01: Introduction: Tijuana to Mexico City on AeroMexico
02: Cross Border Xpress bridge, Tijuana Airport
03: AeroMexico 787-8 Premier Class (business class) Tijuana to Mexico City
04: Presidente InterContinental Hotel, Mexico City
05: 3 things that surprised me about Mexico City
06: AeroMexico Salon Premier Club, Terminal 2 MEX
07: AeroMexico 737-700 Premier Class (business class) Mexico City to Tijuana
Guess what? I resisted the urge to stay at a perfectly good Hyatt! That’s right folks, despite my (unintentional) affliction for Hyatt and Hilton properties over the past two years or so, I managed to resist the temptation to book a really nice Hyatt for this trip to Mexico City in favor of the Presidente InterContinental located right in the heart of the Polanco district. It’s always a bit nerve racking to opt for something new and unfamiliar, but in the interest of reviewing as many hotel brands as possible, these are the kinds of travel choices I need to make.
To be honest I didn’t even really know anything about Mexico City before I went, so choosing a hotel came down to reading the reviews on Hotels.com. Specific phrases I was looking for were things like “excellent location” and “magnificent” – and the Presidente InterContinental reviews were stuffed to the gills with comments like that. I also noticed that it was located next to several other really nice looking hotels (including a tempting Hyatt), so that and a quick look at the street view on Google Maps was all I needed to choose this as my home for my trip to Mexico City. I know that’s a dangerous way to choose a hotel, but it’s been working for me for years now, and it’s likely I’ll keep doing it this way unless I run into a string of bad choices. Whatever works, right?
The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel is always nerve racking in a new-to-me city, as I find myself thinking things like “oh god I hope my hotel isn’t in this area” or “wow, it would be nice to stay here!” as we zip around the city. And the good news is that right as I was starting to think “wow, it would be nice to stay here”, the taxi driver rounded the corner and pulled up the the Presidente InterContinental. Score another fine hotel choice for SANspotter!
I felt pretty good walking though the front doors (the lobby looked phenomenal), and I felt even better after the desk clerk who checked me in presented me with a card key to an upgraded room on the 34th floor overlooking the city.
My first impressions of the room were really good, thanks in large part to the huge window which provided a stunning view of the city below. And just as it happened at my stay at the Hilton Waikiki last November, I didn’t even notice much of the room as I ran to the window to soak up the view. It was an impressive sight to say the least.
Once I pulled myself away from that, I took notice of the rest of the room. It wasn’t large by any means, but very well designed and very comfortable looking. I knew right away that this was going to be a really good stay.
Dining options in the hotel were decent. When traveling alone like this, I usually choose to do breakfast and dinner at the hotel, while being more adventurous by trying street food or take out places for lunch while I’m out exploring during the day. Not very exotic I know, but traveling alone is different than traveling with others – especially for me, as someone doesn’t tend to be very social on my own. If you ask me, dinner at the hotel is always a nice and relaxing way to finish the day.
I intended to have dinner in one of the hotel’s 8 restaurants the first night, but after a quick look around they all appeared to be high-end places that suddenly made me feel like I wasn’t in the mood for fine dining (especially alone). I turned right around and decided that room service would be the best option this evening.
I opted for room service again on the second night, and once again, I was not disappointed.
So, the big question is this: was it worth skipping a stay at the Hyatt for the Presidente InterContinental instead? Absolutely! The two nights that I stayed here were top-notch, and I would recommend this property to anyone looking for a nice hotel in the heart of Mexico City. It’s located in a really nice area just off of Paseo de la Reforma, so getting around is very easy. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay.
Fernando alcocer
Scott
Hi I found your blog because I googled which AM flight is using the Dreamliner.
I am from Mexico City (born and raised) and I live in San Diego too, so I was curious about your whole review.
It is a nice reading (I just finished reading the whole thing but I wanted to comment in this section and you will know why) and I appreciate that you took this opportunity to experience the real Mexico (most Americans are afraid to do so)
But honestly you missed one of the best places to eat in the world by eating in the hotel both days, Polanco has tons of incredible world class restaurants.
And you ordered a cheeseburger??? Come on, I love burgers don’t get me wrong but you have Rockys, In n out, Slaters, Burger Lounge, etc etc at home, you could have been more adventurous and experience an authentic Mexican restaurant in Mexico City.
Anyways I really enjoyed your writing.
Good luck!!
SANspotter
Hi Fernando! Yes, you are right about Polanco. It is filled with great places to eat – and I did! Unfortunately the only food I photographed was that cheeseburger, and thinking back on it, I have no idea why I didn’t film or take pics of any other food I had on this trip. The only reason why I had a cheeseburger was because I had been gorging myself on really great Mexican food for the last day and a half and I needed something different for that last meal. The food in Mexico city is awesome, for sure!