Fodor's Expert Review Casa del Refugio

Travelers on a budget who like to stay in the thick of things will appreciate the "House of Refuge" facing Plaza Gertruis Bocanegra in the heart of Pátzcuaro. The 17th-century building has no heating system, though fireplaces take the chill off the restaurant and lobby in the coldest weather. Rooms have cotton coverlets (not polyester as in some inexpensive hotels), down comforters, old-fashioned wooden headboards, and colonial-style art on the walls.