Hotel Jalisco

What to expect from a one-star hotel. The basics and nothing more: a clean room, a bed, a bathroom and little space. Do not count on breakfast, a lift, air conditioning or room service. This is somewhere to sleep and head out from, at minimum cost.

Where the location puts you. Tacubaya is one of the most important transport nodes in the city: Metro lines 1, 7 and 9 cross here, which puts almost anywhere within a single change. Chapultepec and the Condesa are a few minutes away, and buses to Santa Fe and Toluca leave from here.

What you have to accept. This is a transit zone, heavily trafficked and noisy, not a neighbourhood for strolling. As accommodation it works for the connections, not for the surroundings; at night, take a taxi.

What to confirm before booking. Three things head off almost every problem in this category: that there is hot water and at what hours, whether they take cards or cash only, and whether the room faces the street. Ask too about the deposit and the check-in time, because many small hotels will not store luggage beforehand.

What applies to any hotel in Mexico City. The city sits above 2,200 metres: on the first day, go easy on alcohol and exertion. Tap water is not drunk here; every hotel provides bottled or purified water. And keep the exact address written down, borough included: colonia names repeat across the city, and taxi drivers will thank you.