Casa Vieja is a charming and colorful old Mexican house with a colonial feel that's filled with art and handicrafts. It is located in Polanco, within walking distance of Chapultepec Park and a host of museums. Once a private residence and one of the older buildings in Polanco (many having been torn down to make room for modern apartment blocks), the hotel could use some TLC: the air-conditioning units work intermittently and there are no safes in the rooms (however, you can give your valuables to the security guard who will watch them for you). However, the staff is friendly and welcoming and the 12 rooms are cozy and feel like old-time Mexico, from the terra-cotta-colored walls to the Oaxacan bedding. The hotel has a continental breakfast served at the roof-top restaurant, on the third floor. The restaurant also has a fully-stocked bar and enough greenery and ferns to make you forget that you're just blocks from the Paseo de la Reforma.