Under US$50

One of the best deals in Tapachula, Galerías Hotel & Arts (4a Av. Nte. 21, tel. 962/642-7596, www.galeriasartshotel.com, US$33–37.50 s with a/c, US$47 d with a/c) is a modern and comfortable hotel with spacious rooms, spotless bathrooms, and extras like cable TV, air-conditioning, in-room phones, and free Internet access. In keeping with its name, each room is named after an artist; beyond a few posters on the walls, though, the homage pretty much stops there. Details, schmetails—this is an excellent option all around.

Casa Grande (8a Av. Sur at 2a Calle Pte., tel. 962/626-6701, US$17 s/d, US$34–42 s/d with a/c) is a rambling old casona (mansion) with rooms that open onto a leafy courtyard and a common area filled with Mexican folk art. Rooms themselves are a bit worn but wall stenciling and talavera tile floors help some (replacing the electric shower heads would be a plus). Many have cable TV and air-conditioning, the latter a must if you can swing it.

US$50–100

The boutique Casa Mexicana (8a Av. Sur at 2a Calle Pte., tel. 962/626-6605, www.casamexicanachiapas.com, US$56 s with a/c, US$65–73 d with a/c) offers artsy and luxurious rooms in a beautiful 19th-century mansion. The 10 rooms are all slightly different, each dedicated to a notable Mexican woman, and decorated with original art and antique furnishings (check out the Christian altars turned into headboards). All open onto a lush garden courtyard with a mosaic tile pool and part of the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, Tapachtlán (7:30 a.m.–noon Mon.–Sat., US$3.50–6), which is open for breakfast. All around, service is impeccable. Wireless Internet and private parking are also available.

One of the only high-rises in town, Hotel Tapachula (9a Calle Pte. 17, tel. 962/626-6060, www.hoteltapachula.com, US$57.50 s with a/c, US$66 d with a/c, US$74–87 suite with a/c) is an upscale hotel with cookie-cutter style. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, with marble floors, central air-conditioning, and views of the city below. There also is a well-tended pool and an on-site restaurant, which serves a daily breakfast buffet.

Hotel Don Miguel (1a Calle Pte. 18, tel. 962/626-1143, www.hoteldonmiguel.com.mx, US$45 s with a/c, US$56 d with a/c) is an old-school hotel trying its darnedest to keep up with the crowd. It’s not far behind—pillow-top beds, wireless Internet, and rooms with a view help it along. The decor still has a ways to go, but overall this is a solid choice.

© Liza Prado and Gary Chandler from Moon Chiapas, 1st Edition