A few weeks ago Luke and I had the opportunity to have a little staycation in Mexico City. I’ve been wanting to review some boutique hotels in Mexico City for the blog. I often get questions from readers about where they should stay when they visit, and seeing as I moved straight into an apartment here, I didn’t have a clue!
So I got in touch with Chaya B&B – a beautiful eco-hotel in the historic area of downtown Mexico City. We stayed in their master suite and it was so relaxing and rejuvenating.
Location
Chaya B&B is right on the edge of Alameda Park, a few minutes walk to the Palacio de Bellas Artes (the opera house and fine arts museum) and less than 10 minutes from the main square, the Zocalo. It’s in an old, art deco style building called Barrio Alameda and houses tons of great restaurants as well. A few steps outside the door and you’ll find a buzzing daily market where you can sample tons of different Mexican foods and buy a few souvenirs, too.
The darker it gets, the more food stalls that pop up. We ate tacos and churros that night from the market and it’s still some of the best street food I’ve had in central Mexico City.
Checking In
We got to the hotel right around check-in time, 3pm. It’s on the top of the building with a nice open courtyard area and the sun was shining on all the hammocks that afternoon.
You simply ring a little bell and someone arrives within moments to help you check-in. We were brought straight to our room and shown how to use everything. They offered us waters, gave us the wifi code and reminded us what time we could have breakfast in the morning.
The staff are incredibly friendly and gave us great tips on where to head for the afternoon and where we could have a few drinks nearby.
The Room
Luke and I were both in awe of our room when we first walked in. There’s a cute little seating area, a separate toilet, an open shower with rainwater shower head, a huge clawfoot tub surrounded by greenery, and capped off with an enormous, plush bed. I couldn’t wait to get under those covers and get a good night’s sleep.
We slipped into their soft robes and comfortable slippers and enjoyed a cozy night in the master suite. It felt utterly decadent.
I love the decor of the whole hotel. It’s all exposed wood, tons of plants, and it smelled so good. All of the products from the hand soap to the shower gel are Mexican made and environmentally friendly. It was so refreshing to find a place in Mexico City that was really concerned about it’s footprint on the planet, while still being true to it’s Mexican roots. I didn’t want to leave!
Breakfast
Oh my goodness, I wish I could have breakfast here every single day. We took a seat in one of the chairs surrounding the big wooden table. We chatted to a Canadian couple and a woman from Colombia, and we drank endless cups of coffee.
There is toast, tea, homemade coffee cake, granola, and a huge platter of freshly cut fruit.
The cooked options vary depending on what day it is, but on the Saturday morning we were there, we had the most delicious chilaquiles I’ve had in Mexico. This traditional Mexican breakfast food consists of tortilla chips topped with a spicy salsa verde, cream, and crumbled panela cheese (a Mexican cheese similar to feta). It was so zingy and filling. If we didn’t have a tour to dash off to, I could have happily sat there all morning.
Amenities
Besides the hammocks that are begging to be rocked in, there are some great amenities at this hotel. You can have the front desk order you “room service” from any of the restaurants in the building. They’ll deliver it to your room once it’s ready (I highly recommend a burger from Butcher & Sons and one of their specialty gin and tonics).
If you ask for a pitcher of water when you arrive, you can have unlimited refills of filtered water (no plastic bottles, yay!) throughout your stay. There’s really speedy wifi, a nice courtyard with a table and chairs to sit in the sun, and a really lovely and quiet lounge area to work in or just relax.
There’s a yoga studio just below, a tattoo parlor if you’re up for something more adventurous, and the location really can’t be beaten.
We were able to leave our bags in a secure room for the afternoon after we checked out. There were umbrellas to use, coffee and tea throughout the day, and up one more level is a cool little bar, La Azteca, with a great view of downtown and a huge selection of Mexican craft beers.
Any Negatives?
Although the hotel itself is on a pedestrian only street, it is sandwiched between two very busy thoroughfares. This meant that at all hours of the night you could hear traffic zipping by and people honking their horns. The hotel does however kindly leave earplugs for you by the side of the bed. We popped those puppies in and in that big beautiful bed we slept like babies.
I definitely recommend a stay at Chaya B&B for your trip to Mexico City. It’s the place I’ll be telling family and friends to stay when they come and visit us!
Chaya B&B kindly comped our stay in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and love for this downtown eco-haven are my own.