La Casa de la Marquesa

We stayed 3 nights (was supposed to be 4) at Casa de la Marquesa and it was a nightmare! They had first put us in a third floor attic room, with a dark spiral staircase that was not compatible with my 74 year old knees, so they were nice enough to change our room to a 2nd floor room which was lovely to look at, but once we stayed the night we realized all the things that did not work; No WiFi, No TV, No A/C, No power in the bathroom for hair dryer, etc. They did try to take care of these things, but they kept going out constantly over the 3 days we stayed. What was going to be our last night, we had to check out early due to flight disruptions and cancellations in Dallas. They agreed to compensate us for the last night, and gave me a note saying we would receive a credit for the last night that we were not there. Now it's been 2 months, and there has been no credit, and communication has stopped competely on their end. I kept hoping they would keep their word and refund our money, but that didn't happen. I don't like writing negative reviews, but want to save other travelers a bad experience. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT stay here. There are much nicer hotels for less money.

In our international travels, we always strive to seek out historic hotels that have preserved their original character, with rooms that reflect their identity rather than the prevailing bland aesthetics. The Casa de la Marquesa certainly delivered on that count. Its enticing patio lobby and staircase, with its kaleidoscope of period tiles, provide a taste of what's to come in its larger suites. Ours was the Alhambra, easily the nicest and most comfortable room on the premises, a riot of faux-Moroccan fantasy. We had no complaints with either the room or the exceptional housekeeping staff, nor with the location, dead center in Queretaro's historic district and an always interesting walk to the best restaurants and cultural sites. Unfortunately, we had a problem with nearly everything else. One can forgive the indifferent quality of the restaurant --plenty of better options lie literally around the corner. But the indifference of the front desk staff to their guests' comfort and satisfaction significantly downgraded the overall experience. We had a pleasant encounter at check-in, but after that the quality of service ranged from merely perfunctory to egregiously incompetent -- especially in the mornings, when the adults seemed to have taken a half-day off. To cite one example: during our stay a plumbing issue appeared to have erupted in the patio dining area. Crews worked after hours sledgehammering large holes in the tile floor for several consecutive nights leading up to Valentine's Day. At no time did management provide the courtesy of a written note to guests explaining the reasons for the inconvenience, nor did they offer any form of recompense, financial or otherwise. A hotel, after all, relies on its guests for its livelihood -- but you'd never know it from this staff. We don't regret our stay at the Casa de la Marquesa, but let's just say the anticipation exceeded the actual experience. One other thing: amazing as the suites are, they occupy the floor above the restaurant patio, where the piano music begins promptly every morning at 8 am. So make sure to turn on the white noise.

My friend and I were so excited to be staying at this iconic hotel in Queretaro. However, before even arriving we were trying to book a cheese and wine tour advertised on their website. Should be easy right? Not. First we were advised to contact the tour provider directly. They provided the wrong information for the tour provider. Then someone sent an updated pdf tour list, with a wine and cheese tour of a different name and price. Ok fair. After we paid the deposit we were informed by another staff member (via WhatsApp and who didn't identify themselves) that the price increase and the former information was incorrect. After 2 hours of trying to phone the hotel (no answer) we were able to reach the actual tour provider who was able to clarify and confirm our reservation and deposit. The information on the hotel website is still incorrect as of the writing of this review. When we arrived after informing them of our time of arrival we were greeted rudely and unprofessional by a woman named Mariel -typically I don't like to name specific staff but she was unbearable and I would say hostile. There was an event happening in the hotel at the time but she couldn't be bothered to give us basic hotel information (wifi, time for breakfast, how to enter hotel after hours, etc.)- it was as though we were bothering her my checking in. When her name was mentioned other staff said there were numerous complaints about her. Breakfast was included in the inflated room price but for the first 2 mornings I had to show them the email stating this and finally asked the 'reception' if they could not inform the kitchen of this. Honestly, how difficult can it be in a 12 room hotel?????with the exception of a few friendly restaurant staff the staff were unhelpful, at times dismissive and rude and typically seen hanging out in the administration office avoiding guests. We also realized how dirty the hotel is. The bathroom floors were dirty, and the entire room seemed it had not had a deep clean in months (dust everywhere) and the restaurant area and the carpet leading into the office appeared not to be cleaned in months. On two occasions after the room was 'cleaned' we had to request towels, toiletries and water. I understand this hotel is rented out to whomever wants to manage and administer it. To me, this hotel is extremely poorly managed and administered (with unhelpful and unhappy staff) and high room rates demanded seem to be based on the wonderful architecture and the history of the building - nothing more. I would not recommend this hotel at all....I have travelled extensively in Mexico, Europe, etc. and it was one of the worst hotels I have stayed in a very long time and it was especially poor given the price and the 4-5 star rating. We felt the atmosphere of the hotel was abysmal and the staff seemed extremely unhappy which translated into a terrible experience for us as guests. Not surprising when we checked out and returned the key no one asked how our experience was or bothered to thank us for our 4 night stay at this poorly run hotel. We had the pleasure of staying at the Casa Brunella on our first stay in Queretaro and although significantly less expensive, the experience with this hotel and the staff was tremendous. Queretaro has some wonderful, beautiful and reasonably priced hotels. This is not one of them. Buyer beware.

Benjamin greater us at the door and welcomed us in. He made the best margaritas in town. Then he chatted with us and arranged a tour of their best suite. We were amazed at the beautiful furnishings, curtains and decor. Amazing hotel that we hope to come back to.

To be clear, this place is stunning. It is absolutely historic and impeccably designed. In fact, walking past the facade during the evening drove me to want to go inside the next day. So, we had a little trek to their restaurant. It was a breathtaking affair just sitting in the foyer listening to the piano and sipping local vino. The manager was gracious and helped with our meal selection as well as set up a tour of the hotel. So, why wouldn't I give it five stars? Because the meal itself was not to the level of the atmosphere. It was really good, but we have had some A+ meals in that region of Mexico (especially coming from San Miguel de Allende). So, this spot was terrific so spend a nice afternoon inside the main room, sipping wine and enjoying this magical city.