Lonely Planet Review
A family-run operation for nearly a century, the Casa is a perennial hit with mature travellers uninterested in staying in a hotel but perhaps no longer tolerant of the hostel scene. While rooms are modest, the general ambience is extraordinarily tranquilo for being two blocks from Paseo de la Reforma and the Zona Rosa.
The Casa is actually a conglomeration of casitas: the two houses facing Río Sena were the original ones, built in 1920 by the great-grandparents of current owner Jorge Ortiz, while a recent addition, facing Río Lerma, was erected in the 1940s and has Art Deco elements. Grounds are amply endowed with gardens and plants, and serene patios are scattered around. Perhaps it is the careful nurturing over the years that lend the place such a homey, personal character. Simplicity is the chief virtue of the 32 rooms, which feel exactly like rooms in a middle-class home, complete with antique furniture, pastoral scenes on the walls, sturdy beds and clean bathrooms. A big breakfast is served on old china in the dining room. Slight concessions have been made to modernity: wi-fi is now available and a little cyber-cafe has been added off the patio.
Review by author
Daniel Schechter