Hotel Socavon

I read the reviews and was a little worried when my group traveling to GTO decided to use this hotel. First, remember this is Guanajuato - a beautiful, wonderful, historical city - and there is no Ritz here. First the bad (which I would actually call the "to be expected") -poor water pressure -slow and unreliable hot water -no air conditioning -lots of steps -neighborhood noise -school groups on weekends got pretty loud until wee hours Now for the good: -Beds were comfortable -Rooms were very clean -Rooms were comfortable at night if windows left open -All staff (front desk, restaurant, cleaning staff) were cordial and efficient (most did not speak much English) -You can flush t.p. at this hotel -Restaurant very reasonable (we fed 13 for dinner for $70 USD plus a tip) -an easy, safe 15 minute walk to centro or an easy $2.50 cab ride (just agree on the price before you leave) -fairly easy (uphill) walk to the Mummy Museum -small convenience store adjacent -very reasonable internet cafe adjacent to hotel -great views from the rooftop -the inside courtyard is very nice So, to me it depends on what you expect. If you want the quietest, most luxurious, most romantic hotel, then I suggest you skip this one (in fact, just skip Guanajuato). If you want authentic, convenient, friendly, "lively" atmosphere in this awesome city, the give it a try. Some must do's in the city: -Take one of the night tours with the singing students -Hang out in the Jardin Union for the evening -wander the narrow cobblestone alleyways around the Theater Juarez -See the Museo de Las Momias (truly strange) -Wander the Mercado Hidalgo -Go up to the Valenciana Temple (cooler with great views and interesting history) -Find the city's various plazas and churches and read the signs My first trip to GTO was great, and Hotel Socavon was certainly an adequate base for exploring the town.