16th Century Ex-Monastery of Santo Domingo I

Walking distance to so much. Kids were very comfortable here. Would recommend and would use again.

No regrets for renting the property - beautiful decor

Arturo has been a gracious host, filled the fridge with our first breakfast, arranged transportation and answered all my questions in a timeline manner. But his apartment was not for us. It is charming and historic but we had issue with the hot water, alternating between scalding or cold. And the place could use a thought cleaning, under and behind furniture, and the oven (there was a plastic glass in the bathroom with traces of toothpaste from multiple guests before us). For the bedrooms that are street side, the windows dont close entirely so you'll here people walking and talking and the early brooming. We decided to leave early as it was a little too much for us. I can understand why people love this place, we would have loved it if we could have had consistent hot water and a clean dish scrub and the place cleaner in general.

We felt bad as Arturo is really a great host, but it was just not for us

For our first 3 nights in Mexico City we stayed in this spacious, 3-bedroom apartment on the second floor of this impressive former 16th-century monastery. Arturo kindly arranged for his driver Alejandro to pick us up at the airport. The historic building is home to many regular Mexican families, who hang their laundry in the inner courtyard and tend pots of thriving plants. The huge space was more than enough for the two of us; I took a room overlooking the square, and my spouse took the inner bedroom. It was a luxury to have two bathrooms, one with a big step-in stone shower. The kitchen had coffee, water, and condiments, but since there are so many eating choices in Centro Historico, we never bothered to do any serious cooking. We loved checking out the ever-changing scene below in the square, as well as gazing up at the bell tower and church, very beautiful. Plaza Santo Domingo is a special corner of downtown, a great area from which to walk to many of the city's main sites, from Templo Mayor to Palacio de Bellas Artes. Most of all, Arturo took very good care of us and we felt very fortunate to meet him. (Next we moved to his apartment downstairs, and still can't decide which one we liked better!) This unusual, centuries-old rental in the heart of downtown provided a unique introduction to CDMX, one which we will always remember with great fondness. Gracias, Arturo.

This apartment is more amazing than the pictures online! My husband, teens & I were pleasantly surprised by its ample size, its proximity to the Zocalo, the hospitality not only of host Arturo Reyes, but of several of the building's resident families. Our driver Alejandro picked us up at the airport, took us on a half-day trip to Teotihuacan, and again took us to the airport on our way out. He was punctual, polite, and very accommodating. There was a mini-supermarket about three blocks away that featured everything we needed to cook our meals. The kitchen was very well-equipped, ready for some actual cooking. The living room was spacious and the cable service and WiFi was great! The kids' rooms looked out to the pedestrian-only street, and I only wish that the guy with the blaring boom box across the way could have moved. When I politely asked him to put down the volume, he claimed to have a "business" (no visible merchandise) that required loud music to attract customers. But this is something not in Arturo's control...

Arturo was so kind to us, and he sincerely did his best to help us when we needed it. However, there are some things that, if improved, could make a huge difference in someone's experience of the apartment and Mexico City. There was definitely something wrong with the water heater and its thermostat, and the gas tanks were not full. When handling raw meat you definitely need dependable hot water in the kitchen in order to cook safely and to thoroughly wash dishes and silverware free of grease. We had difficulty striking a balance between scalding and cold water for our showers, regrettably wasting a lot of water attempting to do so.

We're a very well-travelled family, and even a 4-star hotel can have lousy beds. Considering the overall charm of this place, it's a shame not to invest in some mattress upgrades. It really is a basic element for a restful stay and, by our final night, my husband and I had some serious hip bruising, shoulder, rib, & back pain. These are all fixable things that can make even a loud boom box outside tolerable!

All in all, there is no place on earth like Mexico City! It is so complex, historically charged, mournfully & ecstatically beautiful, bursting with life & ancient rhythms. This spot in the city center has so much to offer. I just hope that those improvements happen for future clients. Thanks, Arturo, for your kindness and hospitality.