Eli & Esther's exceed expectations: staying with them is a gem of a find, a human oasis in Mexico City. Yes, their place is ideally located, beautiful and modern with a great kitchen (full access if you wish), elevator, doorman, and the rooms are 'nicely appointed' (think hotel) with comfortable bed and dedicated bathrooms ~ mine was room 2, quiet & peaceful (it was hard to think I was in the midst of a bustling city). But what makes staying at their place truly outstanding is their hosting: having lived in New York and Mexico they are bilingual, bicultural, open-minded and easy in their generosity. And Eli & Esther interact with their 'guests' from a place of integrity, professionalism, and genuine warmth, taking pains to be responsive to your needs & help you feel at home. In my case: Eli was available, flexible and accommodating. He kindly allowed for an early check-in and after making me coffee, oriented me & at my request walked me to a nearby clinic he knew for a consult I sought (while sharing his honest appraisal of how health care operates in Mexico). I was traveling alone & planned to 'eat-in' some of my dinners, but my first evening when Esther and Eli saw my 'menu' (a somewhat sad rotisserie chicken with some raw/steamed vegetables) Esther proceeded to open her fridge & describe & offer its content from condiments/ sauces/ food to Eli's home-made jam and ketchup (Eli is a cook), making sure I properly treated the vegetables with cleansing solution & offering me a taste of Oaxacan specialties. Maybe there's something slightly forlorn/'homeless dog' about me, but they both then sat down with me (& another guest who had by then arrived) to share stories, food and their good company (a far cry from the solitary meal). When I shared my plans to go climb a volcano the next day and to see the ruins of Teotihuacan the day after they gave me advice and Esther came out from her bedroom with a collection of large-brimmed hats, insisting I take her best to protect me from burning despite my fear of ruining it (she was right, the hat was a life-saver; and I was right, I deformed that hat). The next day when I arrived late at night from climbing volcano after leaving at 5 am, they were there & as Eli offered me water it was apparent they both had become 'parents,' wondering my whereabouts & watching out for my return. At the end I decided to extend my stay but unfortunately they were already booked ~ the morning I had to check out Eli graciously allowed me to leave my luggage until my return from a day at the ruins. He asked if I'd been able to book a place (concerned parent) and offered me breakfast (I guess I do look like the homeless dog/child in need of adopting), and when I got back that evening Esther insisted I sit down with...