Lonely Planet Review

This large, stately Porfiriato mansion was resurrected from an advanced state of abandon and fully restored to its early 20th-century splendor to become one of the capital's most distinctive boutique hotels. Each of the 29 rooms has been lovingly restored and uniquely appointed to bring out its original charm.

La Casona was erected near the site of the old Iron Palace bullring (today occupied by the Palacio de Hierro department store). After the Revolution it became a multi-family vecindad (neighborhood) before tumbling into decay. Thanks to reconstruction efforts in the mid-1990s, it is now catalogued as an 'artistic monument' by the National Fine Arts Institute. Though rooms vary in size, color scheme and layout, common elements include hardwood floors, fine antique furniture and fixtures, and warm colors highlighted by original moldings. Ornamental touches tend to be subtle, such as leaves painted on an armoir or nooks containing antique musical instruments. The corridors are similarly understated, with an eclectic array of art. The overall effect is wonderfully cozy though not too cutesy. The appropriately French restaurant on the premises, Piaf, spills into a lovely patio.