From breathtaking views of Chapultepec Park and elevated dining to the colorful traditions of Día de los Muertos, The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City offers an unforgettable blend of luxury, culture, and Mexican hospitality. 

From ground level, The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City looks like a ladder connecting earth and heaven. Raising more than 50 stories into the clouds, its mirrored windows reflect the surrounding cityscape and more. It’s a structural homage to one of the greatest cities, Mexico City. It represents its restless, relentless, and uprising spirit, all by drawing inspiration from a little local holiday known as Día de Los Muertos.

Using mystifying elements inspired by Día de Los Muertos, from the black mirrored lobby and ofrenda-like chandelier above Carlotta’s to the smokey gray marbled walls and midnight blue tapestry, The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City weaves remembrance, history, and art throughout the hotel, bridging guests and visitors with the a certain supernatural allure while creating a space for all wandering souls to rest.

A Hotel Above the Rest

Located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City (CDMX), a literal stone’s throw from Chapultepec Park, The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City stands proudly as the third tallest tower in the city. Opened in 2021, the landmark structure houses 163 rooms, 19 suites, and one of the world’s top-rated bars and lounges, Carlotta’s, which sits inside the highly acclaimed restaurant, Samos.

The lobby begins on the 38th floor, where black mirrored hallways and smokey ceilings create a portal-like transition from the bustling neighborhood outside. Notes of citrus and vanilla waft through the air as the friendliest staff welcomes guests and visitors with a heart-warming smile. I stood in awe of it all, gleefully anticipating our accommodation.

Rooms: Elevated Luxury, Local Soul

Views of Mexico City’s sprawling cityscape are framed in each room like a personal portrait of its grand scale wowing guests through the room’s shadowy corridor. While night blue textiles and dark hardwoods create a masculine ambiance, these elements are elegantly contrasted with brushed bronze accents and subtle lighting to create a strong yet soothing mood.

The king-size bed and plush bedding create its own focal point in the room as it faces those stirring floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the hazy horizon. Bedside curtain controls and hidden outlets seamlessly integrate technology without distracting from the room’s mystique.

Rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City are gratuitously spacious, offering a crescent sofa, coffee table, and accent table to create a loungey vibe. Here, natural light pours in, blessing the space with golden hour warmth. A unique feature included in each room is visual capture of the city’s noise in a stylish art piece by Emelio Chapela, a testament to the lively spirit of the city.

On the patio, my favorite feature, CDMX stretched across the glass enclosed area, offering a first-row seat of the enveloping mountains skirting the skyline and rolling clouds moving in and then out. Chapultepec Park’s bushy canopy of feathery treetops extend beyond the glassed patio, where a monument to the children heroes stands sentry below, and the famed ritzy neighborhood of Polanco is at right and straight ahead, the financial district of Santa Fe with its pocket of cloudy skyscrapers. I sipped coffee in the morning and a cocktail at night, studying the domes of the Modern Art Museum below and the stony façade of Chapultepec Castle. It was a moment of quiet reflection staring into Chapultepec Park. I was aware of its tumultuous past, recognizing it as the site of one of the bloodiest battles in a shared U.S. and Mexican history. However, perched on The Ritz-Carlton patio overlooking the city’s growth and resilience, I remained hopeful of the future.

Toast to CDMX Stories at Carlotta Reforma

Every evening at 6 p.m., Carlotta Reforma hosts an enchanting sunset ritual. The music shifts from its usual down-tempo EDM to a hauntingly beautiful bellow. In the spacious lounge area surrounded by wrap-around views of CDMX, the staff, donning ornate sugar skull masks, hand out samples of El Paseante, a much adored libation of Gentleman Jack Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Honey, red berry cordial, and green tea, along with pieces of cocada, a Mexican coconut candy. A cowboy-hat clad presenter recites the significance of the dawning moment, a unique passage of time as daylight dies and gives way to night, like a passage of souls during Día de Los Muertos. The evening ritual is a special moment shared with every Ritz-Carlton across the globe, each dating back to a founding tradition. The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City continues this tradition through a local spotlight honoring the spirit of Mexico City.

