As the world opens up, we’re craving travel experiences that immerse us in the vibrant culture, history, and thriving street scene of cool cosmopolitan cities. At the top of our wishlist, is Mexico City, a pulsating capital city where you can spend your days exploring the fascinating architecture, meandering through its intriguing neighborhoods (colonias), checking out the trendy art, music, and design scene, and people-watching in buzzy restaurants where the gastronomy is unforgettable.
Making it even more reason to visit, in one of the most highly anticipated Latin America hotel openings in years, The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City has opened its doors, elevating the city’s skyline and raising the bar on five-star luxury. And to that, this Ciudad de México is easy to get to for US travelers, and with its moderate year-round is the ideal getaway for a weekend escape or longer if you’re looking to take a deeper dive into its vibrant culture.
Luckily, our friends at Marriott International have CDMX covered with 20 hotels at which Marriott Bonvoy members enjoy exclusive curated experiences, first-class amenities, and insider access to the best locations in the city. Enjoy this insider guide for where to stay, eat, play, shop, and explore two of Mexico City’s most popular areas that are the perfect address for your upcoming vacation.
The Best Hotels and Resorts in Mexico City
The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City
The most exciting new addition to Mexico City’s hotel landscape, the sleek, futuristic, The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City rises 58 stories in a prime location across from Chapultepec Park. This modernistic glass mixed-use building features 153 guest rooms and suites along with private residences — all with sweeping views of the park and city below through floor-to-ceiling windows or private terraces. The contemporary design features a soothing neutral color palette, reflective materials, and sculptural accents inspired by Mexican surrealism, which celebrates the place where tradition meets the modern world. This brand-new hotel features a Ritz-Carlton Spa with treatments inspired by local traditions, a state-of-art fitness center, Club Level and Samos, a 38th-floor Mediterranean restaurant featuring Mexican influences and local ingredients that promises to live up to the city’s incredible gastronomy reputation. With Chapultepec Park and Polanco at their doorstep, The Ritz-Carlton is ready to deliver the service the brand is known for and can curate private and exclusive tours of the city’s most popular sites as well as the off-the-beaten-path gems.
The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City is now accepting reservations.
St. Regis Mexico City
Long one of CDMX’s most popular hotels for its fantastic location, modern interiors, updated rooms, butler service, and notable dining outlets, The St. Regis Mexico City is also well-situated on Paseo de la Reforma just minutes from Chapultepec Park. The sleek high rise is home to La Table Krug, an intimate and sexy eight-course French dining experience paired with Krug Champagne. The hotel’s beautiful third-floor garden is home to Bloom, an alfresco dining experience open for lunch and dinner daily, and a casual and fun farm-to-grill experience on Fridays and Saturdays. Did you know every St. Regis hotel has a King Cole Bar? Mexico City is no exception. This one is clubby and romantic with live music and a signature mezcal cocktail dubbed the Sangrita María.
Sheraton Mexico City Maria Isabel Hotel
Located on Paseo de la Reforma just steps from the towering golden El Ángel Monumento a la Independencia, one of the most iconic pieces of public art in the country is Sheraton Mexico City Maria Isabel Hotel. Four Club Level Penthouse suites have direct Angel views, as does the hotel’s Ristorante Amici. After dinner at this Italian spot or in nearby Zona Rosa, enjoy live mariachi and salsa bands at the Sheraton’s popular Jorongo Bar. A full fitness center, meeting rooms, and complimentary breakfasts make this a comfortable and convenient home away in Mexico City.
Le Méridien Mexico City
Further up Paseo de la Reforma sits Le Méridien Mexico City, an all-suite boutique hotel near the Plaza de la República. Within walking distance of Palacio de Bellas Artes, Monumento a la Revolución, Roma neighborhood, and Mexico City’s historic center, the hotel is perfectly situated to be your base for exploration. Le Méridien is known for its friendly and warm staff who go above and beyond to help guests explore the cultural side of Mexico City, from weekly concierge tips (like what Lucha Libre wrestling is all about) to arranging museum passes and restaurant reservations.
JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City
Perfectly positioned in Polanco, JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City offers a 5-star experience within walking distance of the best restaurants, museums, and shopping CDMX has to offer. After long days spent exploring, the JW Marriott’s comfortable, timeless rooms, classic Mexican restaurant Xanat, outdoor pool, and 24-hour room service await to help you rest and recharge.
W Mexico City
Just off Paseo de la Reforma in Polanco, W Mexico City offers the signature trendy style the W Hotels brand is known for complete with an AWAY spa, fitness center, and 25DOS, a modern Mexican restaurant. The lively indoor-outdoor Living Room bar is a popular place for friends to meet before or after a night out and features signature cocktails and tunes from some of the city’s best DJs. Although many nightlife spots throughout the city have closed, W’s Living Room bar still feels lively.
With the opening of the new The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International has 20 hotels in Mexico City, including the Courtyard by Marriott Courtyard Mexico City Airport which is the perfect location for an early-morning flight. To explore all the Marriott International hotels in Mexico City, visit https://www.marriott.com/search/findHotels.mi.
Explore Mexico City’s Buzziest Neighborhoods
Paseo de la Reforma
This long tree-lined avenue fashioned after the grand boulevards of Europe serves as the city’s cultural corridor connecting the hills of Chapultepec to the popular neighborhoods of Polanco, Roma, and La Condesa. Paseo de la Reforma runs through Chapultepec Park, an expansive, beautiful greenspace that houses several important museums and landmarks, including Chapultepec Castle, a manmade lake, zoo as well as many public artworks and monuments. Locals and tourists flock to Reforma, as it’s known, for its amazing restaurants, art galleries, museums, boutiques, and upscale hotels. If you want to be in the heart of contemporary culture with everything at your doorstep, this is the place to be.
Polanco
Just north of Reforma lies the leafy, beautiful, and fashionable neighborhood of Polanco, where you’ll find stately old mansions, luxurious modern apartment buildings, some of the city’s (if not the world’s) finest restaurants, and the most high-end shopping in CDMX. While Polanco is known as the Beverly Hills of Mexico City for its expensive real estate and designer boutiques, the area also boasts rich cultural offerings from art galleries and museums to theaters. It’s also home to the stunning Museum of Anthropology and Soumaya Museum as well as local street markets and a nice nightlife scene.
The Best Things To See, Do and Experience
Culinary Immersion
A cooking class at Colonia Roma’s Casa Jacaranda feels like a dream. You’ll start in the morning at the Medellín Market where charming hosts Jorge and Beto lead you to the best spoils of the market from butchery to produce. Back at their gorgeous house built in 1913, you’ll learn the secrets of salsas, moles, and other beloved Mexican staples. Masterclass over, your resulting dishes, a few cocktails, and gossip are shared over a long lunch you’ll never want to end.
Ancient Ruins
The ancient Mesoamerican pyramid city of Teotihuacán is about an hour outside the city and worth the trip. These mind-boggling ruins provide a slice of Aztec life during the first millennium. While it’s fun to walk around and climb the pyramids, for an even better experience, float above them in a hot air balloon with Flying Pictures Mexico who can also arrange a champagne breakfast on touch down.
History Lesson
If you haven’t been on a tour of Mexico City’s historic center of Zócalo, it’s a must to familiarize yourself with the country’s rich history. Also, a must if you want to dig a little deeper visit Museo Frida Kahlo, also known as Casa Azul. The former home of the legendary artist offers a fascinating and intimate look into her art, her life, and the people who inhabited it, including Diego Rivera.
Cultural Experiences
It’s wonderful to spend a morning at Chapultepec Park, strolling the grounds, paddle boating the lake, visiting the zoo, or seeing the monuments and public art installations. Speaking of art, you also have your pick of world-class museums in Mexico City: the National History Museum, Modern Art Museum, Tamayo Museum, and the National Anthropology Museum, the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Polanco’s many art galleries are also well worth exploring, but if you have to choose one, don’t miss Museo Soumaya. Not only is the building itself one of the most stunning structures in the city it also houses a massive collection of over 66,000 artworks. Prefer a more boutique approach? Kurimanzutto is a respected contemporary gallery owned by a couple whose mission has been to promote young Mexican artists.
