Best bet for American-style Accommodations in Mexicali
Written: Jun 27 '02 (Updated Jun 27 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: American business-class accommodations in Mexicali. Quiet location.
Cons: Lack of local amenities. Ice machine did not work.
The Bottom Line: Quiet and Clean. This hotel is new, of recent construction, and ranks as one of the best in Mexicali. Designed mostly for the business traveler.
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| 4-1-1's Full Review: Crowne Plaza Mexicali |
The Crowne Plaza Mexicali may be your best bet for American-style accommodations in Mexicali, Mexico. That said, expect to pay American-style prices.
Last month, my wife and tooled around Mexico's Baja California during a three-day weekend. On Sunday, after enjoying a hearty beach-side Sunday brunch at La Fonda (Alisitos, Baja Gold Coast area), we made a lunch-time stop at the L.A. Cetto winery, then headed north for a free beer at the Tecate brewery (in the town of Tecate), and then made the arduous drive over a high mountain pass into the border town of Mexicali. It had been a full day for us and we were looking for a nice hotel with potable water, a big bed, a full-sized shower with hot water, and a toilet that flushed properly. Perhaps that sounds a little funny, but the night before we slept in a cramped trailer on the beach, sharing what was little more than a twin-sized bed, a bathroom the size of a phone booth, and -- like many undeveloped places in Baja where sewer and septic tank service is not available -- toilet services were, shall we say... primitive. (Yes. There are places in Baja where guests are asked not to flush their, ummm, used toilet paper... so a special waste bucket is available for the, ummm, spent paper. It's something that I don't think I'll ever get used to.)
Mexicali, the capital of Baja, is a big city but not necessarily a tourist town, per se. It was once the hub of the biggest cotton growing region of Mexico, but it is more of an industrial center now. It's a big city, flat and spread out with a number of different commercial districts separated by some distance.
My wife and I enjoyed our visit there, not especially for the 95ºF temperature, but for the more authentic Mexican experience. We wanted to go somewhere not overrun by Americans and young college kids on the party circuit, and Mexicali turned out to be a nice change of pace for us.
Location
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The Crowne Plaza Mexicali is in the center of town and easy to find. Located near the "Plaza Calafia" bullring and across the street from the State Theatre cinema complex. Address:
Blvd. López Mateos & Av. de los Héroes 201
Centro Cívico, Mexicali, B.C., México
Phone: (65) 57-3600; Fax: (65) 57-0555
USA: 1-800-2-CROWNE
http://www.crowneplaza.com/
The Room
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By Western standards, the room was very plain and typical of what you'd expect for American-style corporate lodging. King-sized bed, a writing desk with one chair, no other side chairs in the room, an entertainment center/dresser that housed a 25" television with a cable feed featuring HBO, CNN, MTV and local programming. The room was large, but curiously it was sparsely furnished. We did not have a table (other than the desk), so if one were to order a meal via room service, there would be a small problem in managing one's entrée, flatware, beverages, etc.
What I Liked
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Quiet and Clean. This hotel is new, of recent construction, and is sparkling clean. The lobby and reception areas were richly appointed, the marble floors were impeccably clean and shiny, the reception staff was helpful and attentive. And how could they not be? When we arrived (Sunday afternoon), it seemed like we were the only guests at the hotel. We weren't, but this 160+ room hotel was so un-busy that we almost had to go out of our way to find other guests.
The closet was fitted with a full-sized iron and ironing board, and the bathroom was large and clean. Standard amenities included bar soaps, shampoo, and a coffee maker. The room's air conditioning worked well, and the temperature was adjusted prior to our check-in at a cool, not cold, comfortable setting. There was plenty of free parking, including free covered parking -- an important consideration on hot summer days. The hotel featured a huge swimming pool and spa area that was clean and uncrowded. The grounds surrounding the property were lushly landscaped and well-cared for.
What I Did Not Like
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It sounds like a cheap complaint to make, but it was 95°F on a Sunday evening, and having access to ice is something I consider when I am paying more than $100 for a room.
Only one ice machine spread over nine floors of the hotel (lobby, mezzanine, plus 7 floors totaling 158 guest rooms and 8 suites). There were two ice machines at one time, but one was removed. And, sadly, that one ice machine did not seem to be functioning properly. We managed, by scooping out all the half-melted cubes in the machine, to fill only 1/2 of our ice bucket. It was barely enough to chill the bottle of sparkling wine we had bought earlier in the day at the L.A. Cetto winery in Ensenada.
Not too much business is conducted on Sundays -- not in Mexico, at least -- so one of the two restaurants at the hotel was closed. The other, more of a café, was open... but with no guests seated therein, my wife and I decided to look for other dining opportunities. The hotel features a gift shop and a newsstand, neither one of them open for business on Sunday afternoon. The hotel's cocktail lounge had three of four patrons (guests, not tequila choices) ...all Americans, and none of them would have been in the bar were it not for the fact that they were showing game four of the L.A. Lakers versus Sacramento Kings basketball semi-final series. (Thank you, Robert Horry, for that clutch 3-pointer.)
Looking for outside dining and entertainment opportunities? My wife and I had to drive some miles away from the hotel to find some better restaurants, closer to the Hotel Araiza on Blvd. Benito Juárez. Not much "is shaking" in Mexicali during Sunday afternoons.
Price
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Our total bill for one night's lodging totaled DDL $1,187 Pesos. That's about $125 U.S.
Recommendations
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For the American traveler, the Crowne Plaza Mexicali is going to offer all the usual comforts of home: it is an American-style property that features the usual business services (photocopying and facsimile services, meeting rooms, PC center with internet access and printers) as well as some fine recreational opportunities (swimming pool, billiards in the bar, music and live entertainment [except Sundays], cinema across the street).
Another fine hotel we came across in Mexicali is the Araiza Inn (Blvd. Benito Juarez #2220). Room rates there are slightly lower than at the Crowne Plaza Mexicali, and it was located next to a group of nice restaurants and better shopping opportunities.
Another suitable choice for American travelers: the Hotel Lucerna Mexicali (Blvd Benito Juarez #2151).
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1091
Trusted by: 695 members
About Me:
Go U.S.C.!!!
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