During my most recent trip to Mexico City — during which I was researching new locations, hotels and neighborhoods for a variety of articles in several different media outlets — my husband Angel and I decided to forgo hotels and instead rented an apartment using Homeaway (for those of you who don’t know, Homeaway is very similar to Airbnb, and has in fact been around longer, although for some reason Airbnb gets a lot more attention).
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For those of you considering an apartment rental instead of a Mexico City hotel, here’s what you can get for about $89 a night.
THE STYLE: We stayed in a modern, good-looking Mexico City apartment rented via Homeaway, located in a sleek, 25-story high-rise called Magenta Reforma — built in 2010 — that soars above Paseo de la Reforma the broad avenue that cuts through several of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods.
Magenta Reforma’s location is great, on Paseo de la Reforma at the corner of Genova, a lively pedestrian street with lots of mid-range restaurants with outdoor seating, as well as nightlife. The Zona Rosa is right there, with its extensive after-dark entertainment including Mexico City’s most vibrant gay bars and LGBT nightlife options.
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Magenta Reforma has 24-hour doorman service — with a lobby that features decor and seating reminiscent of a space station — and is part of an office building. On the ground floor is a Cielito Lindo coffee shop, which Angel frequently visited for his morning coffee (he preferred it to the coffee he could make in the apartment).
AMENITIES: The Mexico City apartment that we rented (#2009 in Magenta Reforma) is a semi-divided studio, with floor to ceiling windows, recessed lighting, two small sofas, a wall-mounted large screen TV, and rather minimal decor that fits in with the modern style (I especially loved the gigantic mirror that leans dramatically against one wall in the living room). The kitchen is rather large, with modern stainless steel appliances, oven, microwave, stove. Off the kitchen is a laundry with a combination washer/dryer, which also came in handy.
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A large laminated black glass sliding wall divides the living area from the bedroom, which has two nightstands and a queen-size bed. The black-out blinds do a good job of keeping light out. Off of the bedroom area is a large walk-in closet, with lots of drawers, hanging and storage space; through the closet is the large bathroom, which is clean and white, with a spacious walk-in shower. The bathroom was furnished with toilet paper, towels, several small bars of shower soap and a hand soap dispenser.
A couple notes: The apartment has no air conditioning, but the floor fan (and two small windows that opened) provided sufficient ventilation during our visit in June/July. You might also want to bring ear plugs, because even on the 20th floor, it’s sometimes possible to hear the Zona Rosa’s nightlife, as well as demonstrations — which can be frequent in Mexico City — on the street below.
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BUILDING AMENITIES: The nicest amenity in the building is the heated indoor pool, which is attractive, has lots of seating areas, and was never crowded during our visit (in fact, usually there was no one at all using it). Also noteworthy is the small-but-decent gym, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and sits adjacent to the swimming pool.
BEST FOR: This Homeaway apartment rental in Mexico City is best for leisure travelers looking for a central location near nightlife in the Zona Rosa, and business travelers wanting proximity to offices along Paseo de la Reforma. If you’re looking to be within walking distance of lots of dining, nightlife, some offices and the Angel de la Independence — and you appreciate modern, high-rise style — this is a good choice for a Mexico City vacation or business trip.