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hijo de Tejas

Aug 26, 2004, 2:16 PM

Post #1 of 16 (2206 views)

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Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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I'm looking for someone who has used Hotel Luna on Jardin Union 6, Centro. My wife and I are planing our first trip to Guanajuato in October. We plan to go before Cervantino. We would like to stay in the Centro area and walk to see the attractions. Thanks for any suggestions.

abq

Aug 26, 2004, 3:46 PM

Post #2 of 16 (2177 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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I've stayed there. Nice, clean but not exciting. The location is fantastic and the included breakfast was good.

hijo de Tejas

Aug 27, 2004, 6:11 AM

Post #3 of 16 (2146 views)

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Re: [abq] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Thank you for your input. The Hotel need not be exciting for me. If the location is good and the place is clean I'll find the excitement. I like guitar music and people watching. At age 65 staying in centro is excitement enough.

tfyoung

Aug 29, 2004, 8:02 AM

Post #4 of 16 (2107 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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We were in Guanajuato in May and attempted to get a room at La Luna as we had stayed there about 5 years ago and enjoyed it. During the 5-year lapse, they had done some remodeling of the rooms overlooking the Jardin, which is were we stayed previously. With the remodeling came a pretty stiff price increase. Also, when we were there in May, the hotel was full of American students and there were no vacancies. We wound up at the San Diego which is also on the Jardin. It is less expensive but might be a tad more basic. They also have a small courtyard downstairs where you can park your car (if its a small car). There is also the Santa Fe next door to La Luna and in the same price range. Never stayed there but the location is good and the restaurant is good.

hijo de Tejas

Sep 2, 2004, 2:37 PM

Post #5 of 16 (2034 views)

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Re: [tfyoung] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Thank you Terry for the comment about La Luna and the other hotels. I see on your profile you lived in San Miguel so you know this part of Mexico well. Do you feel safe on the Jardin in the daytime? My wife and I were mugged in Madrid Spain two years ago, so my wife is a little concerned about safety.

johnv

Sep 2, 2004, 4:18 PM

Post #6 of 16 (2026 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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I would suggest having a bodyguard while on the Jardin in the daytime, and two after dark.

abq

Sep 2, 2004, 6:16 PM

Post #7 of 16 (2012 views)

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Re: [johnv] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Please! Both town centers are quite secure.

dleach

Sep 3, 2004, 1:42 PM

Post #8 of 16 (1971 views)

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Re: [abq] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Johnv's attempt at humor may have inadvertantly caused your wife concern.
Please assure her that the people in this part of Mexico are wonderful and that there is nothing to be worried about.
David

Carol Schmidt

Sep 3, 2004, 5:13 PM

Post #9 of 16 (1961 views)

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Re: [dleach] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Don't do anything stupid the same as you wouldn't do in a U.S. city. I see tourists in SMA sitting by an open window at a restaurant with a purse hanging in easy grab range of that window, not even glancing at the purse. There are pickpockets out at major crowded events, just as in the U.S. There is the old mustard scam, which has happened at least once in SMA thought it's mostly in Mexico City--if someone points out a stain on your shoulder and says it was from a bird and offers to help you clean up, grab your wallet. SMA is far safer than any US city I've been in. I was pickpocketed in Rome and in Paris, too, and I don't see anyone not going there because of crime!

Carol Schmidt

tfyoung

Sep 5, 2004, 9:00 AM

Post #10 of 16 (1938 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Hijo de Tejas,
We were in San Miguel in the late 80s. We lived on Terraplen just a few blocks from the jardin. I never felt threatened walking to the square any time of day. But I do tend to retire early. And my wife seldom went for strolls without me. A number of years have passed since then, so I can't really say what the situation is now.

On our infrequent visits to Guanajuato, we've never felt threatened and pretty much walked all over the place. The Jardin de la Union is everybody's living room. It gets very lively at night and is a good place to sit and watch.

I know some people have had negative experiences in Mexico, but in our year and a half there in the 80s, we traveled all over the place, by bus and by car, and never encountered the fabled banditos. We usually stayed in hotels where we were the only gringo guests, and visited a lot of towns where gringos were evidently a rarity.

