On my latest trip to Mexico City, weeks before we left, our Airbnb reservation was cancelled. We had booked a lovely place that suited all our needs, and despite booking with a Superhost, it was cancelled anyway. This was my worst nightmare (okay, not really, but I was distraught). We had completely fallen in love with the first place, and all the other options we had looked at were now booked up. Mexico City is becoming more and more popular, so even in the off-season, last-minute reservations are hard to come by. We were travelling with my mom, so in addition to two bedrooms we needed a place without stairs, or at least a bedroom on the first floor.
Thankfully, I stumbled upon Casa Dovela in our preferred neighbourhood of La Condesa, and it was like a beacon of hope. They still had their two-bedroom apartment available, and we booked it for our week in the city. I suppose everything happens for a reason, because our stay was one of the best parts of the trip. This is a review of that week, and also of a particular kind of building: a house in a neighbourhood known for its art deco architecture of the 1920s and ’30s, one that emptied out after the 1985 earthquake and has since been revived.
Casa Dovela
Casa Dovela is a three-suite “Casa-Boutique,” a cross between a luxury home and a boutique hotel on the art deco streets of Condesa. The building was left abandoned, like so many residences in Condesa after the 1985 earthquake, but its creators, Chic by Accident (the design gallery run by Emmanuel Picault) and the architect Ludwig Godefroy, saw its potential and snapped it up while the neighbourhood was being revived. Aspects of the original architecture were preserved, and much of the building was modernized for both aesthetics and comfort.
We were met at the front door by one of the concierges, who showed us around the suite and its many amenities. The concierges were fantastic to have. They staff the front door around the clock, letting you in and out, and are extremely helpful with any questions about the property or Mexico City. The ones we met didn’t speak English, but we often used translator apps and they worked perfectly well.
San José Duplex
We stayed in the San José duplex, an 80-square-metre apartment with one bedroom holding a queen bed and a second with a double. Walking inside, the first thing you notice is the black floor, part of a suite designed as a tribute to the black clay of San Bartolo Coyotepec, in the state of Oaxaca, where potters polish the clay before firing to turn it from matte grey to a gleaming black. The apartment is heated, which makes walking across the floors in the morning an absolute pleasure. Throughout the first floor you could tell that each and every object in the room had been brought there to serve a purpose and tell a story. Each was chosen by Taller LU’UM, a design studio that works with artisan groups across Mexico, to set up a dialogue between space and object.
The kitchen was perfectly set up with everything you need, and they even left us kitchen essentials like coffee, tea, oil and other pantry items, perfect for a home-cooked meal if you were so inclined. Standing in the kitchen in the morning, it was lovely to make a coffee and watch the dogs play in the park next to the house. Dog parks in Mexico City are hugely popular, as so many people seem to have a puppy. Watching the locals out at play with their pups made you feel like part of the fabric of the neighbourhood rather than a guest in a hotel.
The heating throughout the apartment was very much appreciated, since winter mornings in Mexico City can still be pretty chilly. Standing in the dining room, you had a view straight up to the blue sky by day, or to the stars in the evening, because the apartment is built around a light well. The gorgeous spiral staircase leads only to the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, which gave each of the bedrooms a better sense of privacy from the other.
The bathroom was my favourite place to be. I need a bathtub because of issues with my muscles, and relaxing in this one after a long day of walking and exploring was a joy. I’ve never been in a bathtub where I could lie flat and still not touch the ends. The light that came through the windows and the leafy trees outside was pure magic.
The living room was the only place where we felt they could have sacrificed a bit on aesthetics. We would have loved a much more comfortable couch and seating arrangement where we could all rest after a long day. We love having a drink and watching some local TV at night, but the arrangement of the chairs and the awkward couch didn’t quite allow for a comfortable evening.
Our bedrooms were heavenly. The beds were like falling into a massive pillow at the end of the day, and they seemed to wrap you up in a big, comfy hug. One of the best parts of Casa Dovela was the daily cleaning. There is something lovely about coming home to a beautifully made bed and a clean house (let’s face it, who has time to clean on vacation?), and it’s something I always miss when I’m staying in an Airbnb.
The small outdoor space on the first floor didn’t have a view, but it was still nice to sit out on warmer mornings, sip my coffee and prepare for the day. The terrace was so filled with greenery that it felt like a little forest.
The Monday Market
Right outside Casa Dovela, on Mondays, a little farmers’ market sets up, one of the city’s tianguis, or markets on wheels, and it was perfect for picking up food for the week (the schedule is worth confirming locally before you go). Since we had our own fully loaded kitchen, it was easy to buy fresh fruit and vegetables to prepare at home. We also picked up a large bouquet of roses for only about $3, so big that we split it into multiple vases and put them all over the house. It was a small touch to make the place feel homier, and shopping in this little market really made us feel like locals.
Prices
These nightly rates are from when this post was first published and will have changed, so check current rates and room configurations with Casa Dovela directly.
Santa Monica Suite One bedroom: $266 USD / night
San Mateo Duplex Two bedrooms with queen-size beds: $300 USD / night
San José Duplex Two bedrooms (one queen, one double): $312 USD / night
A cancelled Airbnb, a scramble for two bedrooms and no stairs, and a last-minute booking in Condesa turned out to be the best part of the trip. I would 100% recommend staying at Casa Dovela next time you’re visiting Mexico City with a group. It’s the perfect combination of hotel and apartment, with the comfort and ease of a hotel and the feeling of living more like the locals. One practical note: the listings say the building has no elevator, so if stairs are a concern, ask which suites have a ground-floor bedroom before you book. For an old Condesa building that sat empty after the earthquake, it has found a good second life, and it is where I would stay again.
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