Holiday Inn Express Veracruz Centro Historico by IHG
A pool inside a 17th-century former convent
About this hotel
Holiday Inn Express Veracruz Centro Historico by IHG occupies a genuinely unusual shell for a chain hotel: a former 17th-century convent, four minutes' walk from the Zócalo de Veracruz, where thick colonial walls now enclose an outdoor pool and a gym rather than cloistered courtyards. The restaurant and free breakfast keep the ground floor practical, and Bar 'El Estribo', four minutes away, covers an evening out. At 8.4 out of 10 across more than fifteen hundred reviews and a mid-range rate, it pairs IHG's dependable standards with a building history that most branded hotels in Veracruz can't match, a combination that makes the pool feel less like an amenity and more like a genuine surprise inside four-century-old walls.
- Former 17th-century convent
- Four minutes to the Zócalo
- Free breakfast
Our take
This hotel suits travelers who want chain-hotel reliability with real architectural character, particularly history-minded guests who'll appreciate the convent shell around a modern pool rather than a standard business-hotel box. It's a lesser fit for anyone wanting a purely modern building, since the convent's age shapes the layout throughout, with narrower corridors than a newly built property.
- ✓Ask about the building's convent history at check-in; the four-century-old walls aren't always obvious from the rooms alone.
- ✓Use the pool in the late afternoon, a contrast worth noting against the colonial stonework around it.
- ✓Walk the four minutes to the Zócalo de Veracruz for dinner rather than relying only on the hotel restaurant.
Why we love it
- Housed in a former 17th-century convent
- Four-minute walk to the Zócalo de Veracruz
- Outdoor pool and gym on-site
- Free breakfast included
Why guests love itI didn't expect much from a Holiday Inn Express, but the convent walls changed that fast, and swimming laps in a pool tucked inside a 17th-century courtyard four minutes from the Zócalo de Veracruz turned an ordinary business trip into something I still mention to other travelers. I asked the front desk for the building's history on my second morning.