We could not have imagined a more engaged, patient, generous and proactive host than Luis. He was very communicative from the moment we booked, offering us tours and even to drive us to and from the airport. It made getting around Mexico City with limited Spanish that much easier. He was always willing to offer advice and suggestions, or just to chat about the day’s experiences. Luis and Leo’s apartment is positively gorgeous, in a beautiful and very safe Art Deco neighbourhood. The rooms are clean, comfortable and very stylish, and each has its own bathroom. The rooftop garden is a real treat, and we were lucky to spot a few hummingbirds visiting the flowers there. Luis’ place is near the cool end of La Condesa, where most of the nice bars, restaurants and night life can be found, along with a supermarket. It’s also walking distance to Chapultepec Park, a huge acreage of forest containing several museums that are well worth a visit, and some very cute and friendly squirrels. For easy access to the downtown area there’s also a railway station nearby.
Luis also helped us out substantially in seeing the best sights of Mexico City in a short period of time by arranging tours by an experienced freelance tour guide, Cesar. Cesar runs reasonably-priced private tours door to door of multiple districts within Mexico City and surrounds. He is knowledgeable, philosophical, open to answering all kinds of questions, and great company. He can and will go above and beyond to suit customers’ unusual requests. On his tours I got more of a local’s view of the city, and some unique little insights that probably would have been missed in a larger tour group. He was very helpful in warning me of certain tourist traps of overpriced attractions or non-genuine souvenirs, and was patient and flexible in allowing the tour to run at our own pace. He also acted as a photographer, which was great considering that I tend to be absent from most of my own holiday photos! If your time is short and/or you value flexibility and a personal touch, we would highly recommend these tours. We would gladly stay with Luis (and tour with Cesar) again.