An affordable, alternative stay to the high-end hotels that dot the Polanco neighborhood in Mexico City, the Orchid House, a 100-year-old former Spanish Colonial mansion, sits behind a gate enveloped in tropical monstera plants, overflowing fauna, and eye-popping orchids everywhere the eye can see. With 17 keys spread across the mansion’s floors, there’s an old world feel to the interiors with its original stained-glass windows, weathered doors, and baroque staircases.
I checked into a ground-floor standard room behind the check-in desk, which worried me about noise, but fear not, I rarely heard other guests or staff in the evenings or early mornings. The verdant vibes continue in some bathrooms, evoking a greenhouse effect on the marble-clad walls and floor. Filtered drinking water is refreshed daily for your stay, and many rooms above standard come with small patios or terraces. Furnishings of side chairs, four-poster bed frames, and shelving units create a cozy sentiment and a homey throughline of the former mansion.
The on-site restaurant, Aura Campos Eliseos, offers a daily complimentary continental breakfast, a space for an afternoon aperitivo, or an evening meal of Italian fare. With over 13 Neapolitan pizza options, a couple stand out like the Pera y Gorgonzola with pears infused by Licor 43 or Folia Tartufata with tartufata cream and pecorino. The ambiance is laid-back with service on the slower side, but it’s open all day, giving you ample amount of availability to immerse yourself in yet another overflowing floral corner.
The lobby acts as a de facto showcase for artisans’ and artists’ work, with the walls doubling as temporary exhibits. My stay coincided with a featured photographer, Antonio Uvalle, who blends portraiture and mythological creations in his visual work. Positioned among the natural light and the original blue and yellow stained-glass windows, his contemporary artwork stood out against the age-old interior charm.
One of Orchid House’s most appealing factors is its Polanco neighborhood location, but at a fraction of the price compared to other Polanco rates. The area, considered one of the safest neighborhoods in the city, is conveniently proximate to the posh restaurants (famed Pujol is walkable) and parks that seem to overflow with dog walkers. You’ll catch the local balloon sellers and bright bouquets and hear birds calling from the nearby zoo located in the Chapultepec Park. It’s these Polanco details you won’t see in the popular Roma Norte or Condesa, and what can feel like a world away from the hip hubbub city center.
If you’re lucky to visit in spring, specifically April to May, you’ll find the hotel framed by blooming jacaranda trees, and the Polanco streets awash in the purple flowers. The short blossoming time is an optimal time to visit, not unlike the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom season elsewhere. But if you can’t catch the jacaranda timing, there will always be orchids among orchids to welcome you to the Orchid House.
Top Takeaways
Location: Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico
Rating: 5-star
Food + Drink: An on-site restaurant, Aura Campos Eliseos, is where to take the daily complimentary continental breakfast, but doubles as a neighborhood all-day Neapolitan pizza joint.
Amenities: Daily continental breakfast, in-room coffee/tea maker, room service, on-site restaurant.
Our favorite thing about the hotel: The orchids, of course. You’re affronted with the whitest whites and richest purples wherever the eye may travel throughout the general common spaces.
What’s nearby? Lovely boutique shops populate the Polanco neighborhood for retail therapy like Xínu, a perfumery with a design-forward interior made for social media sharing, and be sure to walk through Chapultepec Park or Lincoln Park to people (or dog) watch and see how locals idle away in an afternoon.
Any personal neighborhood recs? Definitely check out the Anthropology Museum, a mere 15-minute walk away, and a highly regarded institution showcasing ethnographic artifacts that stretch back to the Maya civilization.
Rooms: 17
Pricing: Rates start at $160
Closest Airport: Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
