There are a lot of really amazing hotels in Mexico City. I stayed at some of the very best during my recent visit to Mexico‘s capital. But on one night when I accidentally found myself without a place to stay, I discovered a very different Mexico City hotel experience that was a trip back in time.
It’s all about curves, color and carpeting. At the Century Hotel in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa district, curves help ease your way into a truly 20th-century experience with all the modern conveniences — and few design or technological distractions that might indicate you should be in the 21st century. It’s an intoxicating and disturbing voyage into the past, but during my recent stay at this Mexico City hotel, I couldn’t stop taking photos of the eye-catchingly outdated decor.
••••••
DON’T MISS: HOTEL REVIEW: Hotel Hippodrome — Upscale Chic in Mexico City
••••••
THE STYLE: Imagine a 1976 space station designed to be a hotel that charges by the hour (perhaps for illicit and/or furtive encounters), and you’ve got an idea about the visuals of the Century Hotel, which soars proudly above Mexico City’s Zona Rosa district, and ranks itself as a five-star “business class” hotel (although it has supremely weak WiFi and no outlets near the beds in its guest rooms).
••••••
DON’T MISS: HOTEL REVIEW: Le Meridien Mexico City Offers Suites, Amenities & Central Location
••••••
Everything at the Century hotel is clearly designed for your comfort as you cruise through the universe of the 20th century. The hotel’s iconic, black-and-white tower is accented with pleasing, 1970s-futuristic curved balconies. Semi-nude, vaguely Greco-roman murals adorn the ceiling of the awning that hangs over the main entrance, a theme that’s repeated in the heavily marbled lobby and one wall of each elevator. For your convenience, the business center consists of one giant, curved desk that swirls around a corner of the lobby immediately adjacent to the front door (out in public may be the best place for you to do work, after all, since the WiFi is spotty in the guest rooms). Lobby furnishings upholstered in otherworldly shades of turquoise, teal and blue provide an array of relaxation options.
You’ll know you’re being transported to another galaxy when you board the retro-glamorous elevators, where plush teal upholstery lines two walls (perhaps to cushion you if the hotel collides with an asteroid), while illustrations of Greco-Roman nudes share space with a mirror on the other elevator wall (providing you with an opportunity to primp and preen and perhaps align your looks with those of the goddesses in the drawings). Triangular, disco-inspired plexiglass lighting is the perfect complement to the 1970s disco music that incessantly pumps into the elevator (one song, on an endless loop, so you’ll always feel at home).
••••••
DON’T MISS: AIRLINE REVIEW: What’s On Board Interjet, Mexico’s Fast-Growing, Low-Cost Airline
••••••
Hallways on each floor have a generous number of dark mirrors to offer flattering views of yourself as you make your way to your guest room door, a surprisingly traditional carved affair in stained cream tones. Room 153 — my home for the night, which was interestingly on the 15th floor (they use a creative numbering system at this hotel) — is a memorable Intergalactic experience, with plenty of curves to ease my streamlined entry into space. To prevent any inconvenient disturbances due to unexpected motion of the spacecraft, all items have been nailed to the curved nightstands — including the milky white table lamps, telephone and clock radio. For your convenience, a command center of push-button controls on the nightstand allows you to operate all lights in the room, while a 1970s-modern dial allows you to become master of the air conditioning.
For maximum safety, the vertical safe deposit box in the closet (which is too small to fit a laptop computer; who needs a laptop in the 1970s, after all?) functions only with a hefty silver lock and key that the receptionist regales each guest upon request. A round desk with two chairs provides workspace, as does a wide desk area. Also inserted into the scene is an oversized chest of drawers apparently designed for future technological advances; the gaping hole on one side will likely be home to a mini-fridge (once technological advances allow those to become available to the traveling public). And you won’t need to worry about bumping your head on the furniture; rich blue carpeting the lines the side of some furnishings, perfectly matching the wall-to-wall carpet.
••••••
DON’T MISS: Orgullo Gay: Mexico City’s Gay Pride Celebration (PHOTOS)
••••••
The king-size bed was actually quite comfortable; it has an arc-shaped blue headboard with a brass bar above it — a stylish and practical touch for anyone needing to hold on tight during meteor showers while in bed. The long couch, which mimics the shape of the gently curved wall, provides lots of space for relaxing, while the small curved balcony allows guests to gaze down upon earth, 15 floors below, and at the Mexico City skyline in the distance. Should you forget where you are, the curiously hypnotic reflection of the hotel appears in the windows of the mirrored building across the street.
You’ll feel like an outer space prince or princess when you make your way to the heavily marbled, curvilinear bathroom, where the oval sink and toilet provide pleasing complements to the circular bathtub. Carrying a bottle of Mr. Pibb or Tab? Not to worry. The bathroom is equipped with a state-of-the-art metal bottle opener, fastened securely to the wall.
••••••
DON’T MISS: HOTEL REVIEW: St. Regis Mexico City Combines Service, Style & Celebrity
••••••
HOTEL FEATURES: Ready to relax? The elevators at this Mexico City hotel will whisk you to the 21st floor, where you’ll stroll through the event rooms — plushly carpeted venues with names like Salon Feelings, where angled windows provide inspiring views of the cosmos — to reach a small set of stairs, which leads to the charmingly tiny rooftop pool, an inviting blue space that fits nearly 10 guests.
This is 20th-century living at its finest, with all the modern conveniences and almost none of the distractions of the 21st century.
(Actually the service was good, as was the air conditioning, but the WiFi sucked and the decor was truly otherworldly; perfect if you’re on a budget and into 1970s retro.)