Hotel Gobernador

What People are saying

Pleasant atmosphere and good food

CApostol on 13/11/2017 21:38

I was in Gobernador for 3 weeks and I loved the evening atmosphere in the restaurant. There are also evenings with various styles of live music.

The food was among the best I ate in town.

The personnel is very professional and in the same time friendly, helpful with everything (from explanations on the local food, solving early breakfast to tips for spending the free time).

The rooms are clean and comfortable, even though a renovation would be welcome.

The only issue for me was that there was no cappuccino in the morning (as the bar is closed).

The location in the city center and the hotel yard are simply beautiful.

I will for sure come back in their hotel.

Good stay!

sfgogirl on 07/08/2017 07:14

We had a good 3 night stay at Hotel Gobernador while visiting Durango. The hotel is a mix of historic and hip with the lobby being mostly modern. Our check in process was smooth and easy. A very friendly bellman helped us to our room and showed us the TV remote, how to turn on the AC and what to dial on the phone for room service.

Food:
Unfortunately, there was no room service menu in our room so we still had to walk over to the restaurant to see what the choices were. The room service waiters were friendly and helpful all 3 times we used them. One morning we called just to order a pot of coffee, some milk and juice...it arrived within 10 minutes! The room service menu came from the Terraza restaurant, which is more casual than the other restaurant. There's a lovely patio for outdoor dining but we were told we couldn't sit out there for breakfast even though there were plenty of tables. It was packed inside at breakfast and dead at dinner. Food was ok, priced fairly for what you get. Service was adequate. The other restaurant, La Hacienda, is beautiful. High ceilings with huge rustic chandeliers, big windows overlook the pool and gardens, dim lighting sets the mood. A full bar is available. Try the horchata martini! The menu is enticing with Durango specialties and lots of meat. Prices are decent compared to big cities in the US. Food took 40 minutes to come out all 3 nights we dined there and half of the dishes were not served hot. Still, most of the items we ordered were very good. Service is ok, many very nice waiters on the floor but all perform just the basics. A little extra training in the arts of fine dining service is needed. This place could be a destination restaurant if fine tuned in kitchen and on the floor.

Room:
We reserved an "executive room" directly on the hotel website, not really sure what the difference is from other rooms (slightly higher priced). The rooms are accessed through an interior hallway which needed the key card to enter a secure door first. Our room was located on the first floor and looked out to the covered and secure parking structure (free for hotel guests). It was quiet for the most except for some loud people walking through the hallway. We had 2 comfortable double beds and the bathroom looked recently updated with marble vanity and walk in shower with glass door. Water pressure was good. Room was very clean. There seemed to always be a maid in the hallway and all were always greeting us or asking if we needed anything. My only minor complaint about our room is that the safe is located too high, I needed a chair to reach it.

Grounds/Location:
There's a pretty pool in the center of the complex that adds so much, combined with all the greenery, to the beautiful environment. It is a bit slippery on the slope getting in and out though so be careful and hold onto the rail. Request your pool towels from housekeeping or the front desk. There's a small gift shop off the lobby that has a nice selection of local Mezcals and popular food products. The hotel is located on a busy street full of all manner of businesses. We walked about 15 minutes to the historic district, but it would be very easy to get a taxi to take you anywhere. There is a big store, Soriana Hiper, next door that's convenient for picking up bottled water and anything else one may need.

We enjoyed our stay at Hotel Gobernador and would definitely stay here again!

Wonderful Stay

R-and-R64 on 10/07/2017 18:27

I stayed at the Hotel Gobernador on a business trip for a little more than 2 weeks and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The hotel and grounds are simply beautiful and served as a wonderful oasis to come home to after a day of work. I checked in twice during the 2 week period and each time I had to switch rooms. At each check in I was initially offered an older room with carpeting that had a lingering smell of stale smoke. When I asked to be moved, I was then offered an updated room with hardwood floors and newer furnishings. Much better for such a long stay. The hotel has two floors but does not have an elevator which presents mobility issues if stairs are not an option.

