One of the first hotels in Villahermosa—and showing it—is the Hotel San Rafael (Av. Constitución No. 240, tel. 993/312-0166, US$10 s, US$14 d). This basic hotel offers relatively clean rooms with fans, private baths (cold water only), and a communal TV room. Ask for a room with a view of the river—they’re quieter and feature balconies.

Directly in front of the ADO bus station, Hotel Palomino (Av. Francisco Javier Mina No. 222, tel. 993/312-8431, US$33.50 s/d with a/c) is a tolerable option if you’ve arrived on a late bus or need to catch an early-morning one. Don’t expect much though—dark, clean rooms with cable TV are the best you’ll find.

Just one block from the river, Hoteles Pakaal (Lerdo de Tejada No. 106, tel. 993/314-4648, US$37 s, US$42 d) offers decent rooms with air-conditioning, cable TV, and private bathrooms. Units on the upper floors are more spacious and get better sunlight. The beds are hit or miss—check a couple rooms before you commit to one.

Hotel Miraflores (Reforma No. 304, tel. 993/358-0470, toll-free Mex. tel. 800/234-0229, www.miraflores.com.mx, US$54 s, US$60 d) opens onto a pedestrian walkway in the heart of downtown, making it a bit quieter than most of the other hotels around. The rooms themselves are a bit dated, but they’re spacious, clean, and have air-conditioning and cable TV—those facing the river have balconies and are especially sunny. The hotel also has wireless Internet in the lobby, parking, and a decent restaurant.