The moment was exceptionally special for us as we sat down with the sales and marketing staff, and later joined by head mixologist Ivan Bollo Jimenez, for the clouds had parted on both sides of the wrap around windows, giving way to a golden hour sunset and a ghostly full moon on the opposite end of the panoramic view, a unique encounter capturing life and death, honor and tradition.

The Lady of the Castle

Named after the Lady of the neighboring Chapultepec Castle, Carlotta is an amalgamation of stories from the surrounding area, told through cocktails. During the sunset ritual, Ivan, winner of the 2027 Taste of Cocktails and who has led Carlotta to being recognized as not only one of the best hotel bars in Mexico City, but the world, explained how each drink in its expansive menu connects to Mexico City. The Carlottas are stiffer, much like a homage to the Lady of the castle, who growing suspicion of her husband’s affairs needed a heavy-handed pour to watch from the castle as her husband frequented homes of his mistresses.

With a seasonal menu that rotates every four months, we were fortunate to have been there in time for a menu that was just a week old. The rotational menu is no easy feat as each cocktail is layered, complex, and reflects the various colonias, or neighborhoods, of the region. The Flat White Negroni, inspired by CDMX nights, is a lively starter. The Ni Maiz Paloma is an experimental take on one of Mexico’s most notable drinks. Combining Nobushi Whisky with a popcorn cordial and notes of lemon, the drink is aromatic, silky, and subtly sweet. The Reforma Iced Tea with Centinela Blanco, Sunora, Acrónimo Gin, Merlet Grapefruit, and Ventura Grapefruit Soda was a refreshing, herbal, and citrusy cocktail, and one I enjoyed several times.

Samos: A Celebration of Mexican Cuisine and Culture

Inspired by the humble comfort and secret flavors of many Mexican homes, Samos nourishes the soul. The restaurant was delightfully spacious with two private event spaces and an outdoor terrace enclosed by glass for panoramic views of CDMX’s captivating beauty.

Led by head Chef Nayeli Caballero, whose background brings coastal Cabo influence to the city, culinary experiences are bespoke for any time, day or night. On a cool morning overlooking the sprawling greenery of Chapultepec Park, we enjoyed Chilaquiles “Divorciados,” which is a split dish of rojo and verde sauce over crispy tortillas and topped with a fried egg, avocado, queso, and crema for a hearty and sumptuous start.

Another amazing breakfast entrée was the Tortilla del Campo, a fluffy pan-sized frittata-like egg topped with queso and mole poblano for a smooth, smokey finish. We ate staring into the distance as low hanging clouds overran the mountains, bringing an early fall like air over us.

Not to be outdone by its early morning menu, Samos dinners are perfect for romantic evenings. With the city lights lining the roads and speckling the skyline, both Carlotta and Samos come alive with chatter and endearing glances. For dinner, I indulged in the Short Rib, a monthly special commemorating the 15th de 15 de Septiembre. The dish was fragrant and robust with smokey flavors from a chile poblano tatemado smothered over a braised short rib. My wife had the Octopus, a dish that felt like it was the heart of the sea, further reflecting the honor and respect the menu pays to Mexico.

An Immersive Interaction with Food and History

CDMX’s food scene is a multi-sensual journey of tastes, smells, and visual presentations, all reflecting the diverse flavors, regions, and cultures that take root in CDMX. To take part in its preparation is a spiritual journey that connects the body and mind with the cultural spirit of CDMX, and one that The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City conjures with ease with its mole class.

The experience begins with a private patio in Samos overlooking Chapultepec Park, where a dozen or so fresh ingredients and a volcanic stone molcajete await. From our own experience with the molcajete and making mole with family, we knew the task ahead would be intensive, and well worth the labor.

Led by chefs Chef Manuel and Carlos, the mole-making experience was informative, immersive, and laborious, as it should be, for the class respects the time and attention that goes into preparing the sauce; something commonly used for special occasions, like birth and death.

TLM Writer Martin grinding mole ingredients. Video courtesy Martin Ramirez.

