"Built as a department store in 1899 and converted into a hotel for the 1968 Olympics, this historic Art Nouveau property—featured in several James Bond films—has an impressive interior lobby with a Tiffany stained-glass ceiling and wrought-iron elevators and balustrades; it sits right on the Zócalo and has two restaurants serving Mexican cuisine plus a fitness center. I especially like that you can take in views over the Zócalo while enjoying the expansive breakfast buffet, though rooms facing the square can be noisy (you can request an interior room for a quieter stay). The huge rooms include classic wooden furniture and suites even have four-poster beds with curtains; whether a room or suite, you’ll have a large TV, big work desk, seating area, safe, coffee maker, and minibar, and the marble bathrooms are spacious with bathrobes, slippers, and complimentary toiletries—some even have both bathtubs and walk-in showers. Overall, it’s the best choice for history lovers focused on the sites around the Zócalo." - Matthew Kepnes