Four Points Mexico City [Master Thread]
Sep 30, 2012, 6:53 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 8
Report: Telcel, Sheraton Four Points Roma Norte, A serendipitous encounter, St. Regis Mexico City
Summary: Telcel Sim Card expensive for voice and data but invaluable for google maps and local incoming/outgoing calls, better SPG Gold recognition at the Sheraton Four Points, superb food at the St. Regis, a highly recommended driver, thumbs up both properties.
Telcel Sim Card.
At Mexico City Airport after customs and immigration, you walk through the terminal to Puerto 3 to get an authorized taxi—the tickets for which are bought either inside the terminal or there outside Puerto 3.
Just before Puerto 3 on the left side is a Telcel store. Ask for a tarjeta Telcel Amiga Sim. Hand over $195 Mxn via a credit card. Install it into your unlocked GSM cell phone, cold boot the phone and ask the woman at the counter to make a test call to make sure it works. Caution, it includes only a very few voice minutes for your $15 USD. When you get to the hotel you can add GB of data and voice minutes here: https://www.recarga.telcel.com/Telce...ymous/enter.do .
Voila—Google maps, local calls and text, 24/7 email.
Sheraton Roma Norte.
Pros:
--SPG gold readily recognized, and breakfast comped
--Internet is free, so take the extra points
--Wired internet in room was exc (I travel with a network cable)
-- ESL desk staff were engaging and helpful
-- quiet standard room facing rear
--Air conditioning cools well
--Firm comfortable bed, somewhat coarse cotton sheets, extra blanket provided
--roomy water closet and shower, good water pressure
--Unlimited bottled water
--vg towels
--vg breakfast with good coffee Tue-Sat with three hot entrees such as chileqiules, pork chops, guisados of beef or chicken etc plus thick sliced bacon
--good lobby coffee
--2 for 1 weekday happy hour
--superb location at the center of vibrant and safe Roma Norte, easy safe walk to Condesa
--Banco Santander / Bank Of America friendly ATM 3 blocks away
--Roomy safe was chest high in the closet easy to get in and out of.
--Primary clientele are Mexican business travelers, place empties on the weekend.
--Desk will readily call you either a safe radio taxi or less expensive Taxi sitio
Cons:
--Wifi was iffy, did not work well in room nor reliably in public areas on our phones and tablets
--ESL staff was not 100% 24/7 evenings and overnight
--Junior Suite rooms have a big hot tub out in the open, two sinks, more surface room to lay out luggage, exhaust fan over hot tub and bigger AC. The hot tub exhaust fan is always on and is loud, and likewise too the bigger AC is very loud; worse it blows directly on the bed. After one night we switched to a standard room and all was copacetic if a bit compact.
--Standard room has only one sink
--Sheraton Four Points appropriate MDR (min daily requirement quality) toiletries.
--Awful room coffee
--Breakfast buffet with eggs/omelets cooked to order was fruit, pastries, cold cereal, fresh juice, yogurt on Sun and Mon; no hot entrees or bacon
--No robes or washcloths
--During rush hour it can take more than 90 minutes to taxi to the Centro.
--elevators are not rapid.
Serendipity, Exc. Driver found:
On our second night the Sheraton Four Points called us a taxi to convey us to Palacio de Bellas Artes. It was the 15th (payday) of the month, we were dressed up for the symphony, it was raining cats and dogs and the height of Friday night rush hour. Over the more than 90 minutes we spent together in gridlock we got to chatting with Arturo, the driver. He spoke English well, had gone to high school in Ohio and ferried us in his brand new Chevy Aleo. Long story short, Arturo drove us everywhere for the next eight days: the Pyramids, Xochimilco for the the Museo Dolores Imeldo, back and forth from both hotels to lunch and dinner in Polanco and the Centro—everywhere. His hourly rate for full or partial day trips is $170 Mxn aka $13 USD; and his rates around town were very reasonable given the safety, comfort and his reliability. As expected, Arturo showed up at 7 AM at the St. Regis our last day to take us to the ADO bus station for the 8:30 AM Platino bus to Oaxaca. With his permission here is his contact info: (dial 011+52 first if calling from the US) 55-4980-1915 or 55 4852-7884. This is a gem of a driver, with a nice new car at a great price. Tell him that ‘the internet guy’ sent you.
On Friday morning around the corner on Merida is a 3 block long food market. At 915 AM go about 1.5 blocks south of Obregon to the woman in a white uniform surrounded by mothers and school children and get a tamale filled with chicken and either red or green sauce. The best tamales of a two week trip. Also, stop by Tamales y Algo Mas for breakfast or another tamale, Tacos Alvaro Obregon for evening tacos al pastor. And on and on.
