Condesa Caliente

MEXICO'S NEWEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL

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Hotels in Mexico City are, in general, old-school, with the notable exception of Habita, a stylish place for the Prada-, Gucci-, and Galliano-ites who have been flocking to the Mexican capital, lured by a rich culture and cheap living. Now they have a second option, called Condesa DF, the creation of Jonathan Morr (Townhouse, in Miami Beach, Bond Street restaurant, in Manhattan), along with Carlos Couturier and Moises Micha, the men behind Habita. Condesa ("countess") is named for its up-and-coming artists' neighborhood, which, according to Morr, "is kind of like SoHo-meets-Nolita eight years ago." Working with Paris-based architect India Mahdavi, Morr took a 1928 "Parisian-looking" building and gutted it to create a triangular courtyard, around which the 40-room establishment revolves. "This neighborhood is no Lomas or Polanco—it's not wealthy—so we wanted to do everything in a simple way," says Morr. Inspiration for most of the rooms, according to Mahdavi, came from "the maximum idea of a monk's cell." Morr explains: "We thought, O.K., what does a monk have? A table, a chair, a bed, and beside the bed you have one light. In this case the bed became for two monks." The less monastically inclined can rent airy suites housed in a new glass structure on top of the old building. Also an un-Christian nightclub is planned for the basement. Mahdavi designed a lot of the curvaceous furniture, which is mixed with older, modern pieces; she also developed a dramatic system of white shutters that line the walls of the center court and look like a graphic conceptual-art piece. What you don't see at Condesa is the typical brightly colored Mexican aesthetic. Polished woods and turquoise make up the color themes. "When people think of Mexico, they think of the Luis Barragan palette of yellows and pinks," says Mahdavi.

"But that does not fit this area. It is much more European in feeling." And now, thanks to Condesa DF, truly international.

MATT TYRNAUER