Room Mate Valentina

Rooms

All 62 rooms in Room Mate Valentina have a similar sci-fi retro look: curved white ceilings with dizzying designs of op art, purple pods of moveable furniture, pink perspex walls, Aztec-inspired geometric patterned carpets. We weren’t sure what the green octagon shapes illuminating the walls of our Deluxe room were for (definitely not for reading) but they were very cool. As were the big bright repros of tequila labels that lit the Junior Penthouse suite we had a peek at.

All the rooms, even the less expensive Executives, have a sitting area of low-slung fabric sofas or a small work table and chair - beds are on blocks not far off the floor, crisply made up with white linen. Bathrooms are minimal and modern with circular sinks and walk-in power showers - ours was a monochrome white but we preferred the Junior Suite with one wall painted entirely in fuchsia.

High-tech gadgetry abounds from the wall-mounted LCD TV and stereo speakers to the digital radio system with touch-tone screen to the free WiFi; the mini-fridge is loaded with gourmet juices and snacks. Try and nab one of the higher floored corner rooms or even the Suite Penthouse for fab views above and beyond the mirrored office blocks. We were slightly nearer ground level and yes, I did need earplugs one night - but I just pretended I was Barbarella floating in her space pod.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Central heating
• Cots Available
• DVD player (on request)
• Extra beds
• Hairdryer
• Internet access
• Ipod dock
• Iron (on request)
• Minibar/fridge
• Phone
• Radio
• Safe box
• Satellite TV
• WiFi

Eating

Room Mate Valentina stays on the good side of those who like a lie-in. In a canteen of white tables beside the lobby, a breakfast of cereals, yoghurt, bread, cheeses and cold-cuts is laid out until noon (early birds can get going by 7.30am). Behind the buffet counter, there is always someone refilling the juice jugs or keeping an eye on the coffee machine - they won’t mind whipping up an omelette either.

Be sure and ask the reception for restaurant recommendations: we probably would never have gone to La Casa de Tono but behind its fast-food front is a jolly place with menus laminated on the tables and a house speciality of pozcale - a tasty stew of pork, tomatoes, onions and avocado. The Zona Rosa is packed with international cafes and bars, especially along the streets of Hamburgo and the pedestrianised Genova.

When you’re feeling flush, the high-end dining scene in Mexico City is superb. Restaurants Biko, Pujot and Izote (owned by celebrated chef Patricia Quintana), all in the swanky Polanco neighbourhood, top most of the 'must-try-it' lists. And 'must-diet afterwards' ones too.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Children's meals
• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Stroll or cycle (bikes are for hire at the hotel) along the leafy diagonal boulevard of Paseo de la Reforma - lined with striking glass skyscrapers, its closed to traffic on Sundays and often has open-air art exhibitions
  
  
• Gaze at the golden Angel de la Independencia, the towering winged statue commemorating Mexico's independence and one of the city's most famous monuments
  
  
• Meander along the cobblestone stretch of Francisco Sosa, considered Spanish America's first urban street, in colonial Coyoacan, the oldest part of Mexico City
  
  
• In Coyoacan, relive the art and anguish of Frida Kahlo in her home, Casa Azul - complete with its own mini-Mayan pyramid in the garden - or peruse memorabilia of her Russian revolutionary paramour in La Casa de Trotsky down the road
  
  
• Go boating on the lagos of Bosque de Chapultepec - this large forested park has a children's fun fair, modern art museum and a castle; the impressive architecture and the pre-Conquest collection of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia here is a must-see
  
  
• Remember the more recent past at the new (opened October 2010) Museo de Memoria y Tolerancia (a museum showcasing the most significant examples of intolerance committed by mankind, such as acts of genocide) with its laudable aim of 'encouraging new generations to seek a healthier co-existence'

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Architecture
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome. The rooms are playfully designed and kids will love the moveable fabric furniture, which can function as beds too. There are no specific services or facilities for children, but there are extra beds and cots on request which can go in all rooms. Children under 12 stay for free.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

There is one Suite Penthouse which can connect with a Junior Suite Penthouse for larger family groups.

Distances:

• Airport: 20-45 minutes (depending on traffic)
• Shops: 1 minute

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection