Headed down for about five days. I've pretty much narrowed my decision to the three hotels above!
Can you all give me pros and cons of each to help me decide.
Any tips are greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!!

I have stayed at Hotel Lucerna. It is quiet and very nice for a pleasant stay. The pool is far better that the other two. It is a bit further than the others from the Zona Norte, but all are a cab away. Hotel Lucerna is close to Baby Rock and Zka, both discos. It also has a great restaurant. It you want a super restaurant try Saverios, a short cab ride away. It is awesome.

I am a frequent guest at Hotel Pueblo Amigo. I cannot compare it to the others, as I have never stayed with them. I really like H.P.A. because of its location. It is a safe walk (24 hours a day) from the border, Rio Plaza (day-time) and the zona (day-time). The staff is very efficent, pleasant and accomodating. Most of the staff, also, speak English. As long as you are discrete, there is no problem with overnight guests. Most of the rooms have safes and are clean and modern. Bolero's strip club is in the same shopping center, as is a Wal-Mart like department-grocery store, Ley. There is a sports book on the premises. There are also a couple of very good restaurants in the P.A. shopping center.

I agree 120% Avltourist! Have you experienced their "price increase" yet?

Pueblo Amigo seems wildly too expensive for me. The insecurity of whether the hotel will charge me $89 or $189 is just too much to plan on staying there.

I can't speak for the $189 as I've only been charged $70ish during my last 6-8 trips down but:

a) I haven't been down since the news of a price increase.

b) I always dealt with Ricardo, the former desk manager, and I helped him out a few times with HR & operational advice. He's gone again but I still got my great rate on my last visit. $70 is still steep for a TJ hotel (IMHO) but I almost always got a suite and usually 510 or 610 which were even bigger suites.

If you can get a reasonable rate...the hotel is a great place to stay. They don't have a problem with bringing chicas back with you and the bellmen know to call Ejecutivo for your entertainment needs. The restaurant is very good and their Sunday Brunch/Buffet is great. The closeness of Senor Frogs, Boleros, and other restaurants & entertainment make it a great place for newbies before they venture out to Revo (Villa Z) or the zona hotels.

My suggestion for P.A. is to call ahead and talk to someone during the day. Don't ask them what the rate is, or they will quote something ridiculous like $175.
Most recently, I did not take my own advice and paid over $100. They are able to see your history if you stayed there before though and will try to make a "deal". They have increased their rack rate and now their rate of exchange is 9.0X.

I have never been questioned about bringing back girls. And the girls have never been questioned.

I stayed at H.P.A. for six days in May and had been quoted a 50% off rate of $75.00 when I made my reservation. When I got home and went over my bill, I discovered that I had been charged $88.88 per night. After numerous emails went unanswered, I called Lupita, who at first was unwilling to do anything. I finally demanded that they honor their initial rate, and she told me she would credit my Discover Card for the difference. She, also, said that the rack rate was now $188, meaning my rate would be $94 in the future. As much as I like the hotel, I refuse to pay that much and wrote a letter to the hotel manager telling him so. Thirteen months ago, I paid $65. The new rate is 45% more. I will be in T.J. 6-27 thru 7-4 and will probably stay at Villa Zaragoza, since the manager at H.P.A. has not responded to my letter. I spent 39 nights there over the last 13 months and was hoping to continue staying there, until their rates got so unreasonably high.

It's funny, but I had a similar experience with the Real del Rio.

When I started going there, before anyone had posted about it here on the message boards, I could walk in at 7 PM and 75% of the time get one of the 2 Jacuzzi Suites - for $65 a night.

When a couple of fellow Sires posted about it - one in considerable detail - it started to get harder to get the Suite.

Now, that same Suite is $175 a night, and from what I hear (I no longer go there very often) they are almost impossible to get on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night.

As TJ turns...

Looking for info on Motel Alaska (big Yellow building just down the street from La Tropa). What are their rates, how are accomediations, noise level, contact info, do they fuck with you like Zaragoza about chicas, etc.

Harry

Any new info on this hotel?

looking for a CLEAN/SAFE/NICE hotel in TJ or surronding area for 2 nites. Want it to be chica friendly also. I heard La Mansion is nice. Also have heard mixed reviews on Grand hotel. any suggestions?? also want room to have a/c

(Message edited by miker10406 on November 13, 2004)

The Grand, IMHO, is not very good (for the money, anyway)- and is, in general, not really chica friendly.

La Maison is great, but not a "long time" hotel, I don't think. When you leave your room, they rent it to someone else.

There are several decent places - some even quite nice.

The Lucerna, Pueblo Amigo, and the Real del Rio are all very nice places to stay. They are not openly monger hotels, but all tolerate discrete mongering activity. Of the three the Lucera is the only one where one of my chicas got questioned.

Lurcerna wouldn't let me take my chica back to the room. I will never stay here again. Pueblo Amigo and real del rio are the best in my opinion.