I’ve had the fortune of travelling to Mexico many times for both work and leisure. Rather than write a post on each of the trips, I’ve consolidated recommendations into a single post for easy reference.
Mexico City / CDMX
Mexico City is a great place to visit for a long weekend or as part of a wide trip to Mexico.
Hotels in Mexico City/CDMX
I’ve been to Mexico City approximately 10 times and have stayed in one of three hotels;
- Le Meriden – very friendly staff here and the all suite rooms may appeal to those who need the extra space.
- Sheraton Mexico City – very standard Sheraton – I didn’t think it really offered anything beyond being a standard business hotel.
- St Regis Mexico City
St Regis Mexico City
For a special trip, I’d highly recommend the St Regis in Mexico City – especially if visiting over the Christmas period. Opening a bottle of Champagne with a saber was fun at their nightly Champagne event.
The bar area at the St Regis overlooks La Reforma and is a great spot to watch the world go by from.
The hotel is within walking distance of the Bosque de Chapultepec – Mexico City’s largest park.
Things to do in Mexico City
- Biking and Food tour – we did this on a weekend visit to Mexico City and loved it. Our group leader, Elias, showed us around the neighborhoods and the spots to get the best tacos around. Highly recommended and a real highlight of our weekend. Great to do on day one to get oriented.
- Palacio de Bellas Artes – if it’s a clear day, I’d recommend a visit to this cultural arts center. Built in 1904 for the centennial of the Mexican War of Independence, its a stunning building and worth visiting.
Restaurants in Mexico City
Pujol – we were very lucky here to get a day-of reservation. The restaurant is Mexican and has been named consistently as one of the top restaurants in Mexico City, Mexico and the world. The restaurant is in the Polanco neighborhood full of top restaurants, shops and parks. I’m typically a skeptic of tasting menus, but loved the food – especially their signature dish – the aged mole. If you can secure a reservation here – do it.
Amaya – we stumbled upon this restaurant when looking for dinner one night after work. Since our first visit, the restaurant has grown in popularity and has appeared on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. The food here constantly changes, but I’ve never been disappointed. Just off La Reforma, it’s walking distance from the hotels above.
Cancun/Tulum/Playa Del Carmen
We stayed at the Baha Principe Luxury Sian Ka’an hotel in October 2018. We were looking for a cheap hotel to get some winter sun to join some friends who were flying in from the UK.
The hotel was “5 star” Mexican standards – it was a good, clean room with the minibar well stocked as part of the all-inclusive package.
The pool areas were well maintained, quiet thanks to the adult only designation of the hotel. The buffet was pretty average and grew tiresome after a couple of days – we’d highly recommend booking the restaurants well in advance of any stay.
If you’re looking for some food options outside of the hotel – we loved Burrito Amor in Tulum.
Tips
- Book restaurants as soon as you are able to – last minute reservations in the complex’s restaurants were limited.
- Visit the beach area at least once during your stay – the Hobie Cats were a lot of fun and included in the rate.
- Best enjoyed with another couple/group to get involved in the various activities in the hotel.
- Book directly with the hotel! We saved hundreds by booking directly vs through a tour operator.