Mexico: St. Regis Mexico City
This elegant hotel in the heart of Mexico City's historic district is an ideal place from which to explore the city's kaleidoscopic cuisines, and the hotel's restaurant, J&G Grill, is a worthy destination in its own right.
Credit: St. Regis Mexico City
View Room Service in a larger map
Address
Paseo de la Reforma 439 33139 Colonia CuauhtemocMexico City, Federal District 06500 Mexico 52/55/5228-1818 starwoodhotels.com
Don't Miss
The 15th floor infinity pool: It feels as if you could swim right out the window and over the sprawling city to the surrounding mountains.
J&G Grill: Jean Georges Vongerichten's new restaurant here delivers all the fresh, incredible dishes you expect from Jean Georges, with lots of local flavors woven in.
Cocktails and snacks in the Terrace at Diana: The hotel's third-floor Mexican restaurant features outdoor seating overlooking the Paseo de la Reforma.
St. Regis Butler Service: Go ahead; ask them for something. They'll make your stay much easier and more comfortable.
Amenities
- 24-Hour Private Dining
- St. Regis Butler Service
- Spa
- Indoor pool
- Wi-Fi Internet Access in Guest Rooms (USD 15 per day)
The hotel is perfectly situated for days spent exploring the central historic district and nights drinking and dining in Polanco or Condesa. Located between these areas in the Colonia Cuauhtémoc amid skyscrapered corporate headquarters and historic embassy buildings, the St. Regis sits smack dab in front of the shining gold pedestaled statue of Diana the Huntress. From my room on the eighth floor, with its wall of windows looking out onto the city and the mountains beyond, I could gaze down on bikers and skateboarders and walkers cruising the grand boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma, closed to traffic on weekends.
A lovely room it was, dressed in creams and charcoals. Its ample 538 square feet were illuminated in my choice of multiple lighting schemes. The shower was an entire room in itself, with an enormous rain-shower coursing from above, a deep tub tucked into one, and a bench built into the side. After a day exploring La Merced, Mexico City's sprawling public market, I could have spent all evening in that spa-like environment, eschewing cocktails on the hotel terrace, or even a dip in the 15th floor infinity pool. I could have sat in the tub scheming up a to-do list for the St. Regis' butler service (Would they unpack my bags and do my laundry? Sure. Could they mail home some packages? Yes.) But then dinner would beckon.
Of course, Mexico City is jam-packed with amazing places to eat. And now that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has opened J&G Grill inside the hotel, one of those places is the St. Regis. The young Venezuelan chef, Maycoll Calderón, executes the Jean-Georges style perfectly: the food is clean; fresh; full of brisk, exciting flavors; attentive to seasonality and locality; delicious. This is Mexico, so a sweet-briny dollop of yuzu-dressed sea urchin poised on black bread gets a small jolt from a slice of fresh jalapeño. The perfectly steamed red snapper comes with charred, diced poblanos and a purée of purple potatoes. A crisp pizza is blanketed in a rosette of fresh avocado slice, strewn with jalapeño and cilantro, and finished with fresh lime juice. On the grill menu, sauce choices include a smoked chili glaze and a roasted tomatillo sauce. Even the iceberg wedge gets a tangy vinaigrette made with cotija, a feta-like Mexican cheese.
All these local flavors, plus Jean-Georges global crowd-pleasers—a melting cube of glazed short ribs, hamachi sashimi in a soy-yuzu dressing with spot-on umami-acid balance—makes this an excellent dine-in option in a city where delectable flavors await on every corner. —Betsy Andrews
In the Area
- La Merced: Ask the concierge to book you a private driver to take you to Mexico City's incomparable public market. It's the best place to ogle Mexico's bounty (huitlacoche sold on the cob; nopales stacked by the thousands; fresh and dried chiles in hundreds of varieties; meats and cheeses and fish and spices and everything needed to cook them). And it's also a fantastic for grazing on street foods, from cooling aguas frescas to belly-filling posole.
- Pujol: It's not far from the hotel, so definitely take the time to find out why CIA-trained chef and Mexico City native Enrique Olvera's influential restaurant is on the Pellegrino list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. Francisco 11570, Petrarca, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico; tel: 55/5545-4111; pujol.com.mx
- Tacos al Pastor: A specialty of to Mexico City, these tacos are influenced by the shawarma brought by of mid-20th-century Lebanese immigrants. Pork (not lamb) is marinated in chiles, herbs, and spices and stacked in an enormous cone shape on a vertical rotisserie often topped with a pineapple, which grills along with the meat, dripping its sweet juices onto the pork's carmelizing exterior. The sweet, spicy meat is carved to order. Everyone has their favorite place to eat them, but Mexico City food blogger Ruth Alegria suggests Pastorcito Boturini for the best.
- Xochimilco: Alegria also gives food tours, and she can hook you up with a visit to the chinampas, or man-made islands, in the ancient canals in this unique, southern area of Mexico City, where the local farmers will show you their age-old plots and serve you to a downhome meal. More information at ruthincondechi.com
Your Comment