MEXICO City’s reputation for pollution, horrendous traffic and crime is enough to send most holidaymakers scuttling to the relative safety of the country’s smaller towns and coastal resorts. But while the city has its drawbacks, it’s also alive, hectic and crazy.
With a new breed of stylish boutique hotels such as Habita and Condesa DF, as well as a flourishing bar and restaurant scene, it’s fast becoming a cool destination in its own right for clients with cash to splash.
This is where savvy agents can earn extra commission. Although it’s too far to sell as a city-break destination in its own right, why not add on a few days in Mexico City when tailor-making a beach break or cultural tour? It works particularly well if your clients are flying directly into Mexico City and need a couple of days to find their feet before moving on.
This sprawling metropolis buzzes with life. The cute green and white VW Beetle taxis that tear around the city, stunning 1920s architecture, historical sites and museums, and good arts and crafts shopping add to its appeal. Visitors will get a taste of Mexican life here that is completely different to anything else in the country.
Use our guide to help your clients get the most out of the city. Check out the suggestions below, and recommend they do at least one thing from each of the following categories.
Shopping
Suggest a wander around the markets to soak up the city’s frenetic atmosphere. The biggest and most vibrant is Mercado de la Merced, just southeast of the Zocalo, where visitors can browse stalls stacked high with dried chillies to those selling huge cuts of meat.
Best bargain: head to Coyoacan on Sunday for the craft market where clients can spend a lazy day browsing and afterwards head further south to Xochimilco to spend the afternoon on a boat being serenaded by floating mariachi bands.
Designer spree: for top shopping and a chance to escape the heat, head to the city’s air-conditioned designer shops such as Gucci and Prada that line the streets in Polanco. There is more shopping to be had in upmarket San Angel.
Food
Breakfast is big in Mexico and is served usually throughout the day. Fill up early on huevos rancheros – fried eggs in a taco with salsa verde and refried beans – or huevos mexicanos, a delicious omelette.
If clients are on a budget, they should make their main feed la comida, or lunch. It’s the largest meal of the day for Mexicans.
Suck it and see: for the best and cheapest orange juice around, try some freshly squeezed from any of the hundreds of stands littered around the city for about five pesos. In the evening, tacquerias line the streets selling chicken, beef or pork tacos, covered in hot salsa. It’s fast food at its best.
To dine for: a favourite with big spenders is the San Angel Inn, in the expensive, leafy suburb of San Angel. Set in a beautiful old hacienda, a Mexican and European menu is available at around $25 a head.
Arts and culture
The city’s extensive Anthropology Museum is one of the best in the world, with well-presented artefacts and plenty of information to hand.
Remind clients to visit the exhibitions on Mexico’s indigenous populations on the museum’s top floor.
The bigger picture: the Museo del Templo Mayor, in the Centro Historico, is well worth a visit as it explains the origins of the city, before the Spaniards flattened all the pyramids.
The masterpiece: suggest San Angel, where visitors can visit the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo, a pair of modernist houses built for the famous painters in 1931-32.
Sleeping
There are plenty of good international hotels, with the Four Seasons Mexico City offering top-notch luxury. Most of the international brands are along the impressive tree-lined road La Reforma that cuts through the city.
For a bit of style check into some of Mexico’s boutique hotels. The W, from the Starwood group, is minimalist with floor-to-ceiling windows, bathrooms with hammocks and a neon-lit bar, and is conveniently located just off La Reforma in Polanco.
Hacienda haven: the Casa Vieja in the Polanco district offers traditional luxury in its 10 suites, all with maid service and private whirlpool bath. Painted in warm colours with cool traditional tiles, it offers a stylish take on a colonial townhouse.
Hip hotel: why not book clients into the Condesa DF for some boutique luxury, Mexican style? Built in a 1920s mansion, the 40-room hotel decked out in blue and turquoise also boasts a trendy sushi bar and nightclub.
Nightlife
Salsa and tequila are two of Mexico’s biggest exports, but there’s more to a night out in Mexico City than donning a party-sized sombrero and downing cheap shots.
If clients really want an authentic local experience, they should check out wrestling, or lucha libre, one of Mexico’s most avidly followed spectator sports. Culture vultures would enjoy the world renowned Ballet Folklorico, at the Palace of Bellas Artes.
Moonlight stroll: for a leisurely evening walk where clients can stumble across any bar or restaurant that takes their fancy, suggest the Condesa district. The pretty Art Deco architecture adds to its sophisticated yet arty vibe.
The midnight hour: Mexico’s beautiful people head for the rooftop bar at the Habita hotel. The sixth-floor bar of the minimalist hotel looks out over the upmarket Polanco district, and clients can lounge next to a modern 12ft fire set into a white wall or sup on a cocktail pool-side while taking in the views.
Sample product
Exsus Travel offers a week in Mexico, including three nights at the Condesa DF hotel in Mexico City and return flights, starting at around £2,000 per person.
Elegant Resorts offers three nights at the Four Seasons in Mexico City on a room-only basis, including flights and transfers, from £880 per person, twin-share.
Cathy Matos Mexican Tours offers a range of excursions in and around Mexico City, in addition to packages. Its Morning City Tour leads in at £19 per person, taking in the Cathedral, Residential District and Diego Rivera murals. Its Folklore Ballet evening in Mexico City taking in the Ballet Folklorico leads in at £45 per person. The prices are net rates, which agents can mark up.
