Ignacia Guesthouse

"Why book? Located in the trendy Roma Norte neighborhood of Mexico City, this intimate, five-suite property feels as if you’re staying in the private home of a well-heeled friend. Set the scene: Set behind an unassuming façade in the cobbled Roma Norte neighborhood, Ignacia Guesthouse attracts discerning travelers with an eye for design. Guests can be found thumbing through the breadth of Mexican literature in the original home’s library and living room or having an afternoon coffee in the central patio garden, which connects to four suites built in a modern building designed by Mexico City-based architecture firm Factor Eficiencia and design studio AG Interiorismo. The backstory: When this Beaux-Arts mansion first debuted in 1913, it was the private mansion of a wealthy family. Today the property is owned by Gina Lozado, who renamed the hotel after the mansion’s former housekeeper of more than 70 years. The rooms: The five guest suites are designed in a monochromatic color scheme, each with private nooks to enjoy the home’s central courtyard. Rooms range from an all-gold suite with plush velvet furnishings to a sleek and modern all-black hideaway with a private French-door breakfast terrace. Food and drink: Set in the original home is the property’s open-concept kitchen, where guests mix and mingle while the in-house team of chefs serves traditional Mexican breakfast plates like scrambled eggs (or huevos a la mexicana) and chilaquiles, tortilla chips lathered in red or green salsa and usually topped with an egg and cotija cheese. The neighborhood/area: Set in the lively Roma Norte neighborhood, the property is within walking distance of some of the city’s top restaurants, bars, and cafes, as well as the convivial Plaza Rio de Janeiro, a green space where locals walk mix and mingle and walk their dogs around a water feature with a David statue at its center. The service: The property’s in-house concierge can assist guests in booking local experiences to explore the culture of the city, as well as tables at the city’s top restaurants. Anything left to mention? The property hosts a complimentary happy hour in the courtyard daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m." - Michaela Trimble