Las Alcobas, Mexico City
Editor's Pick
Polanco Chapultepec
Mexico City
Mexico 11560
Tel: 52 55 3300 3900
www.lasalcobas.com
Concierge.com's insider take:
Tucked unobtrusively in a pleasantly quiet corner of stylish Polanco, Las Alcobas (the Alcoves) feels like a pied-à-terre, with appropriately discreet service and suites meant to impress even the most jaded traveler's senses. An amiable butler presents an Olinalá tray with a choice of handcrafted soaps and provides technical instructions for the room's remote-control drapes and mood lighting. Mexican candies are stacked on a tiny Oaxacan doll's chair, and the fridge is stocked with ToniCol soda; each morning, coffee and pastries are delivered to your room (all included in the rate). Design firm Yabu Pushelberg's dramatic touches in the 35 rooms include oversize blue marble slabs around chromotherapy whirlpool tubs, inlaid leather walls facing platform beds, and a three-way mirror. In the lobby, a winding rosewood staircase adds drama. At the hotel's Dulce Patria restaurant, highly acclaimed chef Martha Ortiz (of Aguila y Sol fame) plays with regional flavors to create chamoy margaritas and mole manchamantel ("table-stainer" mole) with fruity pico de gallo.—Maribeth Mellin
From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:
In the ritzy Polanco district, home to high-end boutiques and some of the city's best restaurants, Las Alcobas has plugged the gap between the high-end chains (St. Regis, Four Seasons) and the hipper-than-thou independents (Condesa DF), with slick service and an unusual, refined look that draws on Mexico's heritage. The 35 guest rooms blend luxe materials in a range of earthy colors with motifs that recall the country's Aztec and Mayan sites—suede headboards and walls are animated with subtle graphic imprints. Bathrooms have modern rosewood and marble vanities, whirlpool tubs, and separate showers. The megalopolis's contemporary, less romantic character is discernible through the large windows: Bedrooms take in rooftops, satellite dishes, and even a tequila billboard. Elsewhere, the nod to old Mexico continues: A dramatic rosewood staircase spirals from reception (where you check in at a carved-wood desk backed by nudes by local artist Roberto Cortazar) to the second floor, where a delicious breakfast is served (spring for one of the traditional mole-laden options). The casual Dulce Patrina serves modern cantina-style food. The one missing ingredient? A buzzy, margarita-mixing bar. —2011 Hot ListWhich room to book: The Masaryk Suite has a leafy terrace and a bathroom with steam and rain showers.