Royal Holiday Vacationers go in for the Urban Holiday all over the world. Paris, Rome, London, Madrid and Buenos Aires are just some of the more popular spots. But today, one of the world’s toughest urban jungles –Mexico City– is topping all kinds of lists of where you should go this year. The New York Times named Mexico City the number one place to visit in 2016 – and apparently lots of travel writers took their advice. Since then, there’s been no end to recommendations and bucket-list reviews of “Chilangolandia” –as the Mexican capital’s residents have dubbed their very interesting city. But like any city –knowing where to stay is easier said than done. For the leisure traveler, a few central neighborhoods stand out for the walkability and for the general interest they draw from all kinds of travelers. Centro Histórico is the historical city center, inhabited for some 700+ years, since the original Mexico-Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325. La Condesa is a chic and very international neighborhood, a few minutes south and west of the city center. Royal Holiday guests are now staying at three very upscale apartment complexes in the city center and one more in La Condesa. La Condesa is a very well-heeled, and for all the city’s charms, Condesa offers just a little more repose and tranquility than your regular downtown location.
1. My Place Gallery – Condesa
With just 10 apartments available, and a striking rooftop terrace there’s a lot to get used to. • Breakfast available • Fitness center • 24-hour front desk • Coffee/tea in common areas • Front desk safe • Barbecue grills • Luggage storage • Free Wi-Fi • Microwave • Refrigerator • Private bathrooms • Complimentary toiletries • Iron/ironing board • Stocked mini fridges Nearby: • San Miguel Chapultepec gallery district • Chapultepec Park • Shopping and galleries in Condesa and Roma neighborhoods 
For guests in Condesa, a trip to the city center takes but 15 minutes in a taxi. And the ride will give you a very different look at life in the city. Because Condesa is such a prominent neighborhood, there’s a lot to do right there. In fact, the My Place Gallery is right in the same building and open to guests. It’s just the first of the many discoveries you’ll make when staying there.
2. My Place Santo Domingo
The city center is always a hive of activity. Santo Domingo is a church (and plaza) in the west side of the center. It’s continually full of people and yet surprisingly placid for all of that. The largest of the apartment complexes, it’s easy to get in and out of and offers every comfort for a good week’s stay or perhaps even more. Guest rooms are all thematically decorated in a Mexican style that will keep you smiling. Airy and bright, it’s also a great place to come back to. • 14 smoke-free apartments • Rooftop terrace • Fitness center • Barbecue grills • Free Wi-Fi • Kitchens • Cookware & dishware • Microwave • Refrigerator • Private bathrooms • Separate sitting areas Nearby: • Metropolitan Cathedral – 9-minute walk • Templo Mayor – 10-minute walk • Zocalo – 10-minute walk • Madero pedestrian walk – 10-minute walk • Palacio Postal – 12-minute walk • Plaza de la Constitucion – 12-minute walk • Ayuntamiento (City Hall) – 13-minute walk • Palacio de Bellas Artes – 13-minute walk • Torre Latinoamericana – 15-minute walk • Palacio Nacional – 15-minute walk 
3. Mexico City: MyPlace Donceles
Donceles is famous as a street of used book shops and book stalls. Like Santo Domingo (maybe like the whole center) it’s a vaguely rough-at-the-elbows neighborhood. The contrast makes your apartment that much more inviting. Bright, clean, and new, you get a lot of space, and outside there are just no end to the places you’ll visit. • Just 5 smoke-free apartments • Rooftop terrace • Fitness center • Front desk safe • Self-serve laundry • Barbecue grills • Free Wi-Fi in lobby • Kitchens • Cookware, dishware, • Stove • Microwave • Refrigerator • Private bathrooms Nearby: • Palacio Postal – 3-minute walk • Palacio de Bellas Artes – 4-minute walk • Torre Latinoamericana – 5-minute walk • Metropolitan Cathedral – 10-minute walk • Paseo de la Reforma – 10-minute walk • Templo Mayor – 10-minute walk • Alameda Central – 11-minute walk • Zocalo – 11-minute walk • Plaza de la Constitucion – 13-minute walk • Ayuntamiento (City Hall) – 14-minute walk 
4. MyPlace Zocalo
Last but not least, the very heart of the city is the giant Zocalo plaza, with the Cathedral providing the northern side. Most in-demand of all are the three apartments in the MyPlace Zocalo building, discreet, convenient, and charming as they are. Views from this particular MyPlace are nothing short of spectacular. With fully functional kitchens, you can have a week, or even ten-days’ worth of groceries delivered. Fully enjoy a good stay in the city and you will never regret coming. Here’s just some of what Royal Holiday vacationers enjoy in the Zocalo location. • Just 3 smoke-free apartments • Rooftop terrace • Fitness center • 24-hour front desk • Barbecue grills • Luggage storage • Free Wi-Fi • Kitchen • Cookware & dishware • Microwave • Refrigerator • Private bathrooms • Separate dining areas Nearby: • Metropolitan Cathedral – 9-minute walk • Templo Mayor – 10-minute walk • Zocalo – 10-minute walk • Palacio Postal – 12-minute walk • Plaza de la Constitucion – 12-minute walk • Ayuntamiento (City Hall) – 13-minute walk • Palacio de Bellas Artes – 13-minute walk • Torre Latinoamericana – 15-minute walk • Palacio Nacional – 15-minute walk • Paseo de la Reforma – 18-minute walk 
While every Mexico City vacation can be exciting, for Royal Holiday vacationers, used as they are to fully exploring and enjoying the places they visit, this is a fantastic choice. Mexico City has more museums than anywhere except old London. While nearly every international visitor makes it to the National Museum of Anthropology – which covers the history and anthropology of the entire country – the Templo Mayor museum is walkable from all the city-center hotels listed above. They’re both world-class museums, but the Templo Mayor museum focuses on the early history of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, where you’ll be staying. It’s not just fascinating, it’s a museum vital to any understanding of where we are, and how we got here. Enjoy it!