Gardenia

Guest: Hilaria (Deer Isle, Maine U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 02/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/19/11

I would come back to this apartment again and again. The old world feel, the patio garden, the kitchen, the art on the walls - everything about it is perfect. The location is excellent - it is a magical place.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Gardenia

Guest: Hilaria (Deer Isle, Maine U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 02/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/19/11

This apartment in Mexico City had heart and grace which was unexpected. The minute I walked in, I new I was home. Every one who visited me there had the same magical experience. I would return again and again.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

A Special Place for Special Guests)

Guest: Rickywheels (Beaufort, SC)
Date of Stay: 04/20/10 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

GARDENIA I have stayed many times in Mexico City. This the first in Gardenia (for two weeks), but now I would not stay anywhere else. Previously, I have stayed in La Condesa which does have its trendy charm. If that or the sterility of a major hotel-chain is what you seek, Gardenia is not for you. It is located in a real neighborhood (Juarez - but very close to Roma Norte and La Zona Rosa: I, in my doddering state, could walk to both). There are markets, parks, sights, Metro stops within two blocks. Along with all that, there is noise (it took me two nights to become accustomed). The house itself is unique - the pictures on the website do give you some idea - and it IS a house (or row-house) in an architecturally special series of early 20th.c blocks (tour buses stop). But the ambiance of the house is not captured in pictures (and I cannot in words). A friend who visited (and all who did were mesmerized) wandered gaga for 1/2 hour (and he did not even see the cellar rooms). It has been lived in - some time ago - so there is a lived-in mustiness/fragrance -- maybe from all the books and glass-fronted bookcases and the old-though-not-antique furniture? Or the tiled/hardwood floors? Or the amazing old kitchen (everything works and the red-tile sink, the glassware - enough to feed an army, herbs, the unfamiliar utensils -- all a pleasure to behold. Beveled glass, pictures, knick-knacks, very high ceilings, wonderful plaster-work. Let me count the ways.... Plenty of hot water (the shower is drenching - if you are agile enough to climb into the old tub: if I made it, anyone can). There is a TV (only to play videos) but there is perfect wi-fi and a super refrigerator with ice-maker. (Plenty of fresh drinking water). Free telephone service within the city. And you have your own sunken, flowered patio (bug-free if you prepare and all the preparations are at hand). Juan, the owner, and Graciela (the overseer/helpmate) could not have been nicer (nor the thrice weekly maid service better or less-intrusive). English spoken! And with all of that, it is a bargain! Gardenia is a special place deserving of special guests.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+.

A Special Place for Special Guests

Guest: Rickywheels (Beaufort, SC)
Date of Stay: 04/20/07 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

GARDENIA I have stayed many times in Mexico City. This the first in Gardenia (for two weeks), but now I would not stay anywhere else. Previously, I have stayed in La Condesa which does have its trendy charm. If that or the sterility of a major hotel-chain is what you seek, Gardenia is not for you. It is located in gritty but utterly safe neighborhood (Juarez - very close to Roma Norte and La Zona Rosa: I, in my doddering state, could walk to both). There are markets, parks, sights, Metro stops within two blocks. Along with all that, there is noise (it took me two nights to become accustomed). The house itself is unique - the pictures on the website do give you some idea - and it IS a house (or row-house) in an architecturally special series of early 20th.c blocks (tour buses stop). But the ambiance of the house is not captured by pictures (and I cannot in words). A friend who visited (and all who did were mesmerized) wandered gaga for 1/2 hour (and he did not even see the cellar rooms). It has been lived in - some time ago - so there is a lived-in mustiness/fragrance -- maybe from all the books and glass-fronted bookcases and the old-though-not-antique furniture? Or the tiled/hardwood floors? Or the amazing old kitchen (everything works and the red-tile sink, the glassware - enough to feed an army, herbs, the unfamiliar utensils -- all a pleasure to behold. Beveled glass, pictures, knick-knacks, very high ceilings, wonderful plaster-work. Let me count the ways.... Plenty of hot water (the shower is drenching - if you are agile enough to climb into the old tub: if I made it, anyone can). There is a TV (only to play videos) but there is perfect wi-fi and a super refrigerator with ice-maker. Plenty of fresh drinking water. Free telephone service within the city. And you have your own sunken, flowered patio (bug-free if you prepare and all the preparations are at hand). Juan, the owner, and Graciela (the overseer/helpmate) could not have been nicer (nor the thrice weekly maid service better or less-intrusive). English spoken! And with all of that, it is a bargain! Gardenia is a special place which deserves special guests.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

