Hotel Isabel

I recently stayed at Hotel Isabel in the heart of Mexico City’s Centro Histórico and found it to be a charming, budget-friendly option with a few caveats. The hotel’s location is excellent – just a short walk from the Zócalo and major landmarks, which made exploring the city very convenient.  The building itself has a colonial feel: high ceilings, wood-floors in some rooms, and a sense of history that adds character.  On the positive side, the staff were generally courteous and the rooms were spacious, which is notable in this part of the city. Several guests’ve pointed out good value for the price.  That said, the hotel is clearly dated and some rooms show it: bathrooms may have slow drainage, the décor is old-fashioned, and soundproofing is minimal, so street noise can be a little concern.  For travellers seeking simplicity, good location and a local flavour, Hotel Isabel works well. But if you expect modern amenities, state-of-the-art rooms or luxury finishes, you may feel the difference. In summary: a solid choice for sightseeing and value in CDMX’s historic core.

When you enter for the first time, the first thing that comes to mind is: where did I go? But after being empty for a while you realize that the hotel is in a beautiful historic building and that's great. Good service, always clean, good staff, from the minuses, the reception table needs to be changed a bit. and most importantly safe.

I am writing this long overdue review of the Hotel Isabel where I stayed twice this summer. I have so much gratitude for the honest staff and the guests at the Hotel Isabel. They are full of integrity! Weeks after my visit, another guest found my credit card in the safe deposit box and turned it in to the front desk who contacted me in California to let me know that they had my credit card. I had not realized that it was missing! I immediately canceled my card and requested that the Hotel Isabel staff destroy it which they did, and they even sent me a video showing that they had cut up the card. Amazing! I could not believe it because 40 years before on my first trip to Mexico City as a student studying Spanish, I apparently lost my Ohio driver’s license at the ADO bus station. I did not realize this until my mother wrote me while I was still in Mexico to let me know that a kind Mexico City resident had mailed it back to my Ohio address! I love the Hotel Isabel, its guests and the residents of Mexico City. And now for the rest of my review: Every morning I was greeted by the friendly front desk staff, the delightful restaurant workers and fellow guests who hailed from all over Mexico and were very patient and kind when I spoke my rusty Spanish. It was so much better than staying in a sterile, Ikea-furnished AirBnB in some trendy neighborhood full of expatriate remote workers. My room was clean and comfortable, included an in-room sink, an electric fan, a TV, a safe deposit box, Wi-Fi and a shared bathroom that was five steps away. The restaurant is good and economical. I stayed at the end of May when the candidates were closing down their campaigns before the June 2 presidential elections. My room had a view of the Aztlán Ferris Wheel and the Torre Latinoamericana, sporting a “VE Y VOTA” (GO AND VOTE) sign encouraging Mexicans to vote for their first woman president. I bought tasty tortas and extra water from the woman owner of the sandwich shop outside of the hotel, walked to the Metropolitan Cathedral and Alameda Central Park and had easy access to many Metro and bus stops so that I could explore the city. The hotel staff was happy to give sightseeing advice and directions and even called another hotel to confirm my reservations for the next leg of my trip. After my travels to Pátzcuaro and Oaxaca I returned to the Hotel Isabel for the last few nights of my Mexico visit. This time I got a room with private bathroom. It had high ceilings, a balcony overlooking the Republica de El Salvador cobblestone street and the famous safe deposit box!

Great old hotel. Great location. Very good beds, showers, etc. Big rooms. Wood floors. Branded sheets and towels. Love all the little details of this Grand Dame hotel. Great value!

A good location old hotel with big rooms having very high ceilings with no air conditioning, not even a fan. Very grim looking lobby having a few old furniture and dirty looking floor with an ugly reception desk with English speaking personnel. Acceptable restaurant, little bar. Good location with big vertical sign that can be seen from different directions. You might get little disappointed at the beginning, but you will finally like it. Good people, safe place. Very close to everything. Wish you nice stay.

Had a pretty great time at the Hotel Isabel - it is very centrally located and the room was overall very good value for money. Loved having a balcony out onto the street. Everything was clean and even though a little dated, very functional. The night porter was a little bit curt, though the other staff made a lovely experience. Decorations for Dia de Muertos were beautiful.

Just got back from a wonderful experience in visiting Mexico City, including my stay at Hotel Isabel. My family and I were very comfortable in our rooms. The whole Zocalo area felt safe and when we come back, we’ll definitely be staying at Hotel Isabel again! Thank you staff for your service!!!

This hotel is near the historic center. What I like about this hotel is their tours. It's much cheaper than what you see on the prices online. The only con is the availability of English tour guide. They only do the tours in Spanish. They have restaurant near the lobby area. It's good to have breakfast here. Although, there are so many breakfast options outside. Their service is good. They have small elevator that can fit 4 people. Otherwise, you take the stairs. The hotel is walking distance to the church and to main shopping centers. I love that we can always get an Uber right away. There is an oxxo nearby if you want to get quick snacks. Our rooms were basic. We have three beds inside, a small television, a safe and one cabinet for clothes. The toilet is okay. Sometimes the hot water doesn't get too hot. The faucet water doesn't get too hot. It gets cooler at night, and their blankets help you sleep well. The rooms are well lit. They look old and basic, but the room still works even if it is basic. The only thing I didn't like was because the hotel is near the main street and some pubs. You could always hear noises outside. Our room was near the street, so if you request a room far away from the street, that would be better. If you don't mind the noise, then it's okay.

Great hotel. I've stayed here a few times an perfect in every way for a budget traveler visiting DF for the first time or who just wants to stay in Centro historic. While I don't stay here much anymore (just staying up neighborhoods for variety) I come back every time I'm in town to hang out at the bar. Super cool vibe that reminds me of a dive in the US with a Mexican twist. The drinks are cheap, the crowd always friendly and the small dishes super tasty!! AAA+++

Hello everyone. Just stayed here for 2 days in my recent visit to mexico city. I wouldn’t say much about the service and location those 5 stars should be enough to tell how was it. Talking about the rooms all is good. Didn’t see any charging socket beside the bed could work on that maybe by a wire extension. And one more important thing it is close to most of the activities around, shops and a few attractions.