The Hotel Dolores Alba Chichén (Carretera Mérida-Cancún Km. 122, tel. 985/858-1555, www.doloresalba.com, US$42 s/d with a/c) is one of the best deals in the area especially given its choice location three kilometers (1.9 miles) east of the ruins, one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the Balankanche Caves, and across the street from the Parque Ecoarqueológico Ik Kil. Rooms are spotless and smallish, with good beds and simple tile work on the walls to spiff up the decor. The hotel has a pleasant outdoor restaurant (7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, US$4–10) and two large swimming pools—the one in back has a mostly natural stone bottom, with holes and channels reminiscent of an ocean reef, which is perfect for kids with active imaginations. The hotel also provides free shuttle service to the ruins.

On the eastern end of Pisté, Pirámide Inn (Calle 15 No. 30, tel. 985/851-0115, www.chichen.com, US$4 pp camping, US$38 s/d) is a low sprawling hotel with large rooms that are clean though a bit dark. The decor is distinctly 1970s den, with some rooms sporting bubblegum paint jobs and lacquered brick walls. The air-conditioning units appear to be from the same era, and can be loud. On the upside, there’s a pool in back, facing a pleasant garden, and a restaurant serving reliable breakfasts and dinners. The bus station is nearby, and the ruins are just a kilometer (0.6 miles) down the road.