The Holiday Inn is located PERFECTLY directly at the breathtaking Zocalo in the center of historic Mexico City, steps away from the old temple and the cathedral. It looks like it used to be a grand hotel and maybe one day, an investor will conduct a major makeover of this place and reopen it as a five star hotel for well off tourists. In the meantime, anyone who is interested in the culture and sights of this fascinating city can stay at the best possible location in the D.F. for a bargain price. Having said that, the rooms are clearly substandard (compared to other Holiday Inns) and the service is extremely disorganized (even by Mexican standards). I would still recommend this place because of the triple A location and the good value (which is so great because of the location).

I recently stayed in this hotel for 3 nights, I choose it primarily for its location as it is very central and as a single woman traveller I wanted to avoid public transport and visit the town centre by foot as much as possible. I had initial concerns about noise, especially once I saw that my room window faced a fairly congested road however I felt better once I saw the windows were double-glazed and the rooms have thick curtains. I had sound sleep all 3 nights though no sleeping till late morning, by 8 -9 am you hear car honks and traffic. If you plan on sleeping till late I would not recommend a room which faces the street. I found that the computers in the lobby are really good for internet and e-mails however it is shame they only have 2 and at times you need to wait for your turn, they could do with adding another 2 or 3 computers for guests. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful, rooms were clean and pleasant, the only area I was not too impressed with was breakfast, they could do better and offer a better presentation & selection of fruit. I recommend this hotel if it is for a few days and your priority is location and cleanliness.

I stayed here for 3 nights on a business trip while filming a commercial for my client.

The location was fantastic, being a single female traveler I was a little concerned but I felt safe walking around Zocalo alone. Cute street vendors, book markets, and live shows speckle the large Square. I had no issues with the drummers in the Square but I did not stay over a weekend. I would say this is probably the safest area in Mexico City to stay if it is your first time visiting.

I agree the rooftop view is awesome and that the staff is very friendly. My room was tiny but extremely clean and well kept. Room service was nice and prompt, beautiful presentation as well.

The hotel arranged for a cab driver to take me to the pyramids, saving me from the "drivers" that station themselves outside the hotel trying to get tourists as a fare.

Overall a great place to stay and would stay there again if the opportunity arises.

The Holiday Inn Zocalo is located in the historic center of Mexico City across the street from the Square (Zocalo) and the National Cathedral. It is a fantastic location for visiting the Aztec Ruins (Templo Mayor) and the Govenor's Palace (Diego Reviera's murals). There are lots of shops and restaurants within walking distance.

The staff of the hotel are very friendly and helpful and our room was very clean and comfortable. The rooftop restaurant offers a fantastic view of the Zocalo and the city.

There are a few things that one should consider if choosing this hotel.

First, if you get a room close to the Zocalo, the Aztecs will anoy you with their very loud drumming until 10:00 or 11:00 PM. The drum is so loud that you not only hear it, but feel it as well. I took ear plugs and I couldn't shut it out.

Second, don't get in a rush at the rooftop restaurant. Service is extraordinarily slow. I'm not talking about normal "Mexico slow," I'm talking slower.

Third, we ordered room service each of our seven mornings there. The service was friendly, courteous, and fast. That is, until Lydia came on duty. That day we were treated rudely and we were served day old fruit (we didn't order fruit) and stale toast (we ordered Pan Dulce [Mexican Pastry]). When questioned about the order, Lydia became very argumentative. Language had nothing to do with it since my wife is fluent in Spanish. We complained to the Capitan about the treatment and received an apology and a complementary breakfast our last morning there.

Fourth, the hotel will get you a fixed price taxi. The cars are clean and the drivers are courteous. The only problem is that every one of them will work you to take you somewhere else so they can line their pockets. We had one that wanted to take us shopping at a "special market" that ended up being just an oversized curio shop (only 100 pesos additional). Another one wanted to stop by a "special museum" and another that wanted to come by and take us to the airport for 200 pesos (the standard fare to the airport is 100 pesos).

Fifth, leave specific instructions for water, towels, linens, etc. for the maids. A tip of 10 or 20 pesos will work wonders also. Since you can't drink the water in the hotel, you will use bottled water to brush your teeth. Ask for a couple of extra bottles.

Sixth, don't bother exchanging dollars for pesos at the hotel. They were giving 10 pesos for 1 dollar and that is the rate vendors use if you pay for goods and services on the street. The exhange rate 12/12/07-12/18/07 was about 1 dollar for 10.65 pesos and about 10.90 pesos for 1 dollar.

Seventh, most of us don't travel to watch TV. If you stay here, they have a limited selection of channels. 3 channels offer English programming: HBO Family, CNN International, and AXN (shows American reruns; some from the current season).

Bottom line is that when we go to Mexico City again, we will likely stay in Colonia Polanco or Colonia Condessa in a hotel that offers a higher level of amenities and a broader selection of restaurants and lounges.

If you want to stay in the Historic Center, try this hotel. Armed with knowledge of the seven cautions above, you will have a pleasant experience.