Mexico City Hotels

You don’t quite expect the quiet chic of the Ignacia Guest House as you’re walking down the gorgeous, tree-lined street it sits on in Roma. Roma is cool in the vein of say, Greenpoint, where the Ignacia seems more like a secret hideout in Milan. Named for a housekeeper who worked at the casona for over seventy years (there are gorgeous block-print portraits of her in numerous alcoves), Ignacia’s a stunning combination of historic restoration and modernist architecture. All of it overlooks the leafy central garden overrun with cacti and trees dangling with fruit; a bubbling, rusted square cast-iron tub bubbles meditatively at its center. The rooms are exquisite and earthily cushy. Beautiful expanses of wood and velvet are punctuated with low, sexy lamps, and the marble bathrooms are stocked with fluffy bathrobes and large brown bottles of local organic beauty products. But sitting in the garden is the ultimate. After a long day, sip a handmade cocktail stirred with artisanal mezcal as you watch sun-dappled lily pads float lazily across the central tub, and feel more at sexily at ease than you’d have thought possible in the middle…

Back in 2000 when it opened, the Enrique Norten-designed, glass-enclosed, Hotel Habita was Mexico City's very first design hotel, and even today it remains among a very few. Located on Masaryk, one of the city's main high-end shopping drags, the minimalist decor, white-washed industrial interiors and roof deck pool still lure locals for the bar scene, and foreigners for the perfectly comfortable—if a little sparse—industrial rooms. While owner Carlos Couturier has gone on to open several more scene-stealing hotels in the city and further afield, the rooftop pool and bar at the hotel remain a night-time fixture.

In the last 20 years, the Condesa neighborhood has had a major revamp, where independent businesses and young professionals have taken up residence in beautiful old Neoclassical and Art Deco buildings from the last century, and the India Mahdavi-designed CondesaDF is pretty much the neighborhood's crown jewel. The rooms are known to be minimal—bordering on sparse—making the real highlight outside the bedroom doors. There's a rooftop bar serving up some of the city's best sushi, not to mention stunning views of Chapultepec park, and the downstairs open-air dining room is great for a quick bite or drink. There's also a tiny Hammam spa for a dose of relaxation after a long day exploring the nearby independent shops, cafes, restaurants, and galleries.

The Camino Real is Mexico's own premier hotel chain, though the sprawling Polanco branch's main appeal is it's vintage, '70s charm. Built in 1968 by Ricardo Legorreta, arguably one of Mexico's most influential architects, the whole point of a stay here is experiencing Mexican modernism at its best. That translates into expansive spaces, bold geometric patterns, and big, bright splashes of color. Art lovers might enjoy the hotel's collection too, which includes an Isamu Noguchi-designed fountain in the entrance and works by Rufino Tamayo, Pedro Friedeberg, Jose Covarrubias, and more. And while the rooms may be past their prime decor-wise—aka stuck in the '70s—the hotel boasts plenty of other amenities like the nicely secluded courtyard pool, adjoining gym, and a choice of trendy restaurants in-house. Location is also key, as the hotel is connected to Polanco, one of the city's most walkable neighborhoods, and Avenida Reforma, the scenic, neoclassical avenue that leads right into downtown.

This is one of the more recently opened hotels in the city, and definitely among the splashiest: For starters, it's one of the few skyscrapers down one of the city's main arteries, Paseo de la Reforma, which means the city views from the inside the hotel are pretty phenomenal. We also hear service is on point, beginning with a glass of champagne at check-in, and traditional butler service throughout your stay. Rooms are beautifully appointed in plush, contemporary furnishings in a subtle palette of greys and pastels. Plus, the Remede Spa is where locals in the know book in for a pamper, and the adjoining pool boasts amazing views. It's basically exactly what you'd expect from a St. Regis anywhere in the world, the only disadvantage being that it lacks a sense of local quirk and color (though there's plenty of that outside the glass doors).

You pretty much know what to expect from a Four Seasons anywhere in the world, which is top-notch service, beautifully appointed, if slightly trad, interiors, and all the hotel amenities you could ask for. This Four Seasons is no exception, and its location in a stunning colonial-style building right on Paseo de la Reforma adds plenty of local charm. There are 240 individually decorated rooms, featuring tastefully chosen Mexican art and design items. Plus, the gorgeously landscaped patio—a common feature in colonial architecture—is where you'll want to spend most of your time in the hotel, either in the pool or having breakfast al fresco. For families traveling with kids, this is probably the best bet, with child-proofed rooms on request, age-appropriate toys, and games provided on arrival, and chauffeur services and city tours to book directly from the concierge.

At this thirty-five rooms strong, the international design firm Yabu Pushelberg has done an outstanding job of tastefully incorporating Mexican motifs into a contemporary setting beginning with the stunning spiral rosewood staircase leading from reception into the hotel’s breakfast room and spa. Each of the rooms and apartment-like suites feature this same attention to detail when it comes to décor, with custom-made furnishings, luxurious marble bathrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. It’s also home to two great restaurants, Anatol and Dulce Patria, which are among the best in the city for fresh Mexican cuisine.

The Mexican boutique hotel company Grupo Habita really does have its fingers on the pulse when it comes to opening in the right neighborhoods.