Why Mexico City’s First Ritz-Carlton Looms Above The Rest

It is nearly impossible to imagine a loftier view of Mexico City than the one from the 38th floor Samos restaurant at the new Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City. That is, until you see the sweeping vista from a private terrace in a guest room on 40 or from a parlor suite on 45 or, okay, from the glass-fronting soaking bathtub on 47. You get the picture: This is one stunning location.

When the hotel opened last October at the entrance to Bosque de Chapultepec, a park nearly twice the size of Central Park, the Ritz-Carlton instantly set new standards for accommodations in a city with no shortage of über-luxe hotels. The St. Regis, Four Seasons, Sofitel and JW Marriott all compete on the high end for five-star service, location, dining and all-around comfort. But the Ritz-Carlton advances to the top with a 58-story modern glass tower that transforms Mexico City’s skyline and brings 153 rooms of uncompromising splendor (and mountainsides of white marble) to the grandest part of Paseo de la Reforma.

The first Ritz-Carlton in CDMX has everything-and-then-some that you would expect from the iconic hotel brand: a heated indoor lap pool burbling with waterfalls and hidden relaxation jets; a fitness center and spa with multiple treatment rooms; and a 24-hour Club Lounge with four daily culinary tastings and dedicated concierge. There’s also an all-day destination restaurant — run by talented young chef Jonathan Felix Maldonado — that brings together the finest flavors from Mexico, Italy, France, Peru and Argentina. Samos is already the go-to power dining spot for Chilangos-in-the-know. If nothing else, sit at the bar at sunset and order a Manhattan with tequila, the cocktail of the house, and gaze at the glory that is CDMX at dusk.

Six years in development, this Ritz-Carlton location is part of a decade-long real estate renaissance that reshaped Mexico City’s banking district. KMD Architects and Taller Global spearheaded the build, and Toronto’s Chapi Chapo Design oversaw the interiors, which invoke tranquility with a palette of cool graphite and blues. The double-glass mirrored facade, visible across the vast city (you’ll never get lost making your way back “home”), is unusual with its open air-terraces that offer a vertiginous perspective on Chapultepec Castle, the zoo, Museum of Anthropology, and the mountains beyond. The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City also features 4,300 square feet of meetings space.

Location is everything in a big-city hotel stay, and this spot is central to just about everything Mexico City visitors will want to see, including the leafy neighborhoods, or colonias, of Juarez, Roma, La Condesa and sophisticated Polanco. All are within manageable walking distance or a quick taxi ride.

The rooms themselves are large and elegant with bathrooms gleaming with white marble and oversized beds staring out to those stunning views (The views facing west are the best, so be sure to make that request). One hundred and twenty rooms have private terraces. Most guests will tell you that once you’re in the rooms, you’ll find it difficult to leave.

Then there’s living the ultimate CDMX dream: The upper floors of the building, from 48 to 55, house 64 luxury residences under the The Ritz-Carlton name. Those come with VIP status throughout the building, a private elevator, in-room dining options and access to the rooftop heliport. Because, obviously, the only way to top the views from those lofty apartments is to actually fly over the city.

Rooms start at $539, suites at $899.