During my most recent research trip to Mexico City, I was a guest at Hotel Hippodrome, the newest luxury boutique hotel to open in Mexico‘s capital. Here is a review of my experience.
THE STYLE: Classic luxury with modern touches make this 16-room property an elegant and stylish choice, in the heart of the upscale Condesa district. The hotel’s small size and location on a quiet residential block near the lovely Parque México ensures a tranquil stay, with great attention to detail and attentive service. This hotel, which opened in 2015 in a lovely former apartment building that opened in 1931, is sure to become a top choice for travelers seeking quiet luxury in a beautiful neighborhood.
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Entering through a pair of stately period doors, the lobby is dominated by a beautiful staircase with metal details. Dark colors in the hallways, punctuated by small lights, create a soothing, unintrusive ambiance; the fact that the guest room doors don’t have numbers make it even more un-hotel like. Deep lavender is a constant color throughout the property and adds to the calming effect of staying here. This is the type of place where you can tell that no detail was overlooked in the decor, design and service.
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MY ROOM: A very pleasant butler named Benito showed me to my second-floor room, which faced the street, and I loved being able to leave my window open and enjoy the pleasant breeze from the quiet street. Yet another example of the attention to detail is the style of the guest room locks; rather than the usual card swipe rectangle, each door has a fan-shaped swipe area that fits perfect with the property’s art deco style. Even the guest room doors are uncommon, with tops that are angled like the top of a stop sign.
The bathroom had a beautiful marble shower and Molton Brown amenities. Other guest room features include a safe deposit box, work desk, excellent lighting, a very comfortable bed and a wall-mounted Samsung TV, with Sonos speakers attached. Another very nice touch: Each room has its own WiFi router (making the signal gloriously strong and reliable), and it’s free.
Every guest room is different at Hippodrome. I also visited the upper level penthouse, a beautiful space with similar decor but two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large outdoor terrace.
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HOTEL FEATURES: Hotel Hippodrome is designed to make guests feel at home, and its features are small-scale and thoughtful. Aida is the on-site restaurant, an elegant-but-casual venue that specializes in “nueva mexicana” cuisine. It also has three bars and a VIP area for private gatherings. Breakfast is included, and every evening I could inform the staff the hour that I’d like my well-presented breakfast delivered to my room the following morning.
The Hotel Hippodrome’s location near the park makes it an ideal base for strolling and even exercising in the free, open-air public exercise gym area. An array of stylish restaurants and shopping are also within walking distance; this is, indeed, one of Mexico City’s most pleasant neighborhoods to dine, shop, stroll and socialize.
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BEST FOR: Leisure and business travelers looking for an upscale, tranquil and stylish accommodations, with extremely attentive service and an ideal location within walking distance of fine dining and fun entertaining in the Condesa district.
RATES: About $176 and up.
INFO & RESERVATIONS: http://hippodrome.com.mx/hotel