Aguascalientes is the second-smallest state in Mexico, and it only has one city in it, which is one of those where it’s the same name as the state. It’s not all that huge either, so if you’re looking for where to stay in Aguascalientes, the location is only really important if you’re attending the annual state fair, which attracts somewhere between 10 million and 20 million, or you want to spend time in the historic center where you can walk instead of drive or ride.
I was recently in the region checking out the Aguascalientes wine scene, which is best experienced on some kind of tour or at least with a driver. There’s plenty to see in the city itself, though. For one thing, it’s the home of the National Museum of Death, which is just as wildly creepy as you’d expect, but in a very respectful way, not kitschy.
This was the birthplace of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a cartoonist, and lithographer who was the first to draw skeletons with fancy clothes on, an iconic part of Mexican culture, especially around the Day of the Dead. There’s a museum dedicated to him, too. There’s also a cultural museum that’s worth a visit and an excellent outdoor train museum, with some cars dating back to when this was one of the busiest railroad hubs south of the USA for passengers and freight.
I’ve been to this city twice and experienced three different hotels, so here are those first, then some others to consider. Whichever place you choose, you’ll be happily surprised by the rates: this is one of the best values in the country for city hotels.
Hotel Grand Alameda
There aren’t many hotels with history in this city, so this one, built in 1899, is the best bet if you want something elegant with a link to the past. The main building from that time looks like a great mansion, with the courtyard now being a skylit restaurant with high ceilings and a few rooms off to the side that are even fancier. I had a few breakfasts here and a good dinner with the group I was with.
Several newer buildings contain the hotel-standard rooms and they flank a big lawn area. There’s a nice swimming pool at the end, though the gym looks like a museum display of machines from decades ago than something functional.
We ran into a few quirks at this 48-room hotel, such as the in-room coffee machines not actually having any coffee. (“The shipment hasn’t arrived” was the excuse for days.) There’s a nice bar on site, though; beds are comfortable, and this is in a relatively central location near some sports complexes. At rates that are often less than $100 per night, double with taxes and fees, it’s a good deal. The official website is Spanish only, so you may want to reserve at a third-party booking site like Expedia.com.
Quinta Real Aguascalientes
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For many years, this was the only hotel in the city that could manage to charge more than $100 per night on a regular basis, but then a newer Marriott and newer Fiesta Americana pulled away some of the business travelers, and it’s now usually priced below those. However, if you’re here for pleasure, this Quinta Real has more character. It is part of a high-end Mexican chain brand, and it has some of the prettiest rooms in town for a fraction of what they would cost in more popular cities.
This hotel used to sit on the outskirts of the city, beyond the ring road, but as the population has grown and more construction has gone up, it doesn’t seem so far out anymore. This is a full-service hotel with a restaurant that has bilingual waiters, a bar with a lounge, a gym, and a heated outdoor swimming pool. Although this hotel is only a few decades old, they used a lot of stone, and it looks like it has been here much longer. Plus, they have more outdoor space (and parking) than most.
See more at the official website or check rates online at Expedia.com or Booking.com.
Boutique Hotel Casa del Jardin
This enticing spot is right across from a leafy city park, and it is marketed as the first boutique hotel in Aguascalientes. It’s certainly the most interesting from a visual standpoint, with a lobby lounge that mixes ceramic wall tiles and oil painting to create plenty of drama. You can go up a grand staircase to a roof area with a view.
Choose your room carefully here because they’re all quite different. You can tell the designer had a lot of fun putting them together, and most of the 11 rooms feel quite spacious. Check out their website to see photos from rooms The Kiss, Atelier, The Monumental, and The Catrina.
Services are rather limited here in terms of what’s in the historic mansion, but you’re within walking distance of many restaurants, bars, and attractions. Rates run from $65 to $145, depending on demand and room size.
For the latest rates check online at Hotels.com.
Marriott Aguascalientes
Courtesy of Marriott Hotels
If you want a place with no surprises, with predictable rooms where you know you’ll get checked in by someone who speaks English, this suburban hotel near high-end restaurants, bars, and a mall is the best choice. It’s generally the most expensive hotel in town and is one of the newest.
This high-rise hotel has a resort-sized outdoor swimming pool, what is probably the largest gym in the area, and a nice outdoor deck area with fire pits for when the highland nights get chilly.
Naturally you can earn or cash in Marriott Bonvoy points but you might want to go for the first option and save the points: rates here average a shade more than $150 per night.
Check the latest rates online at Booking.com.
Quality Inn Aguascalientes
You cannot get any closer to the city’s famous cathedral and the nearby museums than with this hotel. The Quality Inn may not be the most luxurious brand name in town, but it’s right on the main square, so you’re steps away from everything.
This Choice Hotels brand is best known for places beside a highway, but this is more of a city hotel at a great price: rates sometimes dip below $50 and are usually under $70 with taxes.
Check the latest rates at Booking.com.
Other Chain Hotels
If you have loyalty status with a certain chain, you’ll probably be able to take advantage of it here. This is a city with a good bit of industry and the rail lines and highways to support it: this is geographically the middle of Mexico. Here are a few examples of where to stay in Aguascalientes if you care about the brand affiliation.
Hilton – Hilton Garden Inn and two Hampton by Hilton choices
Travelty/Fiesta Americana – Fiesta Americana Aguascalientes and Fiesta Inn (2 locations)
Wyndham – Ramada Encore, Wyndham Garden, and La Quinta
Hyatt – Hyatt Place
IHG – Holiday Inn and Suites
Accor – Two Ibis locations
Marriott – the Marriott above plus Fairfield Inn and City Express
When I checked some random fall dates on Expedia, only three of these hotels were listed above $100 per night and the rest were all below that. Some quite a bit below. So unless you try to visit at the one time of year the city is packed, which is usually in April, you might as well stick around for a few days at one of these hotels in Aguascalientes.
Note that Aguascalientes is easy to get to: it’s within a couple hours of Leon, San Luis Potosi, and Zacatecas, not much further from Guadalajara.
Article and all photos but the Marriott one by Tim Leffel. He was hosted at Grand Alameda while researching an article on the Aguascalientes Wine Trail (Ruta del Vino) as a guest of the tourism board. As always, all opinions are his own.
