The Hotel del Prado used to exist next to Alameda Centro (park), near the historic district of Mexico City. However, it was destroyed in the 1985 earthquake.

The new hotel is located on Av. Marina Nacional, in the Col. Veronica Anzures, which is a location close to basically nothing of importance. Perhaps there are banks or other businesses nearby to make this hotel worthy of staying for business travelers. Otherwise, if you are a tourist, don't stay there!

Here's the scoop, and I think I'm pretty flexible and reasonable in my expectations of hotels:

1) the del Prado is not close to any metro stations.

2) the hotel has an exclusive contract with a private taxi service that is 3 times more expensive than the typical "sitio" taxis. No other taxis are allowed to pick up passengers at the hotel.

3) the hotel has a bar on the first floor that was never open while I was there. Plus, it does not look like any hotel bar I've ever seen (no actual bar). I walked in several times though no one was in the bar. No one ever saw me or attempted to take my order. Once I entered at 10:30 PM, only to be told that it was closed by someone cleaning up after a private party. the bar in the restaurant is a joke. again, nothing like a US hotel bar/restaurant.

4) like most Mexican hotels, make sure you pack a wash cloth, since there are none provided in the room (though you'll love the huge towels).

5) if you like to read in bed before sleep, bring a light. The lighting in the rooms are terrible, including the bathroom. i would imagine that folks wanting to put on makeup will be concerned that they cannot see in the mirror well enough, due to the lack of light.

6) like most hotels in Mexico City, don't expect anyone to understand English.

7) expect to receive a phone call every morning just after 8:00 AM, with someone asking you if you want any clothes to go to their laundry. This is actually okay if you need a wake up call since there are no clocks/alarms in the rooms.

8) the rooms are HUGE!!! they may have non-smoking rooms, but I was unable to find the non-smoking option from the list on Travelocity.com. My room was very smokey, but was okay after a day or so.

9) the rooms do have A/C. You can control the output which is great. Turn it up to high when you sleep so that you don't have to listen to car alarms going off in the parking garage next door (or at least on the side of the hotel where I stayed).

10) the price is good, especially through Travelocity. However, I made up the difference in price by shelling out mucho dinero for the hotel's ripoff taxi service.

If you still want to stay at the Hotel del Prado, here's some suggestions:

1) when you want a taxi, walk into the adjoining mall and take your first right turn. you'll soon see a Sanborn's (a department store/restaurant/bar) where you can exit the mall and get a taxi for 1/3 the price of the hotel private taxis.

2) if you don't want the breakfast buffet for $90 pesos, go to Sanborn's and eat a good breakfast for about $55 pesos.

3) instead of looking for a decent bar in the hotel, again, go to Sanborn's bar. there happy hour is one of the best deals I saw during my stay and it feels just like a typical hotel bar in the states.

4) bring your own wash cloth from home (since they don't provide them).

5) let the shower fog up the glass in the bathroom before getting in, otherwise you'll be easily seen from nearby high rise businesses. there are no curtains for the windows above the shower.

6) study your Spanish!!!!! Assume that no one will be able to speak English at the hotel or anywhere else in Mexico City. it is not Cancun! realize that while you can learn some phrases to speak Spanish, that doesn't mean you'll understand Spanish.

7) your nearest Metro station is in the Zona Rosa, which will cost you about $23 pesos by regular taxi or $80 pesos by the hotel's taxi service. then enter through the Av. Insurgentes metro station. if you want better convenience to the metro, stay almost anywhere else.

8) the hotel is connected to a large mall. however, the mall is nothing special. also, each shop opens on Mexican time, which means don't expect anything before noon. there's also a McDonalds in the mall, for those of you who could possibly want that.

I only could find one review on this hotel before my visit. Therefore, I booked the hotel, only to realize later that it was incovenient to my tourist plans. I was unable to change my reservation through Travelocity without a $300 penalty, so I made the best of it.

Best wishes.

I went to Mexico City the end of April 2004 for five days. I deliberately chose a three-star hotel because I was researching a novel I'm writing and a character stayed in one while visiting Mexico City. I was surprised at how nice the hotel was, from lobby to my room. My room was large, clean and comfortable. The hotel restaurant was really excellent, and my introduction to "real" Mexican food a pleasant surprise. There is a shopping mall attached to the hotel that sells everything from MacDonald's hamburgers to motor scooters. The staff were friendly (though none spoke English fluently). I was told the neighborhood is bad, but I never went out for a walk, having friends there who took me everywhere. I recommend the Hotel Prado.