Wednesday, October 6, 2010

New Hostel for Mexico City - Restored Colonial Building Downtown

I'm a big fan of visiting Mexico City – I lived there for a year, and now that I'm away, I can't wait to go back to visit again. It has so many places to see, things to do, experiences to have – more than even a lifetime resident could even come close to discovering, I've been told.


I found a news article (in Spanish) about plans for a new international travellers hostel downtown. In addition to providing a new place for backpackers to stay while enjoying an incredible city, the article also states that "such investments contribute to recover one of the main public spaces of the capital," i.e. the original colonial city center.

The new hostel is located in the heart of this colonial city center, in a restored colonial building. It is located on the corner of the streets called "5 de Febrero" and "Regina." My wife, a native of Mexico City, says that Regina Street is an interesting street to see, because of the classic colonial building and is perfectly safe to take a nice walk down, but she says that many of the old buildings on the street have not been taken are leaning, have sagging roofs, etc. (details not mentioned in the article.)


The location of the hostel was probably purposely chosen to start revitalization of the area – a purpose I fully support. Mexico City's revitalization programs have turned the colonial downtown from a sketchy old ghetto with tonnes uncared-for old buildings, into a charming and beautiful colonial heart of a thriving city. Of course, not all parts of the colonial core have seen the benefits of these programs ...


According to the article, the colonial building for the hostel was renovated and redesigned for young Mexicans and foreigners, who will enjoy many high-quality services, such as internet connections (WiFi and PCs.) Prices are accessible. The name is "Hostal Centro Histórico Regina" (Historic Centre Hostel Regina) and it has 121 beds, with high ceilings and large windows and balconies. There are both private rooms or dorm rooms, as well as a café and city tours.


If you read Spanish, here's the original article – but like most Mexican news, 2/3 of the article is lists of names of important people (who probably don't matter to you) and empty political quotations from those same people at the ribbon-cutting ceremony; the other 1/3 is the info I picked out and translated above. But, in any case, here it is:
TV Radio Riviera, Noticias desde la Riviera Maya
Here's a link with some reviews:
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostel-Centro-Historico-Regina/Mexico-City/45200

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