Towering above the iconic “Diana the Huntress” fountain on Mexico City‘s bustling Paseo de la Reforma, the 31-story The St. Regis Mexico City is a dramatic landmark in the heart of the metropolis.
Designed by Cesar Pelli (the renowned Argentine-American architect behind iconic buildings like the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Carnegie Hall Tower in New York and The National Museum of Art in Osaka), the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Hotel has become as much an institution as the bronze-goddess-sculpture-topped fountain it overlooks. As the property marks its 15th anniversary, we take a closer look at what makes it stand out:
Distinctive Service
The Colonia Cuauhtémoc hotel upholds the brand’s century-old tradition of assigning a dedicated butler to every room or suite. These attentive staff members unpack luggage, press clothing and bring you piping-hot coffee or tea whenever you need a jolt.
Ask for the aromatherapy turndown, and he’ll come with a diffuser and several siesta-inducing scents, like chamomile tea and eucalyptus mint. The butler will make your room a sanctuary of rest in no time.
Another St. Regis hallmark is the daily champagne sabering ritual in the lobby, a nod to Napoleon Bonaparte’s practice of forcing the tops off bottles with his own saber. “Champagne: in victory, one deserves it; in defeat, one needs it,” the famed French ruler said. But at The St. Regis Mexico City, everyone wins with a glass of bubbly. The ritual offers a warm way to welcome guests.
Exclusive Experiences
For more great service, consult the Les Clefs d’Or concierges, recognizable by the golden key pins on their lapels. Les Clefs d’Or is an international association of hotel concierges that requires comprehensive testing for membership.
The concierges’ expertise shows — the St. Regis’ team has curated unforgettable excursions. While tourists crowd Frida Kahlo’s iconic Casa Azul, you can take a private tour of Casa Ortega, a lesser-known but no less significant creation of Luis Barragán, Mexico’s celebrated architect.
Only available by appointment, Casa Ortega often gets overshadowed by the adjacent Luis Barragán House and Studio (now a museum, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site), but it was the first home the Pritzker Prize-winning architect created and inhabited.
A passionate architecture expert will lead you through Casa Ortega, which is preserved in its original condition with a large collection of furniture from Clara Porset, a trailblazing Cuban designer and a longtime Barragán collaborator. You will get a rich sense of Barragán’s signature use of saturated colors, geometric shapes and surprising design elements.
The unexpected twists happen when you first enter the nondescript door into a bubblegum-pink hallway. Elsewhere in the house, an oversized wooden door in the brick-walled living room opens to reveal a verdant, expansive garden with vivid purple bougainvillea. The influence of Spain’s Alhambra and Generalife on Barragán’s design is evident, and these gardens were the very reason he purchased the property.
Explore the grounds for more surprises: A sunken loggia almost disappears beneath an awning, and a cantilevered outdoor stairway atop the building seems to ascend to the heavens.
Culinary Options and Artisanal Spirits
You have diverse gastronomic choices at The St. Regis Mexico City. The hotel boasts Mexico’s first La Table Krug, an intimate burgundy-hued space that serves multicourse French menus paired with champagne at a table for 12.
But it’s not the only establishment at the property to specialize in pairings. Diana Restaurant, named for the bronze huntress beyond its oversized windows, matches vibrant wines with its Mexican food: El Jardín de Lucía albariño arrives with the divine avocado pizza, a longtime menu fixture with coriander, onion and jalapeños on a cracker-like crust. A 2018 Casa Madero Gran Reserva shiraz accompanies your tender beef fillet with jus poured tableside.
Next to Diana, the King Cole Bar stakes a claim for the city’s best bloody marys. The cocktail debuted as the Red Snapper at The St. Regis New York’s bar in 1934. Try the original or the Mexico City hotel’s local spin, Sangrita Maria, with mezcal, chile pasilla, black pepper, salt, sauce mix, lemon and tomato juices and a rim of worm salt. Or tell the barkeep you are looking for something different, and he might bring out digestifs like Yolixpa Teepak, a pre-Hispanic spirit from Puebla that’s sweet and herbal like chartreuse, or D’Aristi Xtabentún, an anise liqueur from the Yucatan. Whichever you choose, pair it with the tacos al pastor, placed around a mini-spit of pork for an eminently Instagrammable and satisfying lunch.
For other meals, bakery/bistro Glass House Café offers plant-based options. Mentor transports you to Greece with its stone flooring, archways and menu. Or leave your meal to the chef with Sushi Tatsugoro’s omakase menu.
The Spa in the Sky
When you need to decompress, zip up to the 15th floor to the two-story Remède Spa. Get an up-close look at the tall buildings surrounding you from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the locker room, the fitness center (outfitted with Technogym and Kinesis equipment) or the heated indoor pool, but you’ll quickly forget about the city outside when it’s time to settle in for a massage (like the deep tissue using bamboo or the indulgent four-handed service) or a HydraFacial. Couples can unwind in the private Sol y Luna, a spa suite with its own steam room and shower.
Verdant Retreats
Seek out the tucked-away hidden green oasis on the third floor. The alfresco Bloom Garden debuted during the pandemic, offering guests solace and fresh air. The amenity has remained as a popular site for weddings, proposals and celebrities wanting discretion. You’ll notice scents of rosemary while seated under the pergolas, where you’ll want to linger amid the lavender and other greenery.
For a personal oasis, book one of the new Garden Terrace Suites, which feature private terraces with lush greenery that overlooks Paseo de la Reforma. The grandest is the Caroline Astor Garden Terrace Suite, the first in Mexico City to have its own outdoor infinity pool.
While the new suites surround you in nature, they also immerse you in Mexican artistry. The terraces draw inspiration from native botanicals with décor curated by Casa Martina of San Miguel de Allende. Inside, you’ll discover paintings from artists like Vicente Rojo and Joy Laville. The new suites help continue to cement The St. Regis Mexico City as an institution.