Market Hunting
Mercado de La Lagunilla in the Centro Histórico is an enormous main flea market divided into sections for clothing, housewares, and food vendors. Although vendors set up throughout the week, the best action happens on Sundays. If crowds, chaos, and treasure hunting aren’t your thing, try El Bazaar Sábado, an upscale market featuring handcrafted clothing, furniture, gourmet goodies, and jewelry. Centro Artesenal La Ciudadela Market (S/N, Balderas, Colonia Centro) is where you’ll find typical Mexican arts and crafts like woven textiles, pottery, blown glass, and baskets as well as souvenirs. Polite bargaining is both expected and encouraged here. For a fashion fix, Reforma 222 on Paseo de la Reforma is home to every major fashion brand. It’s a fun place to see local fashionistas in their element, plus there’s an enticing esquites and elotes stand (traditional roasted corn delicacies) set up outside every afternoon so it’s worth visiting just for the delicious smells.
The Best Places to Eat in Mexico City
Club Tengo Hambre
Mexico City has one of the best gastronomy scenes in the world. From fine dining experiences to street tacos, the creativity is boundless, and foodies are spoiled for choice. One of the best ways to experience the food scene is with a Club Tengo Hambre food tour. These insider tours are full of humor, historical insights, hidden gems, delicious bites, and sips. Go for the nighttime taco tour.
Quintonil
Ranked one of the top restaurants in the world, Quintonil is an understated restaurant that lets the food shine in a surprisingly affordable 11-course tasting menu of modern Mexican flavors and locally sourced, traditional ingredients.
Guzina Oaxaca
A comfortable eatery by a well-known Oaxacan chef Guzina Oaxaca celebrates the rustic flavors and traditions of Oaxaca, with moles, aguachiles, ceviches, taquitos, and other plates best shared with friends. Mezcal-based cocktails and Oaxacan craft beers round out the experience.
Pujol
Chef Enrique Olvera’s bold fine dining restaurant Pujol put Mexico City on the culinary map back in 2000. The restaurant and tasting menu featuring elevated traditional Mexican dishes is ever-evolving, still relevant, and consistently ranked amongst the world’s best. Even if you’ve been before, go back for the Taco Omakase.
El Turix
Right around the corner from Cartier and Montblanc is the rustic hole-in-the-wall El Turix taqueria. Stand in line, order the Yucatan-style cochinita pibil tacos, tortas, or panuchos (so delicious they’ve been lauded by no less than Bon Appetit) and grab a beer to wash down these sweet, spicy, fan favorites.
Contramar
If you’ve never eaten at the bright and buzzy Contramar, you’re missing one of the best lunchtime experiences of your life. There is a reason it makes every best of Mexico City list. The people-watching here is fantastic and the seafood is fresh and simply but beautifully prepared.
Alelí
Unpretentious but immaculately prepared, the breakfast and lunch dishes from high-caliber Chef Oswaldo Oliva at Alelí are simple yet creative and garner rave reviews. The Roma North restaurant’s new rooftop deck is a winner, too.
Nevería Roxy
This old-school ice cream parlor has several outposts, but the Condesa location of Nevería Roxy is the OG dating from the 1940s. It’s simple ice cream made in a fiercely traditional way that is hard to replicate. We love the tamarindo and cajeta.
Que Bo!
The gorgeous jewel-toned truffles at Que Bo!, a cute artisanal chocolate shop in Polanco are made using only Mexican ingredients, making them a great gift or souvenir. If you need a pick-me-up between shops, we recommend the hot cocoa.
The Best Cocktails in Mexico City
Licorería Limantour Polanco
Considered to have the best cocktail program in Mexico City, both the Condesa and Polanco branches of Limantour are well located, have an upscale vibe, and a serious commitment to mixology.
La Clandestina
A speakeasy vibe permeates this mezcal bar with its unassuming storefront and dimly lit, plush, and sexy interiors. Go for a small selection of appetizers, creative cocktails, and mezcal tastings from their large collection.
Tokyo Music Bar
The small and beautiful Tokyo Music Bar takes its cues from Japanese HiFi bars, mixing classic cocktails with classic vinyl played by a DJ in an intimate, tasteful setting. An expansive selection of Japanese whiskeys is also available.
