Despite its extensively reported problems with crime and pollution, Mexico City remains a fascinating metropolis, with tree-lined avenues, verdant parks and numerous fine museums. The capital is at its most beautiful when the purple jacaranda blooms in early springtime.

Boutique Hotel Locations

Las Alcobas

I prefer to stay in Polanco, where gourmet restaurants, name-brand shops and high-end galleries combine to create an upscale, walkable neighborhood. Set in a seven-story 1950s residential building with a glass-and-brick exterior, the 35-room Las Alcobas hotel is located on the district’s main Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Ushered through a discreet entrance, we stepped into a stylish and refined lobby with a mirrored black-marble floor, modern Italian furnishings and artwork by local painter Roberto Cortázar. However, the focal point of the space was an extraordinary spiral rosewood staircase.

Having been checked in by friendly and smiling staff, we ascended to our Corner Suite. This was spacious, with a full-size living room featuring a double-sided fireplace; clean-lined furnishings; a subtle palette of gray, black and white; a glass writing desk; and a dining area with seating for six. The opulent marble bath contained a powerful rainfall shower with eight water outputs, rich wood cabinetry with a roomy marble countertop and dual vanities, and a jetted hydrotherapy tub (which could be run only by the personal butler during certain hours of the day). The artisanal soaps custom-made for the hotel by the local Manos que Curan skin care company were a nice touch. (Its flagship store, near the Palacio de Bellas Artes, is a great place to pick up gifts to take home.)