MARCH AND MEXICO

I departed for Mexico travelling on my adored KLM. Great seat, great food. Nothing is ever too much trouble for the KLM flight crew. My seat neighbour was a very entertaining Italian who also apparently always flies with KLM. He taught me about the CHOCOLATES along with the endless selection of goodies available to eat throughout the flight. He kept disappearing and coming back laden with chocolates. I settled down to watch my movies and was lost in the world of "The Life of Pi". I will be looking for that Tiger for the rest of my life, please watch out for a section of this blog dedicated to all the services available with KLM.

Arrived in Mexico City always a joy. Mauricio of our little meet and greet company FIRST CLASS was there waiting. Off we went to HOTEL DE CORTES a bit of a new venture for me.. I normally stay in Polanco but decided this time to go to this, the Historic district of the City. This will not change now since I was absolutely enthralled with my new surroundings, new from the point of view that I had not stayed here for years. This, reputed to be the oldest Hotel in Central America is now exquisite. Only 28 rooms elegantly decorated and furnished. I entered into the courtyard lit by candles and felt i was home!! My good friend Martin Morales is the General Manager here and does an excellent job.

www.boutiquehoteldecortes.com

I always tell our clients that there are three areas to this vast capital, POLANCO (uptown) ZONA ROSA (midtown)and the HISTORIC district (Downtown).... So, off I went next morning walking through the re vamped ALEMIEDA PARK down through the old streets towards the main square...I had breakfast across the road in SANBOURNES. This particular branch is called CASA DE LOS AZULEJOS...the oldest of this famous chain of department Stores. It really takes you back in time to an elegant 1930’s era, the food is delicious. They always say in Mexico that you can buy anything in Sanbournes from a nail file to a Ferrari or even an Elephant.

Shopping, chatting, a visit to the Opticians to order new glasses a visit to the beautiful shops of Pineda Covelin www.pinedacovalin.com and of course I stocked up on all my toiletries in Sanbournes.

Palacio de Hierro www.elpalaciodehierro.com.mx & Liverpool www.liverpool.com.mx two glorious Stores (not unlike Harrods) for clothes for Charlie, they actually have a full sized Carrousel in the Baby Department....

Lunch with my friends at the Hotel Best Western Majestic. This lovely terrace looks out over the main square and the Cathedral. www.hotelmajestic.com.mx

Dinner was back at the De Cortes in the courtyard, cocktails on the top floor with a fantastic view of the City... Then off for a visit to Plaza Garibaldi. No one should ever visit Mexico without going to Plaza Garibaldi and not before 11p.m. This is when all the traditional Mariachi music really takes off. The "fainthearted" always go early

Next day I took the Red Bus in front of the Hotel which takes you right thru the City up to Polanco and of course a visit to my ladies! I have been visiting these lovely ladies for nearly 30 years for Hair Nails, Pedicure and a bit of a gossip.

Saturday in Polanco

The Market, an absolute delight, fruit piled high, with peppers, chillies, figs, melon, mangos. Dresses and shoes. A very “hip market” for the residents of the glorious sumptuous apartments in the area.

 Saturday night is “The Night”. Extremely well-heeled Mexicans are out to dinner, by reservation only even ten one often has to stand in line. I am staying at Las Acobas. This hotel is one of the most stunning new properties I have seen in a very long time. 35 exquisite rooms all with butler service and the restaurant has a signature chef. The property is located in the upmarket designer shopping area of Mexico City. I am convinced there will come a time when it will be impossible to find a reservation either for a room or for the restaurant of this hotel. 

SUNDAY MORNING

 My favourite day in this City. Up here in Polanco overlooking the green Park, the Bell Tower. Its 8a.m. local residents jogging, people walking their dogs, Not a cloud in the sky (Long gone are the old “Smog “ Days!!) just the wonderful Spring Climate of this wonderful City.

The open top Red Tour Bus comes gently by, not to be sneered at, a very good way of seeing the whole City especially at night and a cheap way at that!

I am now staying at www.lasalcobas.com

I set off after my breakfast on one of my long walks. All the way down Avenida Reforma, I love this walk. Past the Museum of Anthropology, past the Zoo with its boating lake and acres of green space. Mexico Zoo is huge and marvellous. Years ago Mexican Tours was responsible for helping fly over the Panda from London Zoo to help try and mate. For many years there was a tiny blue sign for “Mexicana Airlines “in Regents Park, how proud that made me, all my own work.

Anyway on with the walk, The Palace of Maximillian stands aloft were we handle private tours. Art exhibition all the way along Avenida Reforma, all traffic banned on Sundays, only bicycles, all can be hired free for a whole day.

My destination is the famous Sunday morning Ballet Performance at the Palace of fine Arts, then off for the afternoon to the Floating Gardens

A perfect Sunday and something that we arrange for our clients. To quote, my good friend Simon Calder. “It’s a long way from the internet to the beach” Take that extra moment and perhaps extra pennies to plan different, exciting and classic tours see “My” Mexico for what it really is, I promise you will not be disappointed

Off to work!!.... The annual Travel Market of Mexico called TIANGUIS was held this Year in PUEBLA!

