Downtown Mexico

Located in a magnificent seventeenth-century building in Centro Historico, the Downtown Mexico hotel balances the colonial viceregal style with industrial minimalism and smart elegance influenced by the local indigenous culture.

The Downtown hotel occupies a prime spot in the Centro Historico, a UNESCO World Heritage site that boasts a maze of narrow cobblestone streets peppered by historic colonial landmarks dating as far as the 16th century.

Located only a short walk from the Plaza de la Constitución, it is as central a location as the Mexico City hotel could ask for.

The hotel building, superbly renovated, is one of the oldest intact residences in the area. Its brick façade has a solid baroque look, but inside, the young local architect duo, Cherem-Serrano, has departed from the hotel’s colonial-era heritage, proposing a thoroughly 21st-century style.

Old meets new

The original high ceilings remain intact, among other charmingly weathered period details, but the prevailing atmosphere is that of a very clean, very contemporary modern boutique style.

Simple forms highlight rich textures, from the dark tiled floors to the raw wood furnishings to the screens, almost Moorish in style, that set the bathrooms apart from the bedrooms.

In some instances, the contemporary minimalist chic is pushed to its limits, feeling more bohemian and raw, in others has a more industrial appearance. All rooms, though, belong to the contemporary boutique hotel world with the features and hi-tech accessories.

Review in parts via Tablet Hotels

in our opinion

What we love

• Excellent conversion of the seventeenth-century palace, with minimalist rooms, lovely preserved murals and the dramatic artwork by Manuel Rodrigo Lozano in the lobby
• With an upscale restaurant and a sexy roof terrace lounge, the hotel attracts a stylish and smart crowd
• Poolside cocktails on the hotel’s hip rooftop terrace
• Each room has a private balcony looking onto cobbled streets
• Ideal location, with easy access to the attractions, restaurants, and sights of Mexico City’s old town district

What you should know

• The central location has its pitfalls: some rooms are rather exposed to the neighborhood noise
• The hotel is located 11km from the Mexico City International Airport

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