Tried and tested HOTEL

Tried and tested
Marquis
Reforma Hotel
and Spa
HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 125 guestrooms and 83 suites,
including one specifically designed for disabled guests.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS Ample rooms luxuriously appointed in art
deco style with magnificent Mexico City views.
PRICE Internet rates start at $189 for weekday stays in April.
CONTACT JW Paseo de la Reforma 465 Col. Cuauhtemoc.
Mexico, D.F. 06500; tel. 52-55-5229-1200 or toll-free from24the U.S.
1(800) 235-2387; www.marquisreforma.com.
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Marquis Reforma hits the mark
for this business traveler,
delivering all the basics and
a slew of perks to make it all
enjoyable. Even if my next visit
to Mexico City ends up being a
leisure trip, I’d re-book my stay
here without hesitation.
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2 restaurants
WHAT’S IT LIKE? As a
member of the Leading Hotels
of the World, quality control
is closely monitored at the
Marquis Reforma Hotel and
Spa and the result hardly
went unnoticed during my
recent visit. The concierges
were knowledgeable, patient
and friendly, helping me
smooth out all the logistical
details involved with getting
me from meeting to meeting.
The rooms are immaculate
and modern, thanks to recent
upgrades (although I was
blissfully unaware of any
work underway, the hotel is
in the middle of a renovation
and expects the process to be
completed by the year’s end).
Topping it all off is an art deco
theme that evokes the golden
age of travel.
WHERE IS IT? The hotel is
on Paseo de la Reforma, a leafy
thoroughfare that links the
Zócalo to Chapultepec Park
and everywhere in between.
It’s also within walking
distance of the National
Museum of Anthropology as
well as the bars and restaurants
in Zona Rosa or Roma.
Room facilities My
Reforma de Lujo Suite was a
spacious three-room sanctuary
with a narrow terrace that
afforded a bird’s-eye view of
Peseo de la Reforma. A small
sitting area had a dining table
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Mexico City,
Mexico
HOTEL
1 bar
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Gym
and couch seating, while
the adjacent room had a
large work desk. Facing the
king-sized bed was a cableequipped flat-screen television
and the bathroom facilities
included plenty of counter
space around the sink, plus a
competent hair drier (the hotel
“holy grail”for any business
woman on a tight schedule).
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
I looked forward to dining at
Los Canarios each day, where
the Mexican-Spanish fusion
menu seemed to be a popular
choice for many a power lunch.
Wide windows let in plenty
of natural light and cages
of playful birds lend a bit of
personality to the scenery.
Although I’m not normally a
fan of New World Chardonnay,
they serve a variety from their
sister property’s vineyard
in Los Cabos that isn’t as
cloyingly sweet as its California
counterparts. Needless to say, I
just had to have a second glass.
La Jolla also serves up
Mexican favorites a la carte
or from the buffet, while the
Lounge Bar is a good meeting
spot for pre-dinner drinks and
hors d’oeuvres.
BUSINESS AND MEETING
FACILITIES There are three
ballrooms with a combined
17,800 square feet of space
between them. The hotel can
host as many as 1,000 guests in
Spa
3 meeting rooms
Executive Lounge
WiFi
total, although each room can
be subdivided according to the
event’s specific needs. Meeting
planners may also choose to
book the Presidential Suite
(which has two terraces) or
Executive Lounge for more
intimate events.
The hotel’s Business Center
is equipped with workstations,
computers, Internet access,
printers and scanners. Three
available meeting rooms are
equipped with televisions and
projectors.
LEISURE FACILITIES The
hotel boasts the largest spa
in Mexico City, with nine
treatment rooms, a selection
of more than 80 treatments,
a hydrotherapy tub, Swiss
shower, Jacuzzi, steam bath,
sauna and indoor pool.
The fitness center, which
underwent considerable
renovation last year, has a
wide selection of cardio and
weight-training equipment
to work with, not to mention
a unique, open-air setting
(weather permitting), with
palm trees towering over the
glass-enclosed area. BT
— Ally Miola
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