Hotel Lagos De Montebello

“A Rare Find”

My gal and I had an EXCELLENT stay here. It's interesting how it's not much mentioned on TripAdvisor. Really more of a hidden nest for Mexican businessmen and families than for international tourists, I feel; so management is not looking for the TripAdvisor crowd per se. Let me spoil this secrecy a… Mais

My gal and I had an EXCELLENT stay here. It's interesting how it's not much mentioned on TripAdvisor. Really more of a hidden nest for Mexican businessmen and families than for international tourists, I feel; so management is not looking for the TripAdvisor crowd per se. Let me spoil this secrecy and tell everyone here, this is a PHENOMENAL LY NICE HOTEL at a great price! First, our room, moderately small, was immaculately clean and stylish. The bed was made in that 5-star way some of you know; was a cute, romantic space. (My woman's view and she's never wrong.) Second, the service was wonderful though very understated and relaxed (which we liked). Everything we asked for we got soon enough. The restaurant brought $1.50 beers at the pool and the hombre made us feel like we had our own private waiter there, poolside. And though I speak decent Spanish, the guy tried to engage me in English, and I feel confident I could have ordered anything in English and gotten what I needed. What made this hotel great was more than just service and the rooms: Have you ever stayed at a place where the staff genuinely seem to LIKE you? That doesn't happen often (and I'm not that unlikable!). The receptionist, who was there 3 days in a row, treated us with sweetness, like we were they couple they were secretly hoping would come stay there. I'm not kidding. All very unspoken, but the sincerity seemed real. Let me tell you, that's sometimes hard to find. The breakfast (which isn't included in the price, btw, but was reasonably priced) was buffet yet very tasty, made of good food. And if you like espresso, there's an Italian Coffee Company cafe (privately owned) part of the hotel lobby. I personally don't think that espresso is quite as good as Starbuck's, but what do I know. I had to go down a short flight of steps from the restaurant to get cappuccinos for me and my woman, and the cafe is separate from the hotel so you pay them separately, but that was no problem. There were no international tourists there that we could see. The pool had a number of Mexican families who were having a good time. I talked to one of the guys, who works in Villahermosa, and he said he brings his wife and kids to this place every year. He asked me not to mention it to Americans on the Internet, and I'm not keeping my bargain with him. The pool is indoors and, though unheated, was VERY clean. We swam for over an hour. No sunbathing; it has a plexiglass roof so you can see the sun, though, and feel some warmth on your body. The inner courtyard is a nice garden, very lush. It's a nice place to hang out, read a book. DOWNSIDES (there aren't many): The hotel is on the main avenue (becoming the highway to San Cristobal), about a 10-min. walk to the plaza, the center of Comitán. So if you're seeking more of a colonial, close-in accommodation, near the center of evening life, then this place will seem a little far wasy But taxis, $3, are readily available and will get you there in 5 min. Also, our room had a large window with shudders opening into the central courtyard. That was good because you could see the foliage, the courtyard. But if you're looking for privacy (we were!), you have to keep your draperies/shudders closed, as people can walk by and see you, and that means your room can be dark, lit only by lights. We opened our windows when we didn't care what people saw, but that wasn't always the case, and the room felt a tiny bit claustrophobic at times because of this. Service was excellent. The walk-in price was $70 U.S., but this kind of room in the U.S., with its style and the hotel's excellent service, would be $175 or more in most cities. In sum: If you're looking for a clean, stylish, reasonably priced accommodation in Comitán and you want a pool to splash around or give something for kids to do, you can't do better. I forgot: the hotel owns a colonial posada (same name) a few blocks toward Centro. If that's your thing, you can stay there for $10 less (around $60, I think). But it isn't really THAT much closer to Centro, so, in my opinion, stay at the hotel or find a posada closer in. There are restaurants near the hotel but they tend to be taco stands or that kind of thing, placed on the thoroughfare for the auto traffic. But the hotel restaurant is fine. Still, if you're staying a few days in Comitán, you'll want to eat at one of the many great restaurants nearer to the heart of things. The hotel has a spa, a hair salon, a gym, and several other amenities. We loved Comitán. Truth be told, it was quieter and more romantic than San Cristobal, which is so built up and expensive. There were fewer people in Comitán. You can't get anything worth getting in San Cristobal for $70, believe me! If you're looking for a relaxing (indoor) poolside stay in southern Chiapas, stay at Hotel Lagos de Montebello. We thought it was cozy. We will go back.

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