El Cortés is decidedly easy on the eye; an exquisite meshing of old and new set behind a balustraded art nouveau façade in arty Roma Norte. Bold, aesthete-pleasing objets are cleverly juxtaposed against heaps of original features restored by top-of-their-game craftspeople, with the occasional folksy touch – think shocking pink dahlias jutting out of dainty talavera vessels – further rooting the spaces in their surroundings. There’s a timelessness to it, with a great deal of thought and intention paid to the minutiae, yet the overarching mood is softly-tuned, cossetting and not the least bit stiff.
Wallpaper* checks into El Cortés, Mexico City
What’s on your doorstep?
Step outside onto tree-studded Calle Colima and you’re a gentle amble from the many sought-after restaurants, cafés, galleries and ateliers that’ve sprung up in and amongst Roma Norte’s ornate art nouveau mansions. The Museo del Objeto sits on the very same road, and at any given time there are a handful of locals selling Tajín-sprinkled mango slices from streetside carts shaded by colourful parasols.
Who is behind the design?
The interiors are a mastery of textile and layering, and the vision of Mexican owner Carlos Zaragoza, who spent three years renovating every last inch of the place, trawling through archives to uncover old photographs (so as to honour the building’s legacy), and enlisting a team of artisans skilled in traditional techniques. He then set to work tricking it out with a considered smattering of contemporary pieces. ‘My aim was to create a delicate balance,’ explains Zaragoza. ‘I wanted to pull the house back toward its original soul while updating it to reflect the evolution of surrounding Roma Norte.’ This is his first foray into hospitality, though you’d never guess.
Subdued lighting and velvet drapes the colour of storm clouds lend an intimate mood to the low-ceilinged lobby; opposite the hefty wooden check-in desk is a fringed loveseat in a dandelion-yellow hue, strewn with rectangular needlework cushions, and behind it, an enormous art deco mirror bordered with fine vine-like etchings. ‘My favourite piece is a tiny artwork dating back to 1828 that I found at an auction here in Mexico City and now hangs in the first-floor lounge,’ notes Zaragoza. ‘I’ve always had a soft spot for small-scale art, and there’s something captivating about the way the diminutive scale contrasts with its deep history.’
The room to book
With lofty ceilings edged by intricate coving work, pale oak herringbone peeking out from beneath hand-loomed rugs and still-life oil paintings hung in time-worn gilded frames, the 15 bedrooms feel tremendously romantic, while at the same time showing an admirable measure of restraint. Plump, pillowy beds are crowned with headboards upholstered in oxblood velvet, shell-shaped plaster sconces draw the eye upwards, and soft light pours in through paned windows, casting criss-crossed shadows onto the creamy lime-washed plaster. Each has its own appeal, and the level of detail is remarkable (a bespoke talavera tissue box here, a silken tassel hanging from an enamel handle there), though room 103, a Signature Suite up on the first floor, has to be the most fetching of the lot, with tall doors that can be flung open to reveal a little Juliet balcony abutted by an impressive urapán tree.
In the light-filled bathrooms, cylindrical glass sconces flank double vanities crafted with slabs of bold Rosso Levanto marble while rainfall showers are tiled in glossy oxblood, edged with a checkerboard trim, and have niches housing Byredo’s Bal d'Afrique products. A number of them are centred around claw-foot Kohler bathtubs with weighty polished nickel stoppers, and the two Patio Suites feature beautiful stained glass panels reworked by Ramon Sierra, who was involved in restoring the Castillo de Chapultepec. Marigolds and dahlias burst from folksy talavera vases; you’ll find bath salts in hand-carved wooden vessels, and the towels are imbued (ever so subtly) with a fragrance Carlos developed in partnership with the hotel’s laundry service. Rather than opt for something with defined notes, he chose to create a barely-there scent to evoke a sense of purity – the effect is soft, powdery and reminiscent of talc, with a hint of vetiver.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
Gently buzzy Lotti – positioned on the hotel’s ground floor and spilling out onto a bijou pavement patio – makes a strong case for staying put in a city of extraordinarily good food. Helmed by Swiss-born chef Luc Liebster and named after his grandmother, it turns out inventive spins on much-loved classics from both Europe and Mexico, crafted with hyper-local ingredients.
Tiny burnished brass clips hold the menus onto grey textured boards, and waiting staff dart around in collarless shirts with the restaurant’s name inscribed across the shoulders in dark thread, carrying plates of astonishing deliciousness. Standouts include the satisfyingly crisp hasselback potatoes with avocado mousse and trout roe, and the shrimp tostada with pico de gallo, kaffir lime and hibiscus, and on the drinks front, the mezcal-heavy Sativa is a must.
Behind the design is sharp-eyed interiors whizz Rosela Barraza, who’s based between Mexico City and Los Angeles. Restored original beams cut across low ceilings of exposed brick; talavera tiles featuring simplistic floral motifs pay homage to Mexico’s old haciendas, and the space is softly lit with slender bronze-cast lights that call to mind primitive fire torches. Hung on the left-hand wall is a pigment-daubed still-life photograph of corn leaves from Luc’s father’s gallery in Zurich, while outside, wrought iron chairs topped with yolk-yellow and white cushions are clustered beneath square-ish umbrellas. Look out, too, for the wild, larger-than-life botanical displays which Rosela arranges herself each week with whatever foliage and flowers she happens upon at the market.
The verdict
El Cortés is a glorious expression of both style and substance, and just about as good as it gets when it comes to boutique stays. Each design-forward addition has been supremely well-considered so as to complement rather than compete with the building’s heritage features, and instead of feeling showy, there’s a rare sort of homeliness to the spaces. As such, it’s somewhere you’ll look forward to returning to time and time again, and you’ll be loath to stay anywhere else in Mexico City.
El Cortés is located at C.Colima 235, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Mexico City, Mexico