I appreciated the very friendly and helpful staff while staying at Hotel Hippodrome. I also enjoyed the great location in Condesa - a nice remove from the bustle of the city, while at the same time convenient to all the major attractions. Furthermore the room was great. Nicely appointed, with a modern aesthetic and a very comfortable bed. Finally, the restaurant downstairs served an amazing dinner.

I'm torn about this hotel - the staff are really pleasant and are trying hard but the facilities just don't justify the room rates. Firstly it's a small apartment building that's been converted and there are no public spaces - no lobby, no bar, no gym, nowhere to meet friends or sit and read a newspaper. The reception is just a desk in a hallway. The rooms are attractive, but the focus seems to be on trendy design touches, rather than actual comfort. We had problems with ventilation, mosquitos and lighting. The noise level is terrible, there's a very popular restaurant on the ground floor and the noise reverberated throughout the building, keeping us awake. I'm sure this place will be great once all these problems are ironed out, but they need to be more realistic with their room rates until this happens. The Condesa DF in the same neighbourhood is a much better value. It has real hotel facilities and although it has it's own problems with noise, we slept much better there.

"Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities." Frank Lloyd Wright This is the quote that lies above the reception desk and it is definitely the philosophy of this hotel. The room had stone shampoo containers to match the shower, lovely lemon soaps, and dim lighting BUT the room was not ready at 3pm when we wanted to check in, they booked us in the wrong room, there was no air conditioning and you couldn't open the window without inviting in a bunch of hungry mosquitos. Lots of little touches but no basics! In their one attempt at special service, someone from room service showed up at the door with a welcome treat from the restaurant -- a single fried wonton for two of us to share. The mosquitos loved the sweet sauce! These guys do not know how to run a hotel. FYI - the taxi driver who took us to another hotel confirmed everything I've said in this review. People have been driven out by the bad service, the heat and the mosquitos. Don't waste your time.

Don't let a snazzy web site fool you. And buzz words like "boutique" are just a foil for the inept service, poor design and hassle that await travelers at the Hippodrome Hotel. I didn't care that my room wasn't ready when I arrived at the hotel at 3; I didn't care so much that the person at the "front desk" -- the lobby is the size of a tea cup -- didn't bother to greet me; I didn't even mind that I had to remind them that I ordered a larger room, for a higher price, than the regular room they were about to dump me into. When I finally checked into the room, which had the worst lighting scheme I'd ever seen in any hotel with one dim bulb in the middle of the ceiling -- I realized they didn't have air conditioning. And then the mosquitoes came in. All night long. Buzzing in my ear. Crawling over me. At 4am I called the front desk and checked out. After less than 24 hours in this "boutique" hotel I wondered if I was in some TIjuana holding cell and not the vanguard of Mexico City's vibrant architecture and culinary scene. Do yourself a favor and stick with the more well-known American or European chains in the city. I later checked into a hotel on Reforma, which is one of the main avenues in the city and I was infinitely pleased. A pleasant stroll away from Chapultepec Park, a nice, long walk away from the Zocalo with lots to see along the way , and reliable, pleasant service. The Hippodrome spent all of its money on clumsy design (who the hell wants to walk through a beaded curtain every time they get off an elevator?) and on a boring, predictable brown/white color palette. Such a disappointment -- had I not been able to check out my vacation would have been ruined.

What's good: Great location, cute hotel, large, well-decorated rooms, pleasant staff. What went wrong: There was no air conditioning or fan in the room, which was very hot. We opened the window, but the street was too noisy and several mosquitoes came in, so we slept in the heat, with the window closed. Mosquitoes were stinging and buzzing on our ears. No water bottle or cups in the room, just a wine bottle (for sale). There was a minibar, but it was empty. No safe in the room. The shower was clogged, so the whole bathroom flooded. Amenities were scarce: only shampoo, soap and a spoonful of conditioner. We hung the door tag (provided by the hotel) out, requesting breakfast and a wake-up call. The next morning, the tag was still there, and we never received a wake up call, and breakfast did not come. Would only stay there again because of the location, and would not pay more than $150, as this is not a good hotel at all. Condesa DF is much, much better mantained and managed.