St. Regis.
We had two reservations: two nights cash and points followed by two nights 2 for 1 in an Exec Suite. The front desk woman smiled sweetly, said they were full up and as a result refused to join them so I guess her vision was that we would change rooms two nights into our four night stay. SPG Gold benefits readily acknowledged and benefits offered.
We were shown to a 10th floor deluxe room, bright, spacious and airy and overlooking a busy parking deck. Our personal butler asked if everything was ok, and I pouted and grunted and winced in dismay and explained that we did not want to have to change rooms. After 20 minutes of hush hush conferencing and several unacceptable (connecting, near the elevator etc) room choices lo and behold the butler showed us to an executive suite. It was two small rooms together perhaps somewhat bigger than the deluxe room. For us as a couple it was better, but if I were traveling alone I would prefer the deluxe airy spacious room hands down.
The wifi was an abject zero. The desk work area was not far behind. There was flip up desk panel at the corner of the desktop, you could reach down with difficulty and use the one outlet to charge your devices and plug in your internet cable. In truth, it was plain awkward to reach—much more so than similar arrangements I’ve encountered in China and Korea. There were no other outlets in the vicinity of the desk—just that one. The next morning an I.T. guy came up and plugged in a wireless access point so our phones and tablets could access wifi. But as a result we lost the ability to have a wired connection.
The carpet throughout was plush, but the desk chair lacked wheels. The bed was fantastic. There were no outlets adjacent to the bed that were usable. To get to the safe you had to crouch down on the floor. The bath was exc, but the WC was only 32” wide, a little narrow for my linebacker shoulders. The extra toilet paper was in a cloth condom in the closet far from the commode. There was a great steam room in the shower but no place to sit. When pressed, a shower chair was brought.
Room service food was vg quality and prompt, at a fair price. Lobby wifi was sufficiently robust to engage in a Skype call on my Android phone. Breakfast was vg quality and a good value. Our evening of departure meal was flat out world class. Small infinity pool was exc but if you push off when doing laps you miss out on some of the workout. My wife used the spa and was very happy with the massage.
A few times when Arturo, ‘our driver’, had another all day engagement, the concierge readily called us a reasonable and clean Taxi Sitio.
Truly, the St. Regis far exceeded expectations. Don’t be deterred by any of the above negatives—they are small bones to pick with such a great property, the equal of which I have only stayed at in Hong Kong and China.
Summary: Telcel Sim Card expensive for voice and data but invaluable for google maps and local incoming/outgoing calls, better SPG Gold recognition at the Sheraton Four Points, superb food at the St. Regis, a highly recommended driver, thumbs up both properties.
Telcel Sim Card.
At Mexico City Airport after customs and immigration, you walk through the terminal to Puerto 3 to get an authorized taxi—the tickets for which are bought either inside the terminal or there outside Puerto 3.
Just before Puerto 3 on the left side is a Telcel store. Ask for a tarjeta Telcel Amiga Sim. Hand over $195 Mxn via a credit card. Install it into your unlocked GSM cell phone, cold boot the phone and ask the woman at the counter to make a test call to make sure it works. Caution, it includes only a very few voice minutes for your $15 USD. When you get to the hotel you can add GB of data and voice minutes here: https://www.recarga.telcel.com/Telce...ymous/enter.do .
Voila—Google maps, local calls and text, 24/7 email.
Sheraton Roma Norte.
Pros:
--SPG gold readily recognized, and breakfast comped
--Internet is free, so take the extra points
--Wired internet in room was exc (I travel with a network cable)
-- ESL desk staff were engaging and helpful
-- quiet standard room facing rear
--Air conditioning cools well
--Firm comfortable bed, somewhat coarse cotton sheets, extra blanket provided
--roomy water closet and shower, good water pressure
--Unlimited bottled water
--vg towels
--vg breakfast with good coffee Tue-Sat with three hot entrees such as chileqiules, pork chops, guisados of beef or chicken etc plus thick sliced bacon
--good lobby coffee
--2 for 1 weekday happy hour
--superb location at the center of vibrant and safe Roma Norte, easy safe walk to Condesa
--Banco Santander / Bank Of America friendly ATM 3 blocks away
--Roomy safe was chest high in the closet easy to get in and out of.
--Primary clientele are Mexican business travelers, place empties on the weekend.
