Presidente InterContinental Mexico City
by the TopOfHotel team
The Presidente InterContinental is a stay inside a decades-old 42-story icon beside Chapultepec park, with 7 specialty restaurants and the largest wine cellar in Latin America — strong on location, scale and the building's legend, traded against some rooms that feel their age next to newer hotels in the area.
The Presidente InterContinental is a stay inside a decades-old 42-story icon beside Chapultepec park, with 7 specialty restaurants and the largest wine cellar in Latin America — strong on location, scale and the building's legend, traded against some rooms that feel their age next to newer hotels in the area.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a dark 42-story tower standing on the edge of Bosque de Chapultepec, visible from far off — that's the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City, a Polanco icon and Mexico's first international hotel, part of the city for decades and a landmark locals know well. With around 700 rooms and suites, it's a big property stacked up a tall tower. Rooms are done in a classic, plush style — warm wood and good fabrics, high ceilings — and the thing guests keep mentioning is the view: high floors facing Chapultepec look out over green forest set against the city skyline and the towers along Reforma, lovely in the warm morning light and again when the city lights come on at night. Beds are comfortable enough that several reviews mention sleeping deeply, and rooms are spacious by big-hotel standards. If you like the feel of a hotel with a story and serious scale, plus a city view from up high, the rooms here should land well.
Food and amenities
The heart of what sets this place apart is the eating and drinking: one building holds 7 specialty restaurants to rotate between, from contemporary Mexican, Japanese and a steakhouse to a bakery and café for an easy meal. Plenty of reviews say the options are complete enough that you barely need to find a restaurant outside. The real signature is the wine cellar, billed as the largest in Latin America — wine drinkers and fine-dining fans come for it specifically, and a dinner paired from this cellar is an experience you won't easily find at other hotels. To unwind there's Hela Spa with a range of treatments, an indoor pool and a full fitness center. As a legendary big-scale hotel it also has large meeting and event space that can handle sizable seminars and banquets. One more thing guests appreciate is the service to InterContinental standards, which many reviews call warm, attentive and genuinely helpful.
Location and getting there
Location is another strong card here. The hotel sits at the edge of Polanco, the most upscale neighborhood in Mexico City, on Campos Elíseos street and right beside Bosque de Chapultepec, the enormous central park that works like the city's lungs. A few minutes' walk gets you to Auditorio Nacional, the well-known concert hall, and the luxury shopping street Avenida Presidente Masaryk, lined with global designer boutiques and good restaurants. Auditorio metro station on Line 7 is about a 5-8 minute walk, which makes reaching other parts of the city easy. From here you can also walk across to Chapultepec park, Chapultepec Castle on its hill, and the Museo Nacional de Antropologia — one of the best museums anywhere and a must for anyone in Mexico City — and carry on to hip neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa or to Paseo de la Reforma. If you want to base yourself in the best part of the city, beside both a big park and luxury shopping, this spot scores full marks.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide — the first thing reviews flag often is the age of the hotel, since this is a long-running place that served as the country's first international hotel. Some rooms and public areas feel classic and a bit aged next to the brand-new towers just opening nearby, and anyone expecting fully contemporary design may feel the standard rooms aren't as modern as newer competitors at the price; if you're particular about this, choose a renovated category or an upgraded floor. Second is scale and crowds: with around 700 rooms and a major conference role, the lobby, lifts and restaurants get especially busy during seminars or banquets, and some guests feel they get less privacy than at a small boutique. Last are the extra costs — valet parking, food and drinks run high by Polanco luxury standards, and the pool is indoors, not an outdoor sun pool, so if you're dreaming of sunbathing poolside this may not fit. But if you mainly value location, restaurant choice and the building's legend, these are barely an issue.
Our take
After reading through many real reviews, the Presidente InterContinental Mexico City sells "a location beside Chapultepec park in the heart of Polanco, plus 7 specialty restaurants, the largest wine cellar in Latin America, and the status of an icon that's part of the city" with full confidence. If the trip in your head is staying in a legendary tower beside a big park, waking up a few minutes from Auditorio Nacional and luxury shopping, trying good restaurants in the building across different meals, and ending the night with a dinner paired from the largest wine cellar in Latin America, this is a fitting pick — especially for business travelers who want a full conference center in the best part of the city. But if you're after brand-new contemporary rooms, a private boutique feel, or an outdoor sun pool, weigh the age and large scale here. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — best for couples, families and business travelers who want to plant themselves in a Polanco legend with all the eating and drinking handled in one place.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- It's a Mexico City icon — a 42-story tower beside Bosque de Chapultepec and the country's first international hotel, with the history and landmark status of a place that has been part of the city for decades.
- Seven specialty restaurants sit under one roof, covering contemporary Mexican, Japanese, a steakhouse, a bakery and a café — reviews say the range is complete enough that you rarely need to head out for a meal.
- The wine cellar is billed as the largest in Latin America, and wine drinkers and fine-dining fans come for it specifically, which makes dinner in the hotel feel like a draw in its own right.
- The location is in the heart of Polanco next to Chapultepec park, a few minutes' walk from Auditorio Nacional and the luxury shopping street Avenida Presidente Masaryk, with Auditorio metro station (Line 7) within walking distance.
- Facilities are full for a property this size — Hela Spa, an indoor pool, a fitness center and large meeting and event space — and many reviews praise the staff as warm and genuinely helpful.
- This is a long-established hotel, and some rooms and public areas feel classic and a bit aged next to the newer towers in the area; a few reviews feel the standard rooms aren't as up-to-date as newer competitors at the price. If that matters to you, ask for a renovated room category or an upgraded floor.
- With around 700 rooms and a major conference role, the lobby, lifts and restaurants get busy when seminars or events are on, and some guests feel they get less privacy than at a small boutique hotel.
- Extra costs — valet parking, food and drinks — run high by the standards of luxury hotels in Polanco, and the pool is indoors rather than an outdoor sun pool, which won't suit anyone hoping to sunbathe.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a high floor on the side facing Bosque de Chapultepec — it's the best view, with green forest against the city skyline, and it's quieter than the side facing the street.
- If you're into wine or fine dining, book a dinner at the restaurant that draws on the hotel's wine cellar, billed as the largest in Latin America — it's a here-only experience, and there are 7 restaurants to rotate between across your meals.
- Use Auditorio metro station (Line 7), about a 5-8 minute walk, to catch the subway, and have taxis pick you up directly at the hotel's guest entrance, since the building is large and sits on a road that gets heavy at rush hour.