Villa Condesa

Rooms

Whether its above the quiet street or overlooking the plant-filled courtyard, all 12 rooms are decorated with subtle flair. Walls are painted distinctive colours - olive green, burnt orange, slate grey - and wood-strip floors are polished to a high sheen. Refurbished wardrobes and squishy settees from the city's furniture markets are offset by high-wire spot lighting and industrial-chic shower rooms.

Our first-floor Deluxe was a slate-coloured corner room with windows that opened onto a narrow veranda above the inner courtyard. At the front of the house, another Deluxe had a pair of French doors opening onto Juliet balconies facing the trees. All rooms are a good size; even the Classic rooms have enough space for a small sofa. At the top end, the expansive Suites have cossetting bedrooms, modern ensuites and separate sitting rooms.

All rooms have raised beds stacked with fresh cotton pillows and linen; state your preference for double or twin beds when booking. Bathrooms have thick sinks and power showers; some have marble baths. All the necessary tech gadgets - phones, WiFi, cable TV - are here; nothing seems out of place in these clean, classic and comfortable rooms.

Features include:

• Fan
• WiFi

Eating

One section of Villa Condesa's lovely interior courtyard is covered with glass, and here, like a little oasis with potted trees and flowers, are tables for dining. At breakfast, there is one large square communal table and some smaller ones for those who aren't good with groups before noon. But even non-morning people will appreciate the excellent Mexican coffee poured liberally and immediately. A bowl of fruit and a basket of bread will precede a hot dish of huevos or, as we had one morning, a traditional sope (an open-faced tortilla) with tomato, avocado and cheese.

We were happy we opted for dinner on our first night. Our meal began with a fish soup, followed by a rosa y verde pargo - a whole red snapper with a terrific salsa duo of spicy tomato and spinach/avocado. Villa Condesa will be offering reasonably priced set 2-course meals like this every evening, as well as lunches. You can choose from chicken or beef, fish and pasta dishes plus vegetables - Chef is keen to cater for every requirement. The dining terrace also has an espresso machine plus bottles and glasses at one end, which constitutes the honesty bar area - help yourself to a range of beers, soft drinks, sparkling mineral water, tequila, rum, whisky and vodka.

But if you prefer to eat out, the neighbourhood is chock-a-block with restaurants - stroll along Amsterdam Avenue encircling the Parque Mexico. Baja-inspired seafood can be found at Merotoro and we really liked the tuna tacos at Second. The cheap-and-cheerful taqueria of El Califa on calle Alfonso Reyes has tasty arrachera (flank steak) tacos; some say the best in town.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Communal dining
• Dinner by arrangement
• Lunch by arrangement
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

Condesa:

• Stroll along the leafy boulevards and admire the Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture that give this neighourhood a real European feel
  
  
• Borrow a bike and cycle along the pathways in Parque Espana and Mexico - watch out for dog walkers who sometimes have 15 perros on the go; Bosque de Chapultepec is a large park which houses the Museum of Anthropology
  
  
• Shop for haute couture in Velvet Oak, funky accessories in Destructible or go retro in Chic by Accident - design boutiques abound; there's also a Sunday flea market
  
  
• Bar-hop along the many outdoor cafes and drinking spots that line Avenidas Mazatlán and Insurgentes
  
  
• Villa Condesa's Chef gives cooking classes where you can learn how to make Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, enfrijoladas, mole de olla and chilaquiles
  
  
• Check out avant-garde art in galleries like Labor or the latest decorative crafts and jewellery in Pladi

• Visit the impressive Zocalo, the largest city square in Latin America - a good viewpoint is the roof-top restaurant of the Portal de Mercaderes, or stay on the ground and watch the demos and street dancers
  
  
• Wander the ruins of the Templo Mayor - amazingly, this Aztec temple in the middle of the city was not discovered until the late 70s (don't miss the massive stone statues in the museum alongside)
  
  
• Tour the grand Palacio Nacionale - Diego Rivera's famous murals of Mexican history adorn the main stairwell and walls overlooking the baroque courtyard (look out for all the cats in the garden)
  
  
• Gape at the expanse of this vast city from the 44th floor of Torre LatinoAmericana - built in the mid '50s, this skyscraper has survived 2 major earthquakes and is considered an engineering landmark
  
  
• Cultivate your culture vulture at the magnificent Palacio de Bellas Artas - art, music, dance, theatre and opera all emanate from this Art Deco building
  
  
• Villa Condesa can also arrange private day tours to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan and Las Estacas, where you can swim in spring waters; 2 hours out of the city

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming

Kids

This polished boutique villa isn't really a place for babies, toddlers or tearaways; quieter older children may be welcome.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Villa Condesa is in Mexico City's Condesa neighbourhood, very near Parque Espana.

By Air
You have a choice of airports. Most will fly to Mexico City International Airport which is Mexico's busiest airport and is closer to Villa Condesa. Alternatively you could fly to Toluca Airport which serves as the hub for local low-cost carriers. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Villa Condesa can arrange transfers from either airport - see rates. Or you can take a licensed taxi (20 to 45 minutes depending on traffic and around $15 from Mexico City and $60 from Toluca). 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 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, plus there is only street parking at Villa Condesa. You're better off hopping on the metro 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 negotiate Mexico City's underground subway system. The hotel is 7 stops on the metro from Bellas Artes (changing at Salto del Agua) and Zocalo (changing at Pino Suarez).

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Mexico and getting around