Despite Casa Decu opening four years, the pandemic took a big bite out of its launch. But this means the hotel still feels brand new! And while there are plenty of other hotels in the area, Casa Decu is truly such a wonderful place at a surprisingly reasonable price! This kind of boutique hotel is a sparkling diamond that will make your entire trip all the more of a relaxing retreat.

Table Of Contents

1. Location
2. The Vision
3. Rooms & Suites
4. Bathroom
5. Pet-Friendly
6. Design
7. Rooftop & Breakfast
8. Gym
9. Pricing
10. Overall Review

Location

Casa Decu is located in the upscale and tourist-friendly neighbourhood of La Condesa, just steps from Avenida Amsterdam. I have lots of different guides all about La Condesa as it is my absolute favourite barrio in Mexico City. La Condesa is safe, historic, has a fantastic coffee and cafe culture and incredible restaurants hidden around every leaf-covered corner. This is the perfect place to stay for anyone who is visiting the city for the first time.

The Vision

Casa Decu‘s philosophy is to create spaces where guests can easily enjoy long-term stays. This means an array of amenities to make it, so you almost don’t want to leave! Even if you’re only in town for a few days, you still have access to these extras. This includes a kitchenette, sofa and dining area in even the smallest and lowest-priced rooms. They believe these additions allows travellers to feel more like a local than just a tourist. And it totally works. While I love the idea of Airbnb, I’ve had so many problems in the past and even ethically it’s not the greatest option to help develop the economy of the place you’re visiting. That’s why options like Casa Decu are great as they feel like staying inside a home but with the comfort of a hotel experience.

Rooms & Suites

Casa Decu only has 27 rooms, so they are technically classified as a boutique hotel. They offer four different options for your stay. The cheapest is the Executive Room with a double bed, separate bathroom and kitchenette. The Junior Suite is slightly larger and features a queen or double bed with a separate bathroom and Living room. The Superior Suite is double the size of the Junior, so you can really feel like you can spread out, but it has the same amenities. The largest option is the Duplex Suite which actually contains a joint with a second bedroom with two independent bathrooms! The largest rooms on the first floor even have a small, enclosed terrace, but these rooms are first come, first serve, and you cannot guarantee one.

My Room

I booked the Executive Room but was upgraded upon arrival to a Junior Suite upon arrival. The great thing about small hotels is they have a little more control over the experience so you will frequently get upgraded if they have the space. The addition of the kitchenette was one of the main reasons I booked the hotel. I adore having a small kitchen since I always buy SO many drinks and love having them kept cool to enjoy when I get back to the hotel after a hotel day. Nothing is better when you get home after a long day than to kick off your shoes and relax for the night with a refreshing local beverage.

My room looked out over the inner courtyard. I was concerned this might be noisy but at night it was totally silent. And I loved sitting at the dinner table watching people come and go. It was like looking out over onto a quiet side street. The bed was lush and comfy and there was lots of space to hang and store my clothes.

Bathroom

The bathroom is very simplistic and some might say a little overly so. I love a bath, so anytime I don’t have that option I’m a bit bummed. But bathtubs are SUPER rare to find in Mexico City so I’ve become used to very rarely finding one. The sink is located outside the separate shower and toilet stall which is bonus if you need to brush your teeth while someone is in the shower. Despite the shower room being so plain and rustic, the water pressure was amazing and I didn’t have any issues with the temperature.

Pet-Friendly

The hotel is divided into two halves, with one area dedicated to medium and small-breed pets! I didn’t hear any noise from the dogs but I sure did have a good time petting those good girls and boys when I ran into them in the morning.

Design

The hotel is located inside a renovated Art Deco apartment building. The original structure dates back to the late 1930s but obviously, the interior has been up hauled for the modern era. But the designers kept so many of the amazing vintage elements that make the building feel like a piece of history. Mexico City, and especially La Condesa, is home to some very unique art deco buildings so getting to stay inside one of them is really special. There is not a corner of the building that doesn’t feel like a great spot for a photo-op!

Rooftop & Breakfast

Although an included breakfast is never that important to me (as I prefer heading right out onto the town to seek out a new coffee shop) I was blown away by the gorgeous rooftop terrace. Up here is where you found the included Continental breakfast every morning. The provided breakfast itself is very basic, but you could order additional dishes at an additional cost extra. That being said, most coffee shops in the area open later than I usually prefer so it was SUPER convenient to be able to wake up and have a coffee on the terrace.

While simple, the breakfast options were great and there was something for everyone. From toast and cereal to fresh fruit, hot pastries and yogurt it was a nice spread to get something in your stomach before heading out for your day. And if you want to save some money having an included breakfast in your hotel stay means you don’t need to spend anything additional in the morning.

The rooftop terrace is actually open 24/7, so you can grab your own snacks and head up here to enjoy some downtime in a semi-private space any time during the day.

Gym

There is a gym right beside the breakfast bar, but as someone who never works out on vacation, I didn’t use it. I saw some people using the gym while I was up on the terrace relaxing, and the machines were new and looked very spiffy.

