Hotel Geneve Ciudad de Mexico

This singular hotel represents a journey through time. It opened in 1907 during the government of the legendary Porfirio Díaz a few years before the Mexican Revolution. It was a meeting center of high society, ambassadors, and rulers. Done in a typical classic English style, it's been wonderfully maintained ever since. As a showcase piece, it displays many pieces of art, historic objects, and photographs of famous people who have visited. The hotel has four towers: Londre, Liverpool, Amberes, and Florencia, matching the names of the four streets that surround it. The lobby is elegant and grand, with tile flooring and numerous wing chairs grouped for small gatherings. Gilded mirrors and frames add richness, as does the stained glass ceiling and huge chandelier above. The hotel proudly maintains it ushered in many "firsts" in Mexico: It was the first to offer taxi service, switchboard operators, dry cleaning, elevators, a travel agency, tennis court, barbershop, and a phone and bathroom in every guest room. It also was the first to accept single women as guests. These days, guests are typically couples, business travelers, and tourists who are interested in history and want a step back in time. 

The hotel is located in the heart of Zona Rosa, or Pink Zone, a busy tourist neighborhood packed with shops, restaurants, museums, theaters, bars, and businesses. Attractions within 10 minutes' walking distance of the hotel include Ripley's Museum, the Wax Museum, Paseo de la Reforma, and the Angel of Independence monument. Within a 20-minute drive are Chapultepec Park, the Anthropology Museum, and the Centro Historico with cathedrals, museums, and palaces. Soumaya Museum is about a 25-minute drive, and Mexico City International Airport is about 35 minutes away. 

Rooms are decorated in classic European style with handcrafted cedar furnishings and white bed coverings accented by rich yellow, green, and orange throw pillows and bedskirts. Free bottled water and coffeemakers with coffee are nice extras. Rooms also have flat-screen TVs and minibars stocked with water, beer, and soft drinks (though they're locked unless guests pay a fee for access). Bathrooms are small but clean with shower/tub combos. Vintage suites are named after four famous guests from other eras: Mexican President Don Porfirio Díaz, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American aviator Charles Lindbergh, and Frida Kahlo, an icon for Mexican art and culture who was born in 1907, the same year the hotel opened. These elegant and grand suites have separate sitting areas and historic decor, such as chandeliers and gilded mirrors, that pays tribute to their namesake. 

The Veranda Bistro serves Mexican fare in an elegant garden-like setting with ceiling fans overhead and plants covering the walls; live music plays there Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The charming Phone Bar has a collection of antique telephones hanging on the walls and showcased in the center of the space. The London-style bar with red tablecloths plays classic rock and hosts live music on Tuesday to Friday nights. The business center offers computers, printers, a scanner, private meeting rooms, and staff assistance. The hotel's four meeting rooms are traditionally elegant, with ornate columns and chandeliers, high ceilings, rich wall coverings, and singular accent pieces; the largest fits up to 250 people. The Salon El Patio meeting space is especially intriguing with its stained glass, plant-wrapped columns, and glass ceiling that allows in natural light. A small fitness center has cardio and weight machines, as well as free weights. There's also a small spa for massages and tanning, along with a sauna, and the historic barbershop is still providing shaves and haircuts. An on-site cinema seats 24 people and has a bar, private restroom, and a reception hall.