Hotel Majestic

I always stay in the same small, quiet hotel in Mexico City but I won’t tell you the name because tourists don’t really know about it and I’d like it to stay that way.
When I found out the hotel was booked, I went online for an alternative and the Hotel Majestic kept coming up as one of the choices. A hotel on the zocalo at a low price? I went to some other sites and the Majestic got low marks. The reason? Hard beds. Really. Hard beds. I’m often suspicious of harsh hotel reviews so I made the reservation and hoped for the best.
Upon my arrival, I entered the grand lobby and feared that I would end up in a tiny, windowless room because of the low price. The elevator operator took up me up to my floor in the old cab. I walked down the dark hall, entered my room then pulled the curtain open. My jaw dropped. My window was directly across the zocalo from the balcony of the National Palace where the president appears. The expanse of the zocalo below was filled with white tents set up for a cultural festival that included countries from around the world. Wow!
During my stay, I threw open the windows and was treated to the cultural festival’s nightly concerts of Latin pop, rock, Chinese pop, Klezmer and more that I can’t remember. I watched a few, dark and intense rainstorms that turned the view into an almost black and white movie. From the comfort of my room, I saw the daily lowering of the stadium-​sized Mexican flag by the military.
I could have kept this hotel a secret, too, but it wouldn’t be fair. Yeah, the large rooms are a little worn but very clean. I wouldn’t recommend the top floor restaurant except for late night drink and the view. Oh, and about those beds: unless your bones are made of papier-​mâché, they are firm but comfortable. Besides, would you really avoid this hotel when you can watch the pulse of Mexico City from your window?