Doubletree By Hilton Mexico City Santa Fe

“Great experience”

I stayed for 10 nights simply to get work done quietly without any distractions (as an experiment in a burst of productivity). It worked out marvelously. Knowing I was committing to stay in the room and on the hotel grounds basically the whole time I took a lot of care in finding the perfect pla... more

I stayed for 10 nights simply to get work done quietly without any distractions (as an experiment in a burst of productivity). It worked out marvelously. Knowing I was committing to stay in the room and on the hotel grounds basically the whole time I took a lot of care in finding the perfect place. I didn't need a fun touristy location (the opposite) and therefore focused on Santa Fe. Among the hotels in the area I considered the Westin (I love their beds) and the JW Marriott, a chain I've enjoyed in various cities. Also the Camino Real and the other Hiltons in the area. I am so glad I chose the Doubletree! The main reason was the room -- which was huge and perfect for my project. I had a separate large space just for work (with a table and a TV that I could hook up to my computer as a large-screen monitor with an HDMI cable). The unexpected bonus was the view from the room: spectacular from the floor- to-ceiling windows (high ceilings too!). With gorgeous storms during the rainy season. What I didn't realize was that the DT is up on a hill so it's positioned above the other hotels. (They do themselves a disservice by numbering their floors as they do. I was on the "7th floor" but in reality it was the 12th floor since they have a bunch of lower floors with no numbers used for gyms and lobbies and such.) Bed and pillows hit the spot (not the best ever but I slept fine). Air conditioning was quiet and worked perfectly. One odd thing I've seen in other hotels too was a couple sensors on the ceiling, one of which flashed brightly intermittently all night. Why? I had climb up and cover it up with a hat as I'm sensitive to lights while sleeping. Dumb design. Another was some kind of motion sensor ... I never figured out what that was all about but it only flipped on when you walked around so it wasn't a big deal). The breakfast buffet was fine -- I had mostly the fresh fruit spread with yogurt and granola. The gym was also perfect for what I needed -- a treadmill, some free weights, and a yoga mat with almost nobody else ever there (including plenty of terrace areas which I used to work out with an app). There's a nice pool and a spa with massages. The lobby restaurant was exactly what I expected -- not a great restaurant but I ate there happily most nights and walked to Shu, an upscale Japanese restaurant inside the hotel (but with a separate entrance) the other nights. I don't recommend Shu as it was overpriced and felt like a nightclub. The building is well designed with its sister hotel the Garden Inn next door. Nice airy lobby with breezes and high ceiling. Complimentary fast printers in the lobby was a surprisingly generous touch. Walking distance to a fancy mall (Samara) where I got supplies and some snacks and bottles of water. Friendly staff. They accommodated my request for a small refrigerator and over time they remembered my preferences at the restaurant, which was appreciated (gracias Ariel in the morning and Mauricio in the evening). Daily housekeepers did a perfect job and were friendly. Gracias Nancy! For the price of a standard room at any of those other hotels I got a King Master Suite and frankly loved every minute there (and best of all I was very productive!). I was sad to leave! Thank you to the staff for your kind hospitality. I will return next time I need to lock myself up for a burst of work!

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