A Mexico City Mansion Beckons

MEXICO CITY – It’s all about the details in hospitality, and Mexico City’s Casa Polanco spares not even one. I spent four days here in the early days of summer, and it was the highest of highs that I’ve yet to come down from. I showed up on Casa Polanco’s literal doorstep after ringing the gate’s front bell like a proper houseguest and proceeded to collect my dropped jaw while walking through the lobby entrance. The first exquisite detail I couldn’t get over was the custom Connemara “Irish Green” marble floor mimicking the mansion’s cultivated landscape hues. Other sensory details began taking shape, like woodsy incense, bright whites, and natural light in the dining room beyond the lobby, and soft-spoken bienvenidas alongside warm smiles on every staff member as I checked into the 19-key hotel.  

Casa Polanco is located in the tony Polanco neighborhood and overlooks a verdant Lincoln Park, where off-leash dogs gallivant around reflective pools. Besides the 1940s-era front entrance, the former mansion kept many of its Spanish Colonial Revival design details intact.

Hotel rooms are positioned between the original mansion and an adjoining modern building, the new and the old flowing freely and decorated with the owner’s personal fine art collection. It’s worth noting that the collection includes work by acclaimed Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, who is known for her images of indigenous women in Mexico. Thanks to the mix of media, I felt an immediate cultural connection (it was like visiting a private gallery on the spot). Beyond the fine art, in-room décor includes preppy houndstooth headboards, modern Italian bedside lamps, and a mix of cool gray and white tones that match the marble-clad bathroom. 

A stay at Casa Polanco includes breakfast — which I highly recommend for a chance to taste the melt-in-your-mouth omelet and the cinnamon cake. The head chef studied with Julia Child, so you know the eggs are on point. The stocked mini bar is gratis (and includes Haribo, bestill my heart), and turn-down service each night includes a chocolate butterfly filled with caramel — invoking an exclamation (Dios mío!) at first taste.

To say I slept soundly on the 600-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and handmade mattresses from California is an understatement. Every hot rainfall shower meant another chance to lather with bath products crafted by local high-end Xinú perfumes. The bar of marjoram herb soap made such an impression that I just had to ask for a few additional bars to take home. Other room details to round out the picture: a Bang & Olufsen sound system, Nespresso machine, and cozy bathrobe for lounging on the private terrace.

My favorite time of the day at Casa Polanco had to be early evening. Each night before scampering off to dinner, my friend and I enjoyed signature hibiscus mezcalita bebidas and pepitas alfresco in the front garden, walled in by Japanese guava, fig trees, and some of the largest monstera plants I’ve ever seen. 

I didn’t take advantage of additional amenities like the petite-yet-perfect gym or a private massage in a cabin; honestly, it didn’t matter when each day already felt optimally luxe. From the peaceful tunes piped into the library and its all-day honor bar to the ever-attentive staff offering beverages and warm greetings at every turn, “home sweet home” never felt more true. Begrudgingly, I made my way back to my own casa, but soon discovered an unexpected memento from the trip: Xinu products had settled deep into my hair. The Flor de Musgo notes of soft tuberose, moss, cedarwood, and lime stayed with me for days.