Mexicali accommodations cost less than their counterparts in Tijuana and Ensenada. If you shop around when you arrive, you can often get much lower rates than if you make reservations ahead of time.

The higher-end hotels cater to Mexican business travelers with meeting rooms and business centers. On the less-expensive end of the spectrum, there are a number of hotels that supply visitors with functional rooms, off-street parking, and air-conditioning.

Under US$50

Motel Reforma (Reforma 625, tel. 686/533-6831, US$30) caters to budget travelers looking for accommodations near the border. It’s slightly better than the Hotel San Juan Capistrano (Reforma 646, tel. 686/552-4104, US$30) a few doors down. As you head west of Boulevard López Mateos, the motels get cheaper, but they are real dives.

Motel Azteca de Oro

Getting There

(Calle de la Industria 600, tel. 686/557-1433, www.hotelaztecadeoro.com, US$42–60) is a typical two-story motel with air-conditioned rooms, but six rooms are combined with a private enclosed one-car garage. The rooms are standard for the price range, with older beds and shabby bathrooms.

Two-story Hotel Hacienda del Indio (López Mateos 101 at Fresnillo, tel. 686/557-2277, US$45) has 50 recently renovated rooms that surround an enclosed courtyard. Hotel Regis (Calz. Juárez 2150, tel. 686/566-8801, www.hotel-regis.com.mx, US$45) is another good choice for clean, basic rooms.

US$50–100

If you’re simply stopping over on your way south or looking for a base from which to launch a fishing or hunting trip, the Hotel Siesta Real (Calz. Justo Sierra 899, tel. 686/568-2001, toll-free U.S. tel. 800/426-5093, www.hotelsiestareal.com, US$48–80) is a convenient option. Its 90 rooms have air-conditioning, TVs, and phones. Guests may also use a swimming pool, restaurant, and off-street parking lot.

Hotel Posada Inn (Blvd. López Mateos 939 at Calle Torneros, tel. 686/558-6100, www.hotelposadainn.com.mx, US$60) has wireless Internet, air-conditioned rooms, off-street parking in a courtyard, and a nice sitting area on the upper walkway. It’s situated on the east side of a partitioned road, so it can be difficult to get in and out by car.

The Calafía Hotel and Convention Center (Calz. Justo Sierra 1495, tel. 686/568-3311 or 800/026-5444, toll-free U.S. tel. 877/727-2492, www.araizainn.com.mx, US$80) houses the Calafía Steakhouse and a separate sports bar. Part of the Araiza chain, it is a clean, four-story motel with 170 rooms. The hotel caters to traveling families with a pool and secure parking. It is located next to a police station.

US$100–150

South of the Calafía along the same boulevard (which changes names en route), the Araiza Inn Mexicali (Calz. Juárez 2220, tel. 686/564-1100 or 800/686-5444, U.S. tel. toll-free 877/727-2492, www.araizainn.com.mx, US$70–120) has 190 rooms. The Fonda restaurant is often packed. Some of the suites have been renovated and are very nice, with flat-screen TVs, shoe-buffing machines, and spinning cycles. This hotel also has a swimming pool, coffee shop, bar, and disco.

Hotel Lucerna (Calz. Juárez 2151, tel. 686/564-7000, US$130) has 176 rooms, each with air-conditioning, minibar, satellite TV, and phone. There are two pools, a fitness center, and the Restaurant Mezzosole. The tower you see when you turn left out of the reception office is worn out. For the best accommodations, ask for a bungalow. They were newly renovated and have the feel of a W Hotel room. The family suite has a separate bedroom, spinning cycle, bathrobes, and two flat-screen TVs. Also note, this hotel has limited secured parking.

The Fiesta Inn Mexicali (Calz. López Mateos 1029, tel. 686/837-3300, www.fiestainn.com, US$83–135) is a newly built hotel with more than 150 rooms in a multistory white building. It’s located a few minutes from the border, across from the city’s bullfighting arena and within striking distance of several shopping malls.

The Crowne Plaza (Blvd. López Mateos at Av. de los Héroes, tel. 686/557-3600, toll-free U.S. tel. 800/227-6963, www.crowneplaza.com, US$100–150) has most of the same amenities as the Araiza and Fiesta chains. A sports bar features pool tables and a wide-screen TV. Nonsmoking rooms are available.