Deseo Hotel + Lounge

The lounge serves as lobby, restaurant, bar, and pool area all at once. It's a raised open-air platform with bar, pool, self-serve kitchen, and daybeds for sunning or sipping an evening drink when the action is in full swing. It's filled with a hip Mexico City clientele during national holidays and is popular with the 20 to 50 set. Guest rooms are comfortable, original, and striking, but they don't tempt one to stay indoors -- no TV, no cushy armchair. Their simplicity gives them an almost Asian feel, heightened by nice touches like sliding wood-and-frosted-glass doors. The bottom of each bed has a little drawer that slides out with a night kit containing incense, earplugs, and condoms.

The owners also operate the cleverly styled Hotel Básico (tel. 984/879-4448; www.hotelbasico.com). It's a fun mix of industrial and '50s styles, built with concrete, plywood, and plastics. As with Deseo, the common areas are not wasted space.

Facilities:
Bar; Jacuzzi; small rooftop pool; room service

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.