Guest: R.E. Dooley (-)
Date of Stay: 03/13/09 Review Submitted: 03/13/09

(I am posting the first part of a beautiful comment from one of our guests:)"I have told the story of my stay in Casa Gardenia countless times and yet I am only beginning to know it. With each telling I find lacing through my words new threads of memory I must follow back to their source. Casa Gardenia is a living place. You will not find it, like so many lodgings, merely a location to set your bags in. It will become part of your destination. You will want to explore it just as you would any street in the heart of Mexico City. Perhaps, like us, you will stroll slowly through the rooms and along the terrace stopping often to touch, to open, and to admire. Or, you might be walking from one room to another and suddenly find your progress halted by some previously unnoticed object caught by the corner of your eye. You will contemplate many layers of Gardenia’s history while there, then after you return home uncover others you hadn’t even considered, ones that reveal themselves only through the echoes of rumination. That is what happened to each of us." (Please read the second part in a different comment)

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Guest: R.E. Dooley (-)
Date of Stay: 03/13/09 Review Submitted: 03/13/09

(Here is the Second Part of the comment:)"But I am digressing from the task at hand. Juan asked me to write a testimonial and I am beginning a short story. Besides, you will discover your own stories to tell, certainly ones as interesting as mine. So in this space let me touch the tips of your most pressing concerns. From the first correspondence Juan was a most gracious host. The transactions were simple and Juan was helpful throughout. Graciela, the attentive and gracious caretaker, was waiting at Gardenia for our call when we arrived into the city just as planned. The directions, too, were spot on. When Graciela guided us through the house, pointing out the particulars and the peculiarities of certain switches, it was all we could do to contain ourselves. As she turned to open doors and cupboards our eyes volleyed back and forth between us, silently communicating to one another the luck of arriving at such a splendid place. The kitchen was a sensualist’s dream; a combination of quaint tradition and modern technology with seemingly every tool and utensil in the culinary trade from then to now right at your fingertips. Oh, the moles we made! The garden was a favorite spot for morning and afternoon coffee. How was it, in the middle of a city drumming with 20 million people, we could sit in tranquility with only the birds and our cups clinking back into their saucers to distract our thoughts? There was a very large market with local vendors and a Metro station only one block away. The Centro Historico and Merced were short and easy Metro rides from the house. The Metro, by the way, was shockingly inexpensive and very fast. If a question arose while staying there it was answered by the well-detailed notes Juan leaves for his guests on one of the writing desks or, whenever in doubt, a simple phone call to Graciela. If one should be perplexed by more existential wonderings, well then wander down the terrace to the library which belongs, for an all too brief time, only to you. Finally, we always felt safe and secure in Casa Gardenia. We will, as often as we are able, return to her.The rest of the story, future guests and fellow travelers, is yours to write. Salud,R.E.DooleyVirginia, USAGuest, January, 2009"

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/25/09 Review Submitted: 02/25/09

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful month in Mexico City -- made even better because we stayed in this beautiful and interesting home!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/25/08 Review Submitted: 08/25/08

I just spent 10 days in this charming Old World style apartment in the Juarez district within walking distance to the Zona Rosa, Ave de la Reforma, artisan mercado. Very close to the Metro. The owner is VERY professional and conscientious - a delight to deal with. A lovely couple who live nearby will assist with any need you may have.

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