Under a late summer sun, where cool winds and warmth mixed harmoniously, the chefs guided through the process. They started off by grinding the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before dashing it with sea salt. We followed up taking turns grinding out plantains, peppercorns, and a few chunks of bolillo bread. Then came the cloves, cumin, and a key ingredient, Abuelita Chocolate. We chose a half circle to tone down the sweetness, but some opinions opt for the full circle. Then came the arduous take of grinding down the fibrous chiles, tostadas, cinnamon, and sesame seeds into a thick paste where the earthy, spiced aroma tickled our noses. 

The process is generally an hour or two, but the experience moves all too swiftly. The chefs weaved personal stories of family recipes and the dish’s historical past into our experience as we burned calories rolling out the stone pin and worked up a ravenous appetite. When it was done, we stood over the lump of sticky red paste beaming with pride. It was an honor to have undergone this culinary ritual that has endured over many generations, surviving the rule of tribes, kingdoms, and governments, all which symbolically represents the ever-present people and culture of this storied nation.

Outside of the memories, the reward of this experience was the mole dishes that followed suit, knowing the time and effort that goes into each ounce of sauce ladled onto the plate, and the paste-like sauce we took home, which once blended with stock and simmered in a sauce pan sparked reminders of our time on that balcony above the beautiful Chapultepec Park, grinding tomatoes, dried chilis, and sesame seeds with two talented chefs at Samos.

The Spa: A Union Ritual Healing and Future Technology

The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City’s mysticism follows through every touchpoint of the hotel, promising a spiritually grounded experience in every amenity. The Spa draws from this mysticism, invoking earthly elements of air, water, wood, and fire throughout its space to restore spiritual restlessness. From the citrusy-vanilla fragrance calming wafting through the air and warm hardwoods framing the space to the indoor pool, each of these details unite old-world ritual with modern technology to create a holistic spa experience.

Included in this exclusive menu of services is a Head in the Clouds experience in the Timeless Capsule, a NASA -technology imbued chair that creates a near weightless experience, that when paired with a soothing scalp and shoulder massage, lifts the weariest of spirits. Note this is one of two chairs in the world, making The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City Spa a selective experience.   

Mexico City: A City of Wonders

Across the street from The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City lies the vast campus of Chapultepec Park. The historical site is two times bigger than Grand Central Park and is alive with vibrant gardens filled with blooming flowers of reds, yellows, purples, and whites while evergreen treetops shield the sun. All the while, vendors sell snacks like chips dripping with cheese and hot sauce and souvenirs like the monkey headdresses. Among this vast park are the hallowed grounds of Chapultepec Castle, a site that forever ties U.S. and Mexican history. A walk up the hill to the castle shows just how hard this landmark was to defend. Or take.

Another recommended option is to explore the flavors of CDMX through a guided tour, which takes visitors on an immersive culinary journey with restaurants, bakeries, and bars all while learning about the local stories. From modern Mexican and traditional pre-Hispanic cuisine to bold fusions with Chinese, Mediterranean, and Japanese, the world has fallen in love with the tastes of Mexico City. While there are plenty of tours to choose from, we spent a lovely evening with Sherpa Food Tours, where our guide Alisa led us from block to block, detailing personal stories that showed a genuine love for the city. Fun. Informational. Never repetitive. Sherpa Food Tours have expanded to include Lucha Libre and Mezcal Tastings. Book your experience here.

The busy Paseo de Reforma bisects much of the surrounding colonias, connecting The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City to CDMX’s most cosmopolitan neighborhoods, and with it, the most sought-after food and nightlife, as well as culture cornerstones like museums and historical sites. Along this road are many paths designed for walking and biking, allowing pedestrians the same ease of access to all these attractions under a comfortable canopy of trees. Within minutes, we walked to popular taco joints like Taco Atarantados Reforma, passing vendors steaming and sizzling with chicharrónes, carnitas, birria, and even potato chips, peeled and fried streetside. In the later hours of the night, the streets were active with pedestrians walking briskly from shop to shop while horns honked and music thumped from streetside dining rooms, proving more that CDMX never rests yet is never weary. There are always high spirits in Mexico City.

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  Cover photo courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Mexico City.

Martin Ramirez is a brisket-eating, Shiner-loving, road-tripping enthusiast of all things Texas. This Dallas-born writer / adventurer is ready to take his ‘78 El Camino to find the best in food, fun, and fitness throughout the Lone Star State.