Address: Isabel la católica 63, Centro histórico , Mexico city 06000, Mexico Show on map
The Isabel is a long-time budget traveler's favorite in the Centro Histórico, and it's easy to see why. Just a few blocks from the Zócalo, it offers very large, well-scrubbed rooms with old but sturdy furniture, high ceilings and great balconies, plus a hostel-like social scene.The hotel's eponymous monarch glares down over a fish tank in the colonially decorated central courtyard where travelers update their journals or plan trip itineraries. Skip the attached restaurant with just-average Mexican fare, but spend some time in the more locally oriented bar - we spotted a ventriloquist there among the mostly male drinkers. The classic arrangement has three floors of rooms around the cheerful upper patio, naturally lit by a transparent skylight and festooned with lots of plants. Avoid interior rooms which tend to be dark and stuffy. Tall windows and balconies make all the difference - somehow, the old furniture doesn't seem quite so sad. Some may prefer the top (fourth) floor with smaller rooms opening onto a terrace around the skylight.
The hotel's eponymous monarch glares down over a fish tank in the colonially decorated central courtyard where travelers update their journals or plan trip itineraries. Skip the attached restaurant with just-average Mexican fare, but spend some time in the more locally oriented bar - we spotted a ventriloquist there among the mostly male drinkers. The classic arrangement has three floors of rooms around the cheerful upper patio, naturally lit by a transparent skylight and festooned with lots of plants. Avoid interior rooms which tend to be dark and stuffy. Tall windows and balconies make all the difference - somehow, the old furniture doesn't seem quite so sad. Some may prefer the top (fourth) floor with smaller rooms opening onto a terrace around the skylight.
Hotels & hostels home Hotels & hostels in Mexico City Need help?
Author pick
Atmosphere: Elegant and Busy
This property does not offer online bookings on our site. To make a reservation, please contact the hotel directly or book other properties online.
We've got 159 bookable properties to choose from in Mexico City.
All hotels & hostels in Mexico City
This property has been reviewed and recommended by a Lonely Planet author but it doesn't offer online bookings on our website. Feel free to contact them direct or go back to the city listing and choose another one.
You're in the belly of the beast; any direction will do. Head northeast for the Zócalo and Templo Mayor complex; south for the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana with its excellent museum of Mexican regional outfits; west for bustling Eje Central (especially if you're in the market for 'cheap' software); or east through the corridors of the shopping district to the massive Mercado Merced.
Special rate - Best rate guarantee
You need to have cookies enabled to view the site
Search Lonely Planet
My profile
Tweak your wanderlust
With you all the way
Tweets, feeds and more
Go behind the scenes
Travel inspiration to your door