I hate to give away a nice little secret, but I told the owners I would write a review for my stay there b/c it was such a positive experience.

I work in Mexico as a missionary and I prefer to stay in an economical hotel with safety, cleanliness and courtesy/honesty the top priorities. Posada San Alejandro was all of that and I couldn't have been happier with my stay of 2 nights. The hotel is quiet and within a few blocks of the center of Patzcuaro.

We had a 2nd floor room, 2 double beds (traveling with our two young boys). There was a TV w/remote and the beds were FIRM as is normal in Mexican hotels. Everything here was clean and the staff was very friendly and made us feel welcome. We ate our meals in the plaza a few blocks away. Parking is a bit different. They have room on the street but it is not secured there. So, they have an arrangement near the plaza, about 5 blocks away, with a secured parking lot and they'll write you a ticket and you can park your car in that lot overnight...leave it all day if you're staying more than 1 night. The entrance to the parking lot is quite narrow and if you have a Suburban-sized truck, you'll need to swing far right in the main street and then cross the left lane to get lined up for entry. Not fun but not a big problem as it is downtown and with a little skill you'll find other drivers will allow you to make the turn.

Other than that, the price was excellent and we felt we really got our money's worth and would stay here every time we go back to Patzcuaro. We were there for a work seminar being held at the home of a co-worker. Others in our group stayed here as well and all enjoyed it. Some stayed at the Best Western and weren't as satisfied (location out of town and high priced).

We walked all the way down to the lake from here and it took an hour but was mostly all downhill. At times we were nearly on the highway while walking...wouldn't do it with a stroller. The local combi vans were only about 5 pesos (50 cents) for a ride back up and presumably down as well. This probably would have been a better idea as the island walking (Janitzio) is all up and down and our legs were already a bit tired from the walk to the lake. Taxis are available too for a few dollars. The Indian locals on Janitzio seemed a bit rude to us but others didn't feel that sentiment. Not a problem but didn't think they were helping their dependency on tourism by treating their guests rudely. (e.g. one lady yelled at us on our way down from the top for not buying from her like we'd promised on our walk up...we didn't walk up that side of the island to the statue so we'd never even been by her shop or seen her before...maybe gringos all look alike to her but it just seemed a bit rude to us...we just laughed and kept walking. I live in Mexico and that's the only experience of its kind that I've ever encountered in my 4 years of living here.)

So, the hotel was EXCELLENT and I recommend you consider it if you aren't looking for an American hotel. Also, I don't recall if they spoke English...we speak enough Spanish to not require English to get through the transaction and our stay there.

Really sweet little place. The owner was very friendly, staff so kind. Inexpensive...$40 per night. A lovely, large room recently renovated. Really a quality place. A great find. Right across the side street from the cathedral. Several good restaurants nearby. Don't miss Patzcuaro! And enhance your stay by enjoying the tranquility of this small posada. Especially fun for me was watching a passing religious procession from the front door with the owner...who explained everything to me as the folks passed by.