Fundidora while on the management of a major trade event at the ajoining Cintermex Exposition Centre. The hotel and Cintermex are part of an extremely impressive gallery of shops and offices that really form a complex that need not even be left.

I have broken my review into the GREAT, the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY with some 'bottom line' statements and recommendations:

GREAT:

# 1 - I stay at a lot of top-notch hotels for work and this one ranks along with any I have stayed at here in the U.S. - the service, rooms, dining, and facilities are all excellent.

# 2 - The furnishings of the room and looby are great - there are coy ponds and asthetic vegitation in the lobby, and the rooms are nicely-appointed with all marble bathrooms.

GOOD:

# 1 - The fitness and pool areas are very nice - not quite up to par with the rest of the hotel, but very nice and appreciated after a nighttime of enjoying the hotel's excellent hospitality services.

# 2 - I was pleased to encounter English-speaking staff, but . . . as an English-speaker going to Mexico I TOOK THE TIME TO LEARN SOME SPANISH! I believe anyone who goes to another country (even for a short time, let alone to relocate) should learn the language. I did not EXPECT to encounter English at ATMS, and government forms in Mexico! it's just common-sense, isn't it? Also, I was sure to enter the country legally (ok, I've made my point)

# 3 - Hotel services: friendly congenial staff and top-notch food service

BAD (room for improvement):

# 1 - I tried to use the pool outside but the water was frigid-cold. the attendant told me that the water heater was out - unfortunately it was out thru my whole stay (4 days). No big deal, but I would have liked to have used the beautiful pool more comfortably.

UGLY:

# 1 - Not a knock on the hotel, but be prepared to watch yourself should you stray too far. Some local associates we were working with also warned us of the danger of straying and highly recommended staying on major thoroughfares in downtown Monterrey.

Bottom Line / Recommendations:

# 1 - This area is an interesting contrast of worlds. On your cab to the hotel, you will encounter flocks of begging children on dusty street corners. In addition to other cars on the road, you will also see the occasional boney horse-pulled wagon. Yet, the hotel / convention centre complex is as modern as any here in the U.S. Hopefully, it is helping spur economic activity of this manufacturing region and creating more jobs for Mexicans. Many of the problems we face north of the border could be eliminated if Mexicans could find jobs at home.