Imperial Hotel

Mexico City abounds with excellent hotels in all price categories, but many of them lack personality. Not so the Imperial Hotel, which makes a statement from first glance. The hotel is wedged between two intersecting streets that form a pie-shaped piece of land with the Imperial proudly dominating the scene—a crisp-white, five-story building with a jaunty tower at the corner. It is hard to believe that in 1904, when the hotel was first opened by President Porfirio Díaz, this was the tallest building in the city. It is still impressive with a stately, old-fashioned elegance displayed in its series of tall arched windows shaded by formal dark-green awnings and matching dark-green, wrought-iron railings that wrap around the hotel. Inside, the traditional, old-world ambiance continues. The foyer is extremely dramatic with a huge crystal chandelier suspended from a soaring ceiling and a white marble floor with a staircase sweeping up to a balcony that overlooks the entrance. Galleries enwrap each floor, like a series of wedding cakes, with a huge glass skylight at the top. The guestrooms are all similar in decor with modern furnishings. The prize rooms are those tucked into the rounded front corner of the hotel. The Imperial Hotel is in a central location, well situated for sightseeing. If you like walking, you can see many of the sights on foot.