The 189-room hotel overlooks the Reforma’s statue of Diana in the heart of Colonia Cuauhtemoc. The neighborhoods (colonias) of Polanco, Condesa and Roma are just around the corner in various directions, short Uber rides away.
The rooms at St. Regis are some of the largest in the city. Every room features floor-to-ceiling windows, and in most cases the views are spectacular, particularly if you face the sunset.
The beds are extremely soft (think British soft) and topped with sublime Pratesi linens and a flurry of cloud-like pillows. Just about everything electronic in the room can be manipulated by the bedside control panel: lighting, drapes, television, iPod, etc.
The all-marble bathrooms offer bathtubs and showers. Wifi is complimentary and fast.
And butlers are on call around the clock, ready to bring complimentary cappuccinos, press your wrinkled suit (two garments per person, per day) or even coordinate with the concierge to reserve one of the hotel’s electric bicycles for a tour around the nearby Chapultepec Park.
The spa is one of only two Remède spas in Mexico. (The other is at the hotel’s sister property, in Punta Mita.) The gym is stocked with all the necessary free weights, and the treadmills are lined up in front of the windows with a view. Adjacent to the gym is the yoga and pilates studios, although sometimes yoga takes place on the rooftop helipad.
You’ll want to bring a bathing suit, and you’ll want to spend more than a few minutes wearing it. The indoor pool, flanked by two hot tubs, occupies a lovely perch on the 15th floor (next to the gym and spa) with dramatic views from the water, especially at the golden hour and all throughout the night. Don’t be surprised when a pool attendant shows up with a small tray of canapés, which you’ll nibble from the water’s edge. Be careful, though: The marble floors that surround the pool, while beautiful, can be dangerously slippery.
The hotel’s only real fault, if you can call it that, is the lack of a proper lobby. The ground floor entrance is somewhat awkward, just a small foyer with a sales booth for the residences next door. Elevators whisk guests directly to the 3rd floor, where the actual lobby is little more than a meeting point, not a gathering space in the traditional sense of a grand hotel lobby. Actual gathering and socializing takes place at the King Cole Bar, just down the hallway. The front desk is somewhat hidden; turn left when you get off the elevator.
The hotel’s flagship restaurant, Diana, emerged from a quick makeover in November that saw the installation of a gorgeous new glass-walled wine cellar, which houses one of the best wine collections in the city. The restaurant maintains a reputation for launching great chefs, and the newest rising star at the helm here is Fernando A. Sànchez Ortiz, who for the first time in the restaurant’s history has taken the menu in a pointedly Mexican direction. (Formerly the menu hewed strictly French, albeit with subtle Mexican flourishes from time to time). It’s a welcome change at a time when the city’s best chefs are redefining Mexican cuisineand garnering overdue international acclaim. (UPDATE: Chef Ortiz left St. Regis in 2021 and is now cooking at Las Ventanas in Los Cabos.)
Diana restaurant maintains a reputation for launching great chefs, and the newest rising star at the helm here is Fernando A. Sànchez Ortiz, who for the first time in the restaurant’s history has taken the menu in a pointedly Mexican direction, no doubt inspired by the city’s dining scene at large.
At some point you’ll want to make your way to the second floor, to J&G Grill, a restaurant launched by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongericthen. You’ll want to order a ginger margarita. And a tuna tartare tostada.
The hotel complex includes several other restaurants and bars, including the aforementioned King Cole Bar (which shares a patio with Diana), Candela Romera (casual Spanish) and the Glasshouse Cafe (elegant coffee/tea lounge). Oh, and there is one more, but it’s by invitation only. So if you get invited to the chef’s garden terrace, you’ll know you’ve made it.
Bottom line: This is the most luxurious hotel in Mexico City. The rooms are posh, the food is terrific, and the service throughout, stellar. The location is convenient to all the top restaurants, museums and shopping. The indoor pool is the icing on the cake.
Rates from about $260. Paseo de la Reforma 439, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, 52.55.5228.1818; stregismexicocity.com
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