What absolute Joy to be able to visit and work in this exquisite City. Every treasured corner, church, house, cobbled street is a treasure trove. Like turning back into the 17th century.

I arrived at the gorgeous MESONES SACRASTIA www.mesones-sacristia.com It was raining, so Mauricio (First Class Transportation), his wife Perla and I retreated to the restaurant to sit by the fire and eat the most beautiful lunch… comida casera, this means “home cooked family food”! My absolute favourite. I then went upstairs to one of only the 6 rooms the property has and sank under an enormous quilt and went to sleep…Heaven! This unfortunately would be the last rest I would have for five hectic days!!

Elisa, the General Manager took excellent care of me, so I was sad when I had to move onto another hotel. To have 7000 delegates arrive for this conference is this tiny city was not easy.

My next destination was the MM Grand, a brand new luxury hotel situated on the outskirts in countryside. Sales Manager is Dennis Howard Johnson. A Very good friend of mine… www.MMGrandhotel.com

Talking of managers, let me explain something to you…

At Mexican Tours the Working Management for a hotel are very, very important to us. We do not just “pull a hotel out of a hat”! We seriously study it and normally go with the people we know from the hotel Director to the Sales Manager to the Food and Beverage person, right down to the Reception staff, the Porters and finally the Chef! Our clients are very important to us so therefore we literally choose and build the hotel around the client not the other way around. Not putting a client into a hotel because of some commission structure! I do hope this makes sense…

So people like Elisa at Meson Sacristia and Dennis at the MM Grand are worth their weight in gold. We have to place our client in a pair of SAFE HANDS!!!

Before departing this subject let me tell you that the family of Meson Sacrastia have opened another property in an old mansion a few streets away called Sacristia de Fray Juan www.mesones-sacristia.com

And so to the Travel Market…..

Here is a sample list of everyone I met at Tianguis…The list is endless…

Our dearest Linda and Don Jorge at Amigo Yucatan. We have now worked together for nearly 30 years… www.amigoyucatan.com

Aeromexico… Sergio Ellard for all the years we have known each other, a good man.

Rosie Necoechea, for Aeromexico… My dear Rosie, without her support and help I do not know what I would do. I simply adore this woman.

Verena and her wonderful property Hotel Xixim. www.hotelxixim.com

Linda Baker, Hacienda Xcanatun… my favourite Hacienda in Merida. www.xcanatun.com

Fernando Barbachano, head of the Barbachano dynasty, owner of Mayaland and many other Yucatan based lands and properties.

All my friends and colleagues from Los Cabos and Epic Tours. www.epic.com.mx. We are starting to work on some fabulous new and wonderful adventure programmes with this great company.

Los Cabos just has to be explored. Travellers should be spending weeks not days at this destination. To see the whales, to visit the lakes, wild territory and work up to the Copper Canyon area is just a sensational thing to do…

Yes, it’s great to visit the beach but also great to actually visit the country places like Loreto. Watch this space for more information.

Finally it was time to say goodbye to Puebla and Cholula and all the history the City has… remember the 5 de Mayo, well this is where it all happened!!!

I wonder how many people know that you can reach Cuernavaca from Puebla? So this is what I did. Travelling Puebla-Cuernavaca-Taxco (yes lovely, fabulous Taxco. How long has it been since I was here... just like “coming home)”. www.decanterayplata.com

And then onto “my other home”!! Acapulco. Yes, glorious Acapulco and Las Brisas. Still fabulous, still incredible value for money, stylish, upmarket, elegant. Travel as it used to be before the “All Inclusive”!! Please visit you will never regret it.

www.lasbrisascollection.com Also dear friends out there be aware that the Brisas family have opened a new hotel in Cancun, Nizuk www.nizuk.com

And so time to return to Mexico City. I came back by bus and alighted literally outside the hotel Marquis Reforma. Another of my absolute favourites. An afternoon spent in the SPA… I often recommend that clients book the Marquis Reforma and pre book their massage for on arrival. Luncheon in the beautiful restaurant with my good friend Alma Lopez the Sales Director. www.marquisreforma.com

MESTIZO
Restaurant & Tequila Bar
103 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3EL

Phone: 020 7387 4064
london.mestizomx.com

5 de mayo marks the victory of the Mexican army against the French in 1856. The famous battle took place in the city of Puebla, making it one of the most remarkable military achievements in Mexican history.

This hugely popular celebration, marking the victory of the Mexican army over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, comes to Mestizo with a special Sunday brunch menu (from noon - 4pm) which includes the 3 varieties of pozole: red, green and white.

Expect other special dishes as well in the evening's menu plus a performance of Mexican folk dance at 8pm