The hotel has 2 restaurants - one more casual for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food and service here was good. This restaurant offers an outdoor patio which is usually open at lunch - one time I was told I could not sit outside. A shame as this courtyard/patio is a beautiful place to eat lunch. I'm not sure if it was due to the heat or not as no explanation was offered. Another evening I sat for quite a long time without service and decided to try the more upscale restaurant and was served immediately. There were quite a few language barriers during my 2 weeks of stay - only a handful of employees spoke English which made things difficult at times. The upscale restaurant, which was open for lunch and dinner had menus in English which was much appreciated. As I mentioned, food and service was excellent here. I soon got to know the staff who spoke English and turned to them gratefully as often as I could.

The hotel has a beautiful pool area with lush gardens providing both sun and shade. Pool service for food, drink and towels is not available unless you specifically go and ask for it. Tips go a long way in all aspects of getting service. The pool has a shallow end that slopes down into the water which can be fairly slippery. There are handrails, however, that you need to use to avoid slipping.

The newly renovated gym was small but quite nice. The only downside is that it did not have air conditioning. This made it quite difficult to workout as the heat in such a small space was very oppressive. There was a square cut into the wall (that let the hot outside air come in) which I am assuming was for a future air conditioning unit.

If I am fortunate enough to return to Durango, I would definitely stay here again. The charm and beauty of this hotel is simply wonderful.

Stay elsewhere

Dan F on 23/06/2017 01:11

This is a former boutique hotel whose ownership has lost its way. The lobby and restaurant offer a cool vibe. But the rooms have been abandoned. Perhaps because I booked on an online travel site and got a $90 rate and as a result was assigned an old room, but the rooms are outdated, poorly maintained and show their years.

Starting at the door...the lock was broken so I secured it with a belt. The carpet was thin. The sink is in the bedroom area, separate of the shower/commode. The shower floor is so poorly maintained that the grout looks dirty. The showerhead spews water in every direction. The draperies are old and the rod used to pull them shut is rusted. The balcony door's lock took some effort to lock. The wifi is absolutely the worst I've experienced in years...constantly disconnecting. The "view" from the balcony was of the courtyard and in the distance, the pool. But much of the courtyard is dirt (instead of lawn, plants and flowers).

As I was checking out early this morning, I asked the Reception Agent about the "ongoing renovation." He explained some of the rooms were renovated (not mine) but that the renovated rooms also had separate sink and shower/commode. This is 1960s design and if true, just lazy and cheap on the part of the hotel.

Housekeeping is good except that on day 2, the smell of urine in the shower/commode area was overwhelming. I'm not sure if the shower was cleaned with a dirty towel but it took several hours for the smell to dissipate. Perhaps it's the water in the hotel? There's no indication if the water is potable.

The hotel's cafeteria (for breakfast) is good. The food is simple and simply prepared. For example, a "ham and cheese omelet" was made with eggs and ham and pieces of cheese on top. The bread is just white toast...no other options were offered. The servers are attentive.

The hotel's formal restaurant is good, but could be great. The food is good (not great) but the many servers are not attentive. While there were many servers, one has to constantly seek to catch their attention as they don't come by and ask if there's anything they can bring. On the first evening they featured a "singer" who was, in a kind word...bad. Not only was her voice barely adequate, she sat (never stood) on a chair on a platform above the restaurant and accompanied recorded music. She never acknowledged the guests until she departed for the evening.

Very quiet, nice grounds

Dan T on 14/06/2017 04:28

We spent 3 pleasant days in a Superior room. It was spacious, clean, the beds comfortable, had all the standard amenities and was quiet. We were never disturbed by any noise. The only minor negative about the room is that it is bland: no color, no art. The hotel grounds are well-kept & filled with mature plants and trees. The high walls of the ex-prison keep out city noises.
The one complaint we had is with the La Terraza Restaurant & is the reason for only 4 stars. The service is horrible and the coffee worse. There's no excuse for a hotel of this caliber to serve cheap, terrible-tasting coffee. As to the service, we had to hunt down a waiter whenever we wanted anything. In one case, it took more than 20 minutes to get menus for our party of four. The restaurant was less than 1/3 full so it's not because they were busy.