Even when money is not an issue, sometimes you want a different experience than the glitz of a 5-star luxury hotel in a big city.
For a neighborhood vibe in Mexico City, check out the 9-room boutique hotel Condesa Haus in the Condesa area. It’s a hipster haven filled with bars, restaurants and coffee shops not too far from downtown. The tree-lined streets and wide avenues make for a quiet enclave in the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
And the quirky Condesa Haus lets you live like a local. There’s no sign on the building in the residential area. But the hotel offers up more than an Air BnB, with made-to-order breakfasts and hotel staff who can help you plan your day, suggest restaurants or even head up a driving trip to the nearby Teotihuacan ruins.
We checked in late in the afternoon after traveling most of the day and were happy to find a wide variety of restaurants within walking distance. We passed on the sushi and Italian spots, ending up at a very nice health-focused restaurant called Buena Tierra, where the tuna, avocado, quinoa, chickpea and chicken salad was filling and mostly guilt-free.
Our room, at Condesa Haus cost roughly $150 a night and came with a small balcony, full kitchen and sitting area with couch and chair, for those nights we were just too tired to head out. There was also a washer/dryer in the kitchen, which worked for us as we had been traveling for some time. The style might best be described as utilitarian-chic. The bed’s headboard was made of two-by-fours,. But the room was spacious and comfortable, The less-expensive rooms don’t have the kitchen equipment or the balcony, but the made-to-order breakfast at a long wooden table is open to everyone.
One of the great things about Mexico City is that taxis and Ubers are always close at hand, and the price is very affordable for Americans. So it was very easy, and inexpensive, to get most anywhere from Condesa. Even more affordable though are the public transit trains, with two metro stops near the Condesa Haus hotel. Also, the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus has a stop just a few blocks away.
We were only lucky enough to spend four nights in this neighborhood, way too short to see all Mexico City has to offer. But we already had lined up a favorite coffee shop, an ice cream stand, grocery store and, best of all, a nearby restaurant that claims to have invented tacos al pastor: El Tizoncito, on Campeche street. One stop there was definitely not enough.