--Desk will readily call you either a safe radio taxi or less expensive Taxi sitio
Cons:
--Wifi was iffy, did not work well in room nor reliably in public areas on our phones and tablets
--ESL staff was not 100% 24/7 evenings and overnight
--Junior Suite rooms have a big hot tub out in the open, two sinks, more surface room to lay out luggage, exhaust fan over hot tub and bigger AC. The hot tub exhaust fan is always on and is loud, and likewise too the bigger AC is very loud; worse it blows directly on the bed. After one night we switched to a standard room and all was copacetic if a bit compact.
--Standard room has only one sink
--Sheraton Four Points appropriate MDR (min daily requirement quality) toiletries.
--Awful room coffee
--Breakfast buffet with eggs/omelets cooked to order was fruit, pastries, cold cereal, fresh juice, yogurt on Sun and Mon; no hot entrees or bacon
--No robes or washcloths
--During rush hour it can take more than 90 minutes to taxi to the Centro.
--elevators are not rapid.
Serendipity, Exc. Driver found:
On our second night the Sheraton Four Points called us a taxi to convey us to Palacio de Bellas Artes. It was the 15th (payday) of the month, we were dressed up for the symphony, it was raining cats and dogs and the height of Friday night rush hour. Over the more than 90 minutes we spent together in gridlock we got to chatting with Arturo, the driver. He spoke English well, had gone to high school in Ohio and ferried us in his brand new Chevy Aleo. Long story short, Arturo drove us everywhere for the next eight days: the Pyramids, Xochimilco for the the Museo Dolores Imeldo, back and forth from both hotels to lunch and dinner in Polanco and the Centro—everywhere. His hourly rate for full or partial day trips is $170 Mxn aka $13 USD; and his rates around town were very reasonable given the safety, comfort and his reliability. As expected, Arturo showed up at 7 AM at the St. Regis our last day to take us to the ADO bus station for the 8:30 AM Platino bus to Oaxaca. With his permission here is his contact info: (dial 011+52 first if calling from the US) 55-4980-1915 or 55 4852-7884. This is a gem of a driver, with a nice new car at a great price. Tell him that ‘the internet guy’ sent you.
On Friday morning around the corner on Merida is a 3 block long food market. At 915 AM go about 1.5 blocks south of Obregon to the woman in a white uniform surrounded by mothers and school children and get a tamale filled with chicken and either red or green sauce. The best tamales of a two week trip. Also, stop by Tamales y Algo Mas for breakfast or another tamale, Tacos Alvaro Obregon for evening tacos al pastor. And on and on.
St. Regis.
We had two reservations: two nights cash and points followed by two nights 2 for 1 in an Exec Suite. The front desk woman smiled sweetly, said they were full up and as a result refused to join them so I guess her vision was that we would change rooms two nights into our four night stay. SPG Gold benefits readily acknowledged and benefits offered.
We were shown to a 10th floor deluxe room, bright, spacious and airy and overlooking a busy parking deck. Our personal butler asked if everything was ok, and I pouted and grunted and winced in dismay and explained that we did not want to have to change rooms. After 20 minutes of hush hush conferencing and several unacceptable (connecting, near the elevator etc) room choices lo and behold the butler showed us to an executive suite. It was two small rooms together perhaps somewhat bigger than the deluxe room. For us as a couple it was better, but if I were traveling alone I would prefer the deluxe airy spacious room hands down.
The wifi was an abject zero. The desk work area was not far behind. There was flip up desk panel at the corner of the desktop, you could reach down with difficulty and use the one outlet to charge your devices and plug in your internet cable. In truth, it was plain awkward to reach—much more so than similar arrangements I’ve encountered in China and Korea. There were no other outlets in the vicinity of the desk—just that one. The next morning an I.T. guy came up and plugged in a wireless access point so our phones and tablets could access wifi. But as a result we lost the ability to have a wired connection.
The carpet throughout was plush, but the desk chair lacked wheels. The bed was fantastic. There were no outlets adjacent to the bed that were usable. To get to the safe you had to crouch down on the floor. The bath was exc, but the WC was only 32” wide, a little narrow for my linebacker shoulders. The extra toilet paper was in a cloth condom in the closet far from the commode. There was a great steam room in the shower but no place to sit. When pressed, a shower chair was brought.
Room service food was vg quality and prompt, at a fair price. Lobby wifi was sufficiently robust to engage in a Skype call on my Android phone. Breakfast was vg quality and a good value. Our evening of departure meal was flat out world class. Small infinity pool was exc but if you push off when doing laps you miss out on some of the workout. My wife used the spa and was very happy with the massage.
A few times when Arturo, ‘our driver’, had another all day engagement, the concierge readily called us a reasonable and clean Taxi Sitio.
