Located in the barrio mágico (‘magical neighbourhood’) of Roma,
within walking distance of many of the city’s contemporary art
galleries, this exquisite hotel is an artistic paean to its
creative surroundings. Housed within a 1920s French-style
townhouse, interiors meld Mexican folk influences with European
touches. Each of its three suites offers unique features: we love
the bed in La Terrazza, which can roll onto the roof terrace should
you like a night sleeping under the stars. Six more suites are due
to be added in a neighbouring property this year.

Housed in a striking 1920s neoclassical building in the
sophisticated La Condesa neighbourhood, Condesa DF’s futuristic
stylings radically contrast its 20th-century exterior. Bespoke,
curvaceous furnishings from French designer India Mahdavi fill
colourful, highly-stylised common spaces, while the 40 rooms and
suites utilise earthier tones, delivering monastic tranquillity but
with luxe mod cons (like fragrant Malin+Goetz products in the
bathroom). Take breakfast at El Patio, the hotel’s courtyard
restaurant, then head to the roof for a hammam session in the
sky-gazing spa.

Colonial-style grandeur and modernist stylings collide at
Downtown Mexico, A hotel within a magnificent palace. The team
behind the Unesco-nodded Centro Histórico have stripped back the
property to its raw elements, its 17 rooms showcasing elegant
vaulted ceilings and raw brickwork juxtaposed with minimalist,
Japanese-influenced wood furnishings. Head to the roof terrace for
a dip in the pool, or a mezcal – neat – from the bar, or linger
over a Mexican-influenced menu at the canary-yellow tables of the
lobby restaurant.

Another top spot in Roma, Nima Local House Hotel is a stylish
getaway with a welcoming, homely feel. Comfortable quarters and
helpful staff (the concierge has their proverbial finger firmly on
the city’s cultural pulse) are de rigueur, and with only four
rooms, guests enjoy a level of intimacy not afforded in the city’s
larger hotels – everyone gets a complimentary check-in cocktail, to
start.There’s no restaurant on site, but staff can offer
personalised and in-the-know recommendations for up-and-coming
chef’s kitchens in the area. The sunny rooftop terrace is the ideal
place to crash between city expeditions.

In well-heeled Polanco it’s easy to spot Habita, a refurbished
1950s property wrapped up in frosted glass. Floor-to-ceiling
windows enhance the hotel’s sleek, modernist bedrooms; treat
yourself to the Junior Suite with separate living room and terrace
. A restaurant in the lobby pairs the concrete architecture with a
globe-hopping menu. Head up to the roof terrace, nab one of the
stylish white loungers and take in the views of the city
skyline.

Foodies, this one’s for you. Casa TEO, a residence In the
Polanco neighbourhood, is the work of Mexican chef Enrique Olvera,
from internationally notable restaurant Pujol. The Scandi-style
two-suite bed and breakfast is an inviting, minimalist space where
living centres around an open-plan kitchen. The communal dining
table lends well to convivial (and intimate) dinners of no more
than 10 guests hosted by the Pujol team and other friends of the
house, but you might also run into a cooking workshop or two while
staying. When not in the throes of a dinner party, the peaceful
apartment space offers a city oasis where guests (mostly creative
types drawn in by the expansive art collection on the walls) can
exhale and reset. Breakfasts are an underrated treat; think fresh
bread, homemade james and seasonal fruits.

An oasis of minimalist design, Ocatavia Casa is a La Condesa
hotel set up by the team behind OCTAVIA, a Mexican clothing brand
for ‘the contemporary woman who leads a simple and modern
lifestyle’. Their accommodation follows suit with its clean and
simple aesthetic: whitewashed walls abound across six bedrooms (two
of which are studios), complemented by blonde-wood wardrobes, and
concrete floors while the bedding comes straight from the Octavia
Casa home line. Plus you’ll find more relaxing corners in one of
the rooftop seating areas. Don’t skip out on breakfast here; a
spread of fine pastries, organic cheese and ham, seasonal fruit,
and handmade quesadillas is sensational.