Hello : Overall our trip was a great success ...

Mexico | May 31 - Jun 6, 2023

Hello : Overall our trip was a great success and we would love to visit Mexico again We would also love to use Kim Kim again for other countries or trips in the future. It was a big investment for us but well worth it for the marvelous experiences provided by Kim KIm.

The wonderful parts: We were so stress -free on this vacation. Having a cheerful and courteous guide pick us up each day was a joy. We enjoyed meeting Jose, Liliane, Luis, the driver Giovanni, and the guide from Puebla (Ayleen??) I misunderstood her name, but she was delightful. They were excellent ambassadors of their countries. We will treasure our memories of the floating gardens, the beautiful energy of central Mexico City (my kids enjoyed the free concert of the Fabulous Cadillacs in the center of the city), and the stunning food. As urbanists, we were impressed by the streetscape and landscaping throughout the city - especially the plantings along the high traffic railroads in the city! Even in less trafficked and poorer areas we noticed the effort of plantings. Also - holy moly the murals ! No one told us we would see such remarkable street art.
We immensely enjoyed our stay at the Historic Central Hotel and would absolutely stay there again if we were ever to return. We so appreciated the complimentary water bottles. The seating areas were so welcoming that (particularly with jet lag issues) various members of my family left their rooms to just sit in the gorgeous atrium at various points. The breakfasts there were terrific, and the concierge and wait staff there were charming, interesting people who seemed happy to be encountering and welcoming visitors to their country. Visiting the Casa Azul was sensational - how many museums in the world are dedicated to female artists? It felt really special. The pyramids were, of course, stunning. Most of all, what we enjoyed was meeting people and seeing our teenagers try out their beginning Spanish with patient, friendly, and proud people who made them feel like welcomed neighbors to a beautiful and special country.

The not-so-wonderful parts: Our hotel in Puebla was clean and centrally located. However, when we ran into difficulties with the AC, we had a series of increasingly unpleasant interactions with the front desk and the staff member who assured us that they had AC. They told us there were no other free rooms, they told us things would be fixed the next day, etc, etc...it was pretty miserable. If they could have simply agreed with us that it was broken and apologized, and moved us to an open window room, we could have been far less frustrated. Thanks to Kim Kim, things were partly rectified (we moved into a room with windows that opened), but I still don't think that hotel Diana was ready for international travelers who expect more straightforward dealings (and perhaps a modicum of English from the front desk).

The things that could be better for future travelers:
1) We were a bit frustrated to run into so many places (with Liliana) that were closed to the public on Saturday and that we couldn't visit. Similarly, Puebla is not best explored on a Monday, as we found out.....almost all the museums
and the central cathedrals were closed! So I don't know if it would have been possible, but in retrospect, perhaps those issues could be part of a plan.
2) Direct folks to a different hotel in Puebla

Thank you for all your excellent work! I can tell it is a business for you all but a business with a heart.