Truly, the St. Regis far exceeded expectations. Don’t be deterred by any of the above negatives—they are small bones to pick with such a great property, the equal of which I have only stayed at in Hong Kong and China.
Nov 10, 2012, 12:42 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: MEX/YVR/YYF
Programs: AS MVP/AC75K/AM Gold/UA*S/SPG-Marriott Lifetime Titanium/Accor-FPC Gold/HHDiamond/Hyatt Exp
Posts: 5,035
Report: Telcel, Sheraton Four Points Roma Norte, A serendipitous encounter, St. Regis Mexico City
Cons:
--Wifi was iffy, did not work well in room nor reliably in public areas on our phones and tablets
--ESL staff was not 100% 24/7 evenings and overnight
--Junior Suite rooms have a big hot tub out in the open, two sinks, more surface room to lay out luggage, exhaust fan over hot tub and bigger AC. The hot tub exhaust fan is always on and is loud, and likewise too the bigger AC is very loud; worse it blows directly on the bed. After one night we switched to a standard room and all was copacetic if a bit compact.
--Standard room has only one sink
--Sheraton Four Points appropriate MDR (min daily requirement quality) toiletries.
--Awful room coffee
--Breakfast buffet with eggs/omelets cooked to order was fruit, pastries, cold cereal, fresh juice, yogurt on Sun and Mon; no hot entrees or bacon
--No robes or washcloths
--During rush hour it can take more than 90 minutes to taxi to the Centro.
--elevators are not rapid.
Cons:
--Wifi was iffy, did not work well in room nor reliably in public areas on our phones and tablets
--ESL staff was not 100% 24/7 evenings and overnight
--Junior Suite rooms have a big hot tub out in the open, two sinks, more surface room to lay out luggage, exhaust fan over hot tub and bigger AC. The hot tub exhaust fan is always on and is loud, and likewise too the bigger AC is very loud; worse it blows directly on the bed. After one night we switched to a standard room and all was copacetic if a bit compact.
--Standard room has only one sink
--Sheraton Four Points appropriate MDR (min daily requirement quality) toiletries.
--Awful room coffee
--Breakfast buffet with eggs/omelets cooked to order was fruit, pastries, cold cereal, fresh juice, yogurt on Sun and Mon; no hot entrees or bacon
--No robes or washcloths
--During rush hour it can take more than 90 minutes to taxi to the Centro.
--elevators are not rapid.
Washcloths are definitely in all of the rooms, however, the cleaning staff seem to skip rooms with some things if they run out of the them. It could be hand towels, bath mats, or face cloths. Annoying but they are friendly nonetheless.
The comment about 90 minutes to Centro is unheard of unless there are demonstrations near Belles Artes. I wonder if your driver took you for a ride, so to speak. I can do it in 10 mins without traffic and 20 minutes without.
I really like Roma Norte neighbourhood more than I thought I would. There are great restaurants nearby within 5 blocks like Aleksander and Franca and there is a Starbucks across from a beautifully restored Park on calle orizaba, only 5 blocks away if you need a fix.
On SPG points this property is a deal in MEX. ^
Mar 21, 2013, 12:57 am
#18
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: LAN, AA, SPG
Posts: 1,965
OK --- so did this used to be a "Love Hotel" -- or as they are known in Mexico: "hotels de paso"? Because it definitely has that sleazy kind of vibe, especially the jacuzzi "suites" and cheesey lighting. The interior room (with no view to the outside are far too claustrophobic for me.
They do seem to try to please here although they are not good at responding to emails. Food from room service was rather mediocre. "Free" breakfast was pitiful.
Bottom line: for one night it's OK but I wouldn't stay there again.
They do seem to try to please here although they are not good at responding to emails. Food from room service was rather mediocre. "Free" breakfast was pitiful.
Bottom line: for one night it's OK but I wouldn't stay there again.
Oct 25, 2013, 10:59 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 167
I stayed at the 4 points last Nov. We had a terrible experience. The staff seemed fine enough. The room smelled horribly. It was a dingy room. I called Starwood and had them cancel the rest of our stay there and we left in the morning. I have never had to do that before at any hotel. We ended up transferring to the Sheraton.
This was a real shame because we loved the neighborhood and kept coming back to it during our time in MC. The hotel lobby looked fine. We are not snobby travelers and stay at 4 points properties regularly. I would love to give it a 2nd try if I could be convinced that the room was a fluke and that other rooms are better and don't smell. You can't beat the low amount of points needed for a stay there, but there's a limit to what you should have to endure. I'm hoping to visit MC again soon as a platinum next time. I plan on staying at the St. Regis, but am wondering if I should risk a night again for the stay credit at a low points cost. Surely (hopefully) with a platinum upgrade it should be ok...