I understand a lot can change in a couple of decades. Some of the current residents have already responded to give you more up-to-date information. We still plan to return to Mexico as soon as possible, which looks like it means retirement. Eight more years and counting.

pathall

Sep 6, 2004, 8:49 AM

Post #11 of 16 (1914 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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I've been going to San Miguel for 7 years now and I feel safe pretty well everywhere in SMA. One year my husband and I were walking around the Jardín at 1 am New Years Eve and felt perfectly safe. I walk around by myself during the day and I feel safer in San Miguel than in Edmonton, Alberta.
Pat

hijo de Tejas

Sep 6, 2004, 10:20 AM

Post #12 of 16 (1906 views)

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Re: [johnv] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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In Reply To

I would suggest having a bodyguard while on the Jardin in the daytime, and two after dark.

I kind of thought the danger was minimal but I was sure glad to have it re-enforced by so many replies. We don't worry about pickpockets and purse snatchers because we try not to carry anything in our hands that we cannot afford to loose. However the problem in Madrid involving the mugging was very physical with black eyes, choking and a body search. They removed my wife's passport from inside her blouse and it was a very frightening experience. We realize this same thing could have happened in any city in the World and we don't think it will ever happen again to us. Thank each of you for your comments on the issue of safety in this part of Mexico. We are looking forward to this trip and many more.

johnv

Sep 6, 2004, 5:54 PM

Post #13 of 16 (1893 views)

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Re: [hijo de Tejas] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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On a more serious note than my reply above, I would say that the Jardin da la Union in Guanajuato is 100% safer than any similar "park" in the US. (We are talking about the Jardin in Guanajuato and not the Jardin in SMA.) I would even consider the Jardin de la Union to be safer than the public square in my hometown, with population 5000, in the Catskill region of upstate New York, where the police had to permanently close down the square after dark. Attacks and crimes against foreigners are non existant in the city of Guanajuato as far as I know. Although I did here about a "mustard incident" happening. (posted on these forums) I would say that the same could be said for San Miguel and it's Jardin. These two cities might even be ranked amongst the safest in Mexico.

hijo de Tejas

Sep 9, 2004, 2:16 PM

Post #14 of 16 (1826 views)

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Re: [johnv] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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Thanks for coming clean on the safety issue. I appreciate your many posts on this forum. I learned so much from reading what people have to say. This is one of the best forums I have been involved with. Keep it up!
Thanks!

earlandsuzanne

Sep 15, 2004, 6:35 AM

Post #15 of 16 (1761 views)

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Re: [dleach] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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It is interesting to read the posts about how safe Guanajuato is. In May my husband and I, who are fairly seasoned Mexico travelers, went to the market on Sunday. As we entered a pharmacy and were requesting a medication, we were suddenly aware that we were wet on our backsides. Then a little man dressed all in blue with a bowtie and a straw hat rushed up to us as we discovered that we had been sprayed with mustard. About five people in the pharmacy witnessed this. The man grabbed a roll of toilet tissue and began to assist my husband in cleaning the mess off his trousers. Then he was gone in a flash and we were left cleaning up. We decided to go back to the hotel and get into clean clothes and when my husband reached for his wallet to pay the cab driver, it was gone. The man had really cleaned him up. He filed a police report and was told by the police that this sort of thing was on the rise. We didn't lose a lot of money but all the credit cards, drivers licence, etc. was gone. Beware and don't put your wallet in your back pocket. Guanajuato is not as nice as it used to be. Now, I expect some of the people on the forum to scold us for not being more vigilant, careless, etc. However, we have lived and traveled everywhere and took every precaution for a supposedly "safe" city. Good luck and be safe.

johnv

Sep 15, 2004, 7:16 AM

Post #16 of 16 (1753 views)

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Re: [earlandsuzanne] Hotel Luna in Guanajuato, Guanajuato

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I have lived in Guanajuato for 2 years now and walk from the Jardin de la Union to the area where your mustard incident occurred daily. I have had no problems. I think that your experience was an isolated one and I would continue to recommend Guanjuato as one of the safest cities in Mexico.