Pricing

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Overall Review

Overall, I LOVED staying at the Casa Decu. When I booked the hotel, it was because I was staying in Mexico City as a sool traveller and just looking for a cheap hotel to stay at. And I was blown away by how gorgeous this place was! My husband dropped in quickly to see the room, as he was on his way out of town and was devastated he didn’t get the chance to stay here with me! So we literally CANNOT wait to come back to experience the place together. The kindness of the staff is also worth mentioning as they were so helpful to both me and everyone I saw interact with the front desk. I really hope you add this to your list of places to check out next time you’re booking a trip to Mexico City!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post Guide to the Best Hotels in Mexico City, Honest Review of Art Deco Casa Decu first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Thankfully for me, I stumbled up Casa Dovela, located in our preferred neighbourhood of La Condesa. It was like a beacon of hope! They still had their two-bedroom apartment available, and we were able to book it up for the week we were in the city. And I suppose everything happens for a reason since our stay with Casa Dovela was one of the best parts of our trip.

Casa Dovela

Casa Dovela is a three suite, “Casa-Boutique”. It’s a cross between a luxury home and a boutique hotel located along the art-deco streets of Condesa. The building, which is now the boutique hotel, was left abandoned, like so many other residences in Condesa after the earthquake. But seeing its developmental potential, the creators, Chic by Accident Project and Ludwig Godefroy, snapped it up. They nabbed it just as the revitalization of Condesa was starting to take place. Aspects of the original architecture were preserved, but many parts of the building were modernized both for aesthetics and comfort.

We were met at the front door of Casa Dovela by one of the concierges to show us around the suite and all the many different amenities inside it. The concierges were absolutely fantastic to have. They work 24/7 to let you in and out of the front door but are also extremely helpful with any questions you might have about the property or Mexico City. While they didn’t speak English, we often used the translator apps and found that to work perfectly well.

San Jose Duplex

We stayed in the San José duplex. Walking inside the suite, the first thing you notice is the beautiful black clay flooring, which was made from materials from San Bartolo Coyotepec, in the state of Oaxaca. The floors are also heated underneath, which makes walking on them in the morning an absolute pleasure! Throughout the first floor, you could tell, that each and every object which decorated the room was brought there to serve a purpose and tell a story. The objects were all made by Mexican craftsmen in the mountain ranges of Mexico. The owners of the property frequently travelled to this region. They brought back their findings to add an element of regional art to the rooms.

The kitchen was perfectly set up, full of anything and everything you need. They even left us some kitchen essentials like coffee, tea, oil, and other pantry items. They were perfect for having 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 adjacent to the house. Dog parks in Mexico City are so popular, as everyone seems to have a puppy. Watching the locals out at play in the morning with their pups made you feel like you were just a part of the fabric of the neighbourhood and weren’t staying in a hotel.

The heating throughout the apartment was very much appreciated since the mornings in Mexico City in the wintertime can still be pretty chilly. Standing in the dining room in the morning, you had the most beautiful view up to the blue skies or in the evening, you could stare up at the stars. The gorgeous spiral staircase leads only to the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, so it gave each of the bedrooms a better sense of privacy from each other.

The bathroom was my favourite place to be. I need to have a bathtub due to issues with my muscles and getting to relax in this one after a long day of walking and exploring was such a joy. I’ve never been in a bathtub before where I could lie flat and still not touch the ends of the tub. Incredible! The light which would shine in the windows, through the leafy trees outside, was nothing less than 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 and relax after a long day. We do love having a drink and enjoying some local TV at night, but the arrangement of the chairs and their awkward couch didn’t quite allow for a comfortable evening.

Our bedrooms were a heavenly place. The beds were like falling into a massive pillow at the end of the day, they just seem to wrap you up in a big comfy hug. One of the best parts of Casa Dovela was the cleaning service provided every day. There is just something so lovely about coming home to a beautifully made bed and clean house (cause lets face it who has time to clean on vacation). That is something I always miss when I’m staying in an Airbnb.

While the small bit of outdoor space we had on the first floor might not have had a view, it was still nice to sit outside on the warmer mornings to sip my coffee and prepare for the rest of the day. Despite the lack of view, the terrace was filled with greenery, so it made you feel like you were in a little forest.

Right outside Casa Dovela, on Mondays, was a little farmers market which was perfect for picking up some food for the week. Since we had our own fully loaded kitchen, it was easy to get fresh fruits and veggies to prepare at home. We also picked up a large bouquet of roses for only $3 to decorate the interior of the house. The bouquet was so big we easily split it into multiple vases to put all over the house. Just something to make the place feel homier and shopping in this little market really made us feel like locals.

I would 100% recommend staying at Casa Dovela next time you’re visiting Mexico City if you’re travelling with a group. It’s that perfect combination of hotel and apartment. This provides you with the comfort and ease of a hotel with the feeling of living more like the locals that an apartment would.

Prices

Santa Monica Suite
One bedroom – $266 USD / night

San Mateo Duplex
2 bedrooms with queen size beds – $300 USD / night

San Jose Duplex
1 bedroom with queen size bed – $312 USD / night

The post A Lovely Week At Casa Dovela, Mexico City Hotel Review first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.