We visited during the offseason, so the hotel was very "Tranquilo" with not many other guests in the sprawling hotel. Hotel De Mendosa is located in the historic center of Guadalajara, just a few steps away from Plaza de Liberacion and a variety of classic older buildings. The hotel itself is a reconstituted nunnery and sits alongside a beautiful church. The building details are superb with lots of Mexican woodwork throughout the hotel and plenty of local artist's works on the walls everywhere you look.
The rooms were smallish, but once again the attention to detail made them not only comfortable but beautiful as well. During our stay, we never had to try to get the air conditioner working, but the temperature was only warm, not hot, so it was not a problem. The rooms all seem to overlook the pool area on the main level that features a hot tub as well as a rain fountain that creates that cooling sensation of water falling like rain. I suspect that the fountain is a psychological cooler during the hotter summer months.
The staff was great and most of them spoke fluent English, for those of you who don't speak Spanish. And there was plenty of staff if you needed them. The room maids will come in every day unless you tell them otherwise, getting new towels was never a problem. On the main level, the hotel offered its own restaurant experience which I highly recommend for at least one of the nights you stay there. Good food served in an elegant main dining room all at reasonable prices makes this an easy choice for dinner. Keep in mind that you are just a few steps away from Plaza de Liberacion and all that this historical center has to offer, including lots of other restaurants.
The hotel's proximity to the historic center of Guadalajara makes it easy to walk all around the area which has a lot to offer. Several large, old churches, Teatro Degollado (a famous old theater still in use), many different statues commemorating some of Guadalajara's past founders and leaders, lots of street stalls with the typical Mexican crafts and even a gigantic three-story mall dedicated to jewelry sales. Plus there is a cafe or restaurant on almost every block. I don't recommend drinking the tap water, but the food was good everywhere I ate, even the small street stands.
For those of you visiting from the States or Canada, all the pricing will seem like a fire sale, so don't forget to tip. The rooms were very reasonable, around $60/night including taxes with a nice dinner at the in-house restaurant setting you back $15-20 for two. Guadalajara is a beautiful city (I'm talking about the Centro Historico) and from this location, it's easy to explore most of it on foot. Highly recommended. read more