The Alest Hotel

Quiet, great location

Exceptional staff and wonderful manager

design and staff

Kitchen took long

This is small boutique hotel hidden in a sidestreet in the opulant Polanco neighbourhood of Mexico City. The building is beautiful from the outside, and has an even more elegant interior. The team at the front desk where polite, and with our limited Spanish, they were very helpful in english. The breakfast to in-house guests offers a limited yet substantial menu, and offers an variety of choice should you prefer a more subtstantial breakfast. Our room was tiny, and tucked away between steps and a open quartyard, but as soon as we were unpacked and settle we enjoyed the refined interior. The inclusion of the minibar is a nice touch, and lines, towels and bathroom ammenities are of high calibre. Happy to return the next time I visit Mexico City

Its not an Hotel Alest problem. I just dislike when hotels put an authorisation hold on your credit card. As I am travelling accross Peru, Colombia and Mexico, I have 5 different hotel that put an $18 000 authorisation which takes 5 working days to release back after check-out.

The staff truly did their best with what they had available and were consistently very kind, this is something I really want to highlight and thank them for. The location was also good and convenient.

The main issue is that this property is not a true 5-star hotel, yet it is marketed and priced as something completely different from what it actually offers. From the website, it appears to have many facilities such as a spa and a gym, but none of these are available. Our room had no real windows. The only openings faced the internal stairwell, which meant there was no proper air circulation, and if left open, people walking on the stairs could see directly inside. This is a very important detail that should be clearly disclosed. Many of the so-called 5-star services felt superficial. For example, turndown service was offered, but in practice it only meant someone briefly entering to open the bed sheets, without refreshing the room or bathroom l, which is what proper turndown service should include. Concierge service was extremely basic. The included breakfast was also extremely limited: essentially scrambled eggs or a croissant, while most items, even espresso, were charged separately. This is far from what one would expect at this category and price level. We did not have a bad stay overall, and the room itself was nicely designed. However, I would strongly encourage the management and ownership to present the property more honestly. At present, this is a 4-star hotel rather than a true 5-star, especially considering the rates charged.