This was a real shame because we loved the neighborhood and kept coming back to it during our time in MC. The hotel lobby looked fine. We are not snobby travelers and stay at 4 points properties regularly. I would love to give it a 2nd try if I could be convinced that the room was a fluke and that other rooms are better and don't smell. You can't beat the low amount of points needed for a stay there, but there's a limit to what you should have to endure. I'm hoping to visit MC again soon as a platinum next time. I plan on staying at the St. Regis, but am wondering if I should risk a night again for the stay credit at a low points cost. Surely (hopefully) with a platinum upgrade it should be ok...
Oct 29, 2013, 9:47 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: FL
Programs: AA PLAT, HILTON DIAMOND, MARRIOTT LIFETIME TITANIUM
Posts: 616
My wife and I arrive into MEX airport at 10pm, we fly out of MEX the following day at 7pm, is it worth looking for an SPG hotel in the city, or should we just stay by the MEX airport? By the time we get our luggage and go through customs it will probably be close to midnight. We would like to see the city for the day, but not sure if it is worth the hassle, what do you think? Thank you.
Jan 28, 2014, 8:34 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: YVR
Programs: SPG, HH, AC/AS
Posts: 77
Has anyone stayed here recently? I have 2 nights here, with an early morning flight out.
Now I am kind of torn, I see that le Meridien is only $20 more a night.
Which area is better to stay in for a short trip like this? The Roma-Colonia area or where le Meridien is?
Now I am kind of torn, I see that le Meridien is only $20 more a night.
Which area is better to stay in for a short trip like this? The Roma-Colonia area or where le Meridien is?
Jan 8, 2015, 12:17 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, UA 1P
Posts: 389
Had a weekend stay booked at the Hyatt Regency, but after reading this thread, the 3000 point a night rate plus the relatively good reviews here swayed me to booking this hotel. What should I tell the taxi driver from the airport when I'm headed to the hotel? Is it enough to just give him the name of the hotel and the address?
Jan 11, 2015, 12:39 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: Aadvantage ExPlt, SPG Platinum 100, Alaska 75K
Posts: 372
Had a weekend stay booked at the Hyatt Regency, but after reading this thread, the 3000 point a night rate plus the relatively good reviews here swayed me to booking this hotel. What should I tell the taxi driver from the airport when I'm headed to the hotel? Is it enough to just give him the name of the hotel and the address?
Jan 20, 2017, 9:01 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,016
Jan 20, 2017, 11:35 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 17
Jan 25, 2017, 10:02 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,016
Thanks! Is it a decent area with walkable restaurants? Or should we plan to cab/uber to interesting food?
Jan 25, 2017, 4:05 pm
#29
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA Advantage, spg platnum, viporter, United Silver, Delta Med
Posts: 132
Location - Amazing - tons of places to walk to in terms of restaurants and nightlife.
The rooms and simple but clean. Try to avoid one that has the Jacuzzi in the floor lol - unless you really want that.
Overall i choose to stay here over the grander hotels on Reforma for a reason.. i like walking around.
Otherwise, uber is cheap and plentiful. I have not taken a taxi in mexico city in my last 6 visits. This avoids your spanish problem as well.
You can use uber from the airport as well - You simply specify the "Peurta" (door exist number) when you exit the terminal.
Jan 26, 2017, 6:14 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,016
I've stayed here multiple times.
Location - Amazing - tons of places to walk to in terms of restaurants and nightlife.
The rooms and simple but clean. Try to avoid one that has the Jacuzzi in the floor lol - unless you really want that.
Overall i choose to stay here over the grander hotels on Reforma for a reason.. i like walking around.
Otherwise, uber is cheap and plentiful. I have not taken a taxi in mexico city in my last 6 visits. This avoids your spanish problem as well.
You can use uber from the airport as well - You simply specify the "Peurta" (door exist number) when you exit the terminal.
Location - Amazing - tons of places to walk to in terms of restaurants and nightlife.
The rooms and simple but clean. Try to avoid one that has the Jacuzzi in the floor lol - unless you really want that.
Overall i choose to stay here over the grander hotels on Reforma for a reason.. i like walking around.
Otherwise, uber is cheap and plentiful. I have not taken a taxi in mexico city in my last 6 visits. This avoids your spanish problem as well.
You can use uber from the airport as well - You simply specify the "Peurta" (door exist number) when you exit the terminal.
