We have returned many times to Mansion Iturbe over the years .Patzcuaro being one of our favourite towns in Mexico.
The charming hotel has been kept up well, plumbing updated etc.The rooms are spacious and cozy
Rooms 12 & 14 giving a ringside seat to the events and goings on taking place on the beautiful plaza.
The dining room no doubt is the best in Patzcuaro.
The staff despite of their rudimentary English language skills are very helpful and friendly.
Unfortunately due to overreaction of the press in their reporting of isolated drug war problems in Michoacan and mostly in the Northern parts of Mexico ,caused many cancellations over the Christmas Holidays.
It is a big state and a very big country!
We felt safe at all times, encountered the odd road block.
We were always waved through with a smile.
We strongly advise travellers to keep visiting this beautiful town and its very interesting surroundings.
The Mexican people need our business.

The fearless travellers, Vancouver B.C.

I've just returned from Patzcuaro after being there with a film crew to document Noche de Muertos. I've traveled extensively and the experiences I had in Michoacan are among my most memorable. Patzcuaro itself is a graceful old Spanish colonial town with cobble streets and red tile roofs. The Purepecha and Hispanic people who make Patzcuaro and its surrounding villages home are warm, kind, and delightful. Patzcuaro is one of Mexico's "Pueblo Magicos" and the indigenous Night of the Dead celebration, which takes place on Nov 1 has been distinguished by UNESCO as a masterpiece of oral and intangible human heritage.

During the days that lead up to the Night of the Dead the central plaza, which is where the Mansion Iturbe is located, fills up with artisans who come to sell their folk art - catrinas, ceramic devils, robosos, and sugar skulls. Everyday there is music and dancing on the plaza and a great sense of fun pervades the atmosphere. The street food is incredible - roasted corn, fresh garbanzos, caramelized squash, coconut concoctions, tamales, enchiladas, atole, and hot guava punch.

The Mansion Iturbe is the perfect place from which to base yourself in Patzcuaro - it's right on the Plaza, which is amazing, but with its thick adobe walls and inner courtyard it provides a welcome and quiet sanctuary as well. The rooms are accurately described in other reviews - gracious w/dark beams, warm furnishings and beautiful lighting. Each room is unique. Mine stayed toasty warm at night, which can be cold.

The very best thing about the Hotel Iturbe, however, is the remarkable staff. We had no time to prepare for our shoot prior to leaving the States, so we relied on the owner Margarita and her daughter, "Maggie," to help us set up a variety of crazy things in a hurry. They responded to our sometimes unusual requests with incredible efficiency often setting something up within a couple of hours of the request.They managed to magically pull together cars and drivers for the crew at a time when there were none to be had (our driver, Andres, was also invaluable for his translation skills). They set up visits to schools so that we could see children making sugar skulls. They steered us to another school where the children were recreating the rituals that unfold on the Night of the Dead. They were always available and eager to do whatever they could do to make our shoot successful. And from what I observed they were equally as available and attentive to clients who were not part of the crew. I often saw Maggie, who is fluent in English, sitting with people, laughing and helping them plan their day.

From this moment forward Maggie and her mother are my go-to gals in Michoacan. I would solicit their advice on any shoot in the future. And Rafael, who works both the restaurant and the front desk, is a prince - like so many of the people we interacted with during our stay in Patzcuaro he was warm and willing to help us in any way possible. We had the pleasure and honor of meeting his sweet family and following them as they made preparations for Noche de Muertos. Just another of the joys of a stay at the absolutely lovely Mansion Iturbe.

We had by our request a very tranquil, large room, that was nicely decorated with authentic wooden floors and beams. Bathroom was colorful and clean, with towels changed every day.

Customer service was excellent and accomodating while brakfast was very nice and varied.

It was really ncie to stay here, excelent location and we really felt home here. However, that bathroom did smell odd during the night, a little like they would have had a drainage problem.

Although The rooms and hotel was so nice, for those who like to watch TV, it was very small and old for a big room.

We have traveled to Patzcuaro, Mexico for Dia de los Muertos many times and we have always stayed at the wonderful boutique hotel Mansion Iturbe on the Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. With only 12 rooms, this boutique hotel has become our "home away from home in Patzcuaro". We usually stay in room 12 in the front center overlooking the plaza. Having the oversized french doors to open and the balcony on which to stand to survey life on the plaza as well as processions and special events is an extra treat. A stay at Mansion Iturbe comes with an incredible full breakfast every morning in the Dona Paca Restaurant on the first floor and a complimentary cocktail in the evening either in the internal courtyard or at one of the tables under the portal in front of the hotel. What a special vantage point to watch the world go by. The wait staff in the restaurant and the front desk staff are very friendly and take good care of every guest. The cleaning ladies are wonderful as well. The Viejo Gaucho bar and restaurant in the back of the hotel is open in the evenings and can provide late night snacks and drinks along with live music. What more could you want. There is a warm, sunny solarium upstairs and a comfortable library/reading room as well.

Staying during Semana Santa (Holy Week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) is a very special event as is the week before Dia de los Muertos. Both weeks feature a wonderful open air market of folk art and crafts created by the villagers from the region and around the Lake Patzcuaro.

Margarita Arriaga and her daughter Magui and son Luis are the Innkeepers. They have invested a lot in making Mansion Iturbe a fine hotel with modern ammenities. The recently renovated bathrooms are beautiful and the rooms are spacious. I do think that they will need to upgrade the bed linens and towels in order to truly compete with top hotels in other areas.