Las Alcobas

Mexico City has a bad reputation for being noisy, polluted, overcrowded and dangerous, but if there's one neighborhood that can turn that undeserved reputation on its head it's Polanco. And amidst the tree-lined boulevards, manicured cafes and little shops with buckets full of cheap gerberas, sits a brand new boutique hotel designed by Canadian duo Yabu Pushelberg. Las Alcobas (which means "the alcoves" in Spanish) is indeed a gem in a jungle, offering a soothing respite in an oft-overwhelming place.

The 35-room, seven-story hotel is a cozy and welcome departure from the giant international chain hotels nearby. (The last thing I wanted at the end of a day exploring busy Mexico City was to face off with tour groups in the lobby.) The Las Alcobas lobby is like a welcoming living room, with a dramatic spiral staircase that winds up to the top floor. Each guestroom -- choose from a spacious deluxe room, corner room, two-bedroom suite or, if you're feeling really splashy, the sizable presidential suite with a giant glass-enclosed terrace and indoor/outdoor fireplace -- has a nice fusion of contemporary New York chic and Mexican accents. I stayed in a deluxe room, with a generous marble bathroom (including a rain shower), rosewood dressing area, sitting area and desk (complete with office supplies in the drawers), BOSE sound system, flat screen television and DVD player, and a heavenly mattress by Stern and Fosters.

The signature services at Las Alcobas are never ending, and the hotel is all about nice touches; it's the kind of attention you don't often find at larger properties. When you arrive, you're greeted with a welcome cocktail (mine was iced, sweetened rose water) and, once in your room, offered a selection of handmade soaps. (I went for the skin nourishing amaranth, milk and honey blend.) The closets have a surprising and delightful aromatherapy feature. The complimentary mini-bar is stuffed with colorful Mexican treats -- like candied pineapple and sugar cookies -- and local beverages. (Try the Mexican version of Coke; it's a little spicier than the blend we get here.) And right after your morning wakeup call, the staff brings a tray of coffee or tea and fresh pastries; definitely a nice way to start the day.

Amenities have been scaled to the decidedly boutique nature of this hotel. There's a small 24-hour fitness center with a half a dozen pieces of equipment plus weights. There's a cozy but spare spa, Aurora, with several treatment rooms, and guests are encouraged to partake of an aromatherapy welcome ritual in their rooms beforehand. Treatments vary from a lemon and rosemary massage to a calendula, chamomile, papaya and aloe vera body wrap. I had a 60-minute Avena and Agave Body Scrub, and came out with brand-new skin. Las Alcobas also has a business center (which wasn't yet open when I visited), with meeting rooms, laptops, printers, fax machines and presentation supplies.

If you like authentic Mexican food, you're in luck. Unlike the commonly cheap renditions of Mexican food that have proliferated across the rest of North America, the food at Las Alcobas's Dulce Patria is more refined -- truly, a revelation. (Another restaurant, La Cantina de a Lado, is due to open in winter 2010.) The head chef, local celebrity Martha Ortiz, offers unique twists on familiar Mexican ingredients: guacamole sprinkled with pomegranate kernels, squash blossom and pine nut quesadillas, and duck confit in mole sauce. Cocktails are also mustn't miss: this is the place that taught me to love Mezcal. Plus, there's a bubble machine that announces when someone orders a bottle of Champagne. It's fancy and fun all at once.

The hotel is extremely cozy, but given the small size you'll undoubtedly want to get out and wander -- and you're perfectly positioned to do just that. Polanco has a wide boulevard comprised of international luxury boutiques like Hermes and Ernemegildo Zegna, but your best bet is the smaller streets, lanes and courtyards that wind off the boulevard. They're full of shops selling colorful summer dresses and handmade jewelry, elegant sidewalk cafes and chic restaurants, and ornate apartment buildings with balconies that overflow with all kinds or flora. Be sure to stroll through nearby Lincoln Park, a lovely patch of tall trees providing shade, ponds lined by benches, and even an aviary.

Food options in Polanco skew towards -- you guessed it -- Mexican. If you're looking for something cheap and quick, try La Casa del Pastor for cactus salad, chicken on housemade corn tortillas, flan with dulce de leche, and large sheets of crispy, baked cheese served with a variety of salsas. Around the corner, Kaffe Bondy serves up a fantastic brunch, with platters of fresh, cinnamon-laced pastries and phenomenal chilaquiles with spicy green chili sauce and shredded chicken. If you're in the mood to mix it up, try Astrid y Gaston (Tennyson 117; Polanco) for Peruvian food -- I particularly recommend the fish ceviche, and red snapper bathed in soy and ginger -- on a secluded second-story terrace lined with roaring stone fireplaces.