A Wren Says

I walked up to the counter at the Fiesta Americana Monterrey Pabellón M tentatively. This stay in Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico was my first time traveling to the country. And none of my Duolingo lessons prepared me to have a conversation with the check-in desk. With a combination of social awkwardness and lack of Spanish fluency, I tried to use the check-in kiosk. No bueno. I had to speak to a person. The attendant quickly switched to English based on my inability to respond and pleasantly completed everything. Something brand new to me was the option to just go ahead and pay for the stay upfront or keep the account open should I want to charge anything to the room. I opted to just pay upfront. I had no intention to use room service or the spa.

To head up to the room, we took the elevator which required a key card to access each floor. This added an extra level of security in a hotel based in such a publicly accessible building. Before getting to the room, I could smell a distinct scent in the air. There was definitely an electric diffuser. It was good scent. I don’t know if it was a signature scent. I never asked.

The room was a double with two full sized beds, I believe. I have no complaints about those beds, as I definitely spent a day just sleeping and laying about in the bed. I would say I slept pretty good. And also the only sounds I heard was the traffic noise, which was a constant whir that became like white noise. Maybe that’s what helped lull me to sleep.

There was a coffee maker, but you would have to pay for extra pods and the bottled water. We didn’t use it. There were too many good coffee shops in the area to be holed up drinking hotel room coffee anyway. There was also a minifridge stocked with items you could purchase.

Bathroom, or should I say bathrooms, were a combination of a toilet room, and shower area and a external sink. If you are traveling with someone you mutually don’t want to see in stages of undress, keep that in mind or plan your shower time accordingly.

The hotel had a fitness center located on the sixth floor. As you walked outside to enter the separate building, you first saw the small pool, likely suited best for lounging. The center itself was small and mostly centered around cardio equipment, but there was a set of dumbbells.

Both times I went in, there was just one other person in there. Any more people would make the space feel crowded. The TV was set on MTV Mexico. I enjoyed having more cultural immersion through the music as I worked out. But more so I was surprised that MTV in Mexico actually plays music videos, unlike the last times I watched the US channel.

The room we stayed in had an amazing view. On the final morning, I opened the blinds to start watching the sun rise over the mountains and cityscape. Then we went outside to the mall patio to continue watching and get better pictures.

One of the best things about the place is how central this location is to everything. It was walking distance to the downtown area, with great proximity to restaurants and key landmarks. Honestly, if I were to visit Monterrey again, I would definitely stay at this hotel again. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend this is you are looking for somewhere that is chill and a calming oasis for relaxation. This is not the place. If you are looking for a great place to stay while you do some exploring throughout the city, look into staying at the Fiesta Americana Monterrey Pabellón M.