Condesa DF

Rooms

There are 40 rooms in 6 different categories scattered over 3 floors. Expect polished wooden or terrazzo flooring, white walls and a mix of bold floral fabrics, cow hide, wood and leather in the easy chairs, bedside tables and desk. And there's some funky designer furniture: coffee tables like a giant pierced egg, swirling apple-green stools, and curving white-leather sofas in the suites. You'll also find an iPod and dock, ready loaded with zillions of easy listening choons, so you can choose your own ambience.

Bathrooms are modern (though a little dark), with pod-like basins giving a sleek, futuristic feel. All the suites have a bathtub, and most have natural daylight - unlike the smaller rooms.

Ambient noise being one of the major factors here, we'd recommend going for one of the second-floor rooms, which are reasonably well insulated from both the roof terrace and the basement disco.

In terms of size, all the sleeping areas are roughly the same - i.e. pretty small - but additional living areas and balconies make the bigger rooms and suites worth the extra. The largest is the Top Suite, which comes with its own terrace, dining area and living room. The 3 Corner Suites and 6 Balcony Suites also have living areas, and the latter represent perhaps the best space-for-money ratio; ours was bright and welcoming, with an outdoor table for lazy breakfasts. If you want to maximise outdoor space, book one of the 6 Terrace Suites, which - as you would expect - come with a private terrace.

The Balcony Rooms are the best budget option, with a sliding door onto a small balcony overlooking either the hotel patio/restaurant or the leafy streets. There are also 6 Patio Rooms, which are only for the really budget conscious.

Features include:

• In-room treatments available
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The ground floor restaurant serves an exciting array of Mexican-Japanese fusion food (if you can imagine that) for lunch and dinner, all beautifully presented and nearly all of it successfully combined. Our starter of Mizuna-leaf salad with papaya, goats' cheese and sesame seeds was excellent, as were the mains of black cod in tequila miso (an alcoholic sauce - and a real treat), and beef tournedos with lemon butter garlic shrimp and guacamole sauce (which was enough to tempt my companion out of 10 years of vegetarianism!). But we weren't so sure about the zucchini flower tempura with blue cheese and chutney sauce - possibly a flavour too far.

Up on the roof terrace, and very popular with the local elite, there's a top-rate sushi selection, including teriyaki, nigiri, tempura and sashimi, which accompanies the flow of cocktails until 2am.

On Sundays there's a late lunch buffet of fish, meat, cheese, salads and vegetables, all immaculately laid out and well worth lingering over.

There's also a range of good bars and restaurants nearby. Try Ixchel for Mexican/Asian contemporary or Legaya for nouveau Mexican cuisine. Contramar is a must for seafood lovers, Salon Conde for traditional Mexican food among chattering locals.

The buffet breakfast, served in a room just off the ground floor restaurant from 7am-11am, offers a good selection of pastries, fruit, cereal and juices, plus an excellent granola which is delicious with yoghurt and fresh fruit - a definite highlight. There's also a room service breakfast menu available until midday, including all of the above as well as eggs, bacon and pancakes.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• It's an easy metro trip (20-30 minutes) or taxi ride (15-30 minutes, except rush hour) into the city centre, where you'll find museums, markets, street dancers and an opera house housed in the Palacio de Bellas Artes
  
  
• The Condesa district is also worth strolling through for its Art Deco architecture, boutique shops and art galleries, and leafy lanes
  
  
• Borrow a bike from the hotel and cycle round the nearby Chapultepec Park, enjoying the gardens and woods. You can also rent a pedalo and visit the zoo and museums (free on the first Sunday of the month)
  
  
• Chill out with a book on the roof terrace - it's very quiet during the day
  
  
• Hang out in the evenings sipping cocktails on one of the oversized circular loungers and socialising with the local elite
  
  
• Relax in the hammam, or immerse yourself in the green-tiled therme (a tiny heated plunge pool)
  
  
• Ask reception for a free gym pass to Qi gym, just around the corner; or help yourself to the punch bag, treadmill and cycling machine in the hotel's energy room
  
  
• At the weekends, enjoy an international art film in the hotel's cinema
  
  
• Try out one of the local mezcalarías for a shot of the local throat-burner, if you’re brave enough!

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures

Kids

Children are welcome, though bear in mind the noise from the roof terrace and disco might keep them awake. Under 12s go free, with a supplement for older children. A queensize air-mattress is available for any of the rooms with a living space.

The iPod, TV with international channels and DVD menu in each room will help keep older kids entertained, and 5 Xboxes are available to borrow. Younger children will enjoy meeting the hotel's dog, a friendly chocolate Labrador called Conde, who can often be found behind reception.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 40 minutes
• Hospital: 20 minutes
• Shops: 2 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Condesa DF is located just outside Mexico City’s historic centre.

By Air
Mexico City International (9km away; also known as Benito Juárez International) is the nearest airport - click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
From the airport, take a licensed taxi (20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic). You can also hop on the metro, but you'll need to change at Oceania and San Lazaro. Get off at Chapultepec or Sevilla, both on Line 1 (the pink line) and around 5-10 minutes' walk from the hotel.

By Car
Driving in Mexico City is best avoided, as the capital is very densely populated and roads are famously congested. Local drivers have a reputation for being fast and furious, so you’re better off hopping on the bus or getting a taxi (although this doesn’t mean you won't be stuck in traffic). But if you really want to hire a car see our car rental recommendations.

Getting Around
It's easy to get around Mexico City by taxi, bus or metro. The hotel is 7 stops on the metro from Bellas Artes (changing at Salto del Agua) and Zocalo (changing at Pino Suarez).

More on getting to Mexico and getting around