Where to Book Your Stay in Mexico City Like a Local

Set in an ornate late-19th-century mansion, typical in Colonia San Rafael, this beautifully repurposed building is a real eye-catcher. The hip, contemporary design and locally sourced, restored vintage furnishings complement the elegant period features. It’s the first seriously eco-conscious B&B in the city, with rainwater catchment and gray-water recycling. Each of the eight suites is themed around a Mexican state and filled with natural light. Breakfast here is worthy of a mention, freshly prepped and different each day.

Although part of a small chain of Mexican hotels, Casa Decu feels anything but cookie-cutter. It sits on a quiet street in the leafy-cool Condesa neighborhood, a short stroll from many trendy boutiques and hipster cafes. The decor is an eye-pleasing mix of traditional tiling, mid-century furnishings and art deco flourishes, while the rooms come with handy kitchenettes. You’re even offered some mezcal on arrival to really start your Mexican stay in style.

Set in the heart of the trendy Roma district, this transformed turn-of-the-century mansion has drawn praise from many a design buff. It’s an assured marriage of ornate period features and smart contemporary renovation, all fringed by a secluded leafy garden. It houses just five color-themed suites, with luxury-level amenities and impeccable styling. Kitchen ingredients are sourced daily from local markets, resulting in authentic Mexican breakfasts of salsas, juices, tamales and chilaquiles each morning.

With a name like Pug Seal Allan Poe, you expect something a little special, and that’s what you get at this quirkily sophisticated 20-room boutique hotel. The feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl makes regular appearances, alongside an eclectic collection of mid-century furnishings and artsy curios. Both the 1930s building and posh Polanco neighborhood feel upscale residential, all just steps from the boutique-lined boulevard of Avenida Presidente Masaryk.

A stay at this boutique hotel means immersing yourself in the throbbing historic heart of Mexico City. The centuries-old former printing house still reads of its rich past and is a mere amble from most of the main attractions in the city. Each of the five suites has the air of a handsome studio apartment where you can make yourself at home. Some even have spectacular views of the mighty Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.

In the up-and-coming Roma neighborhood, this renovated mansion feels like you’re staying at a Mexican friend’s home rather than a boutique hotel. Rooms reference past residents, including a famed Mexican art collector and a forlorn Frenchman who fell in love with the lady of the house. Make yourself at home with a drink from the honesty bar before unwinding in the shared courtyard, rooftop garden or library.

There’s no better way to feel like you’re living in Mexico City than by waking up in an apartment, ready to take on a day of exploring (and eating). This all-suite retreat with ice-cream-colored apartments and a neon-lit penthouse is set up for short- or long-term stays, and it offers hotel-style perks, such as daily housekeeping and a gym.

Vasconcelos 65 is all about making you feel at home while traveling in unfamiliar places – you can put your feet up on the couches here without fear of reprisal. This particular outpost housing 16 apartments is tucked taco-style between some of the coolest colonias in the city: hipster Roma, cosmopolitan Condesa and the leafy Bosque de Chapultepec – one of the largest parks in the western hemisphere, with no end of space to pet pups and picnic like a card-carrying capitalino, as the locals called themselves.

In the leafy outskirts of Mexico City, just near Bosque de Tlalpan, a forested nature reserve, you’ll find this 17th-century historic hacienda. The former farm-turned-hotel remains a place for travelers seeking a tranquil oasis outside the city center. Seek shade beneath an orange tree, take breakfast on the terrace as birds chirp or sink into a leather armchair in the book-lined library. Suites include kitchens for whipping up a meal.