casa9

You’d be hard pressed to find a more exemplary hospitality success story than casa9 in Mexico City. Originally built in the early 20th century as a decadent private residence for a wealthy family, the home slowly fell into disrepair and became lost in the vast expanse of the city. Decrepit and overgrown with local fauna, the house was left neglected for decades before a new family eventually purchased the structure, and they were quick to give it a second chance at life along with a top-to-bottom makeover. Now — years later and world away from where it was — it exists as one of the most exquisite bed and breakfasts in Mexico City.

With just four rooms, everything about casa9 is intimate. Architects Rafael Rivera and Javier Claveri (of trailblazing architectural firm Habitación 116) are known for their playful and experimental designs, and that’s something that’s on full display here. Wood paneling that recalls mid-century modernism, floor-to-ceiling window walls, and elegant, minimal furnishings that would make the Eameses blush — that’s the look in a nutshell.

The location, too, can’t be overlooked. It’s well situated in La Condesa, which is designated as a “Barrio Mágico Turístico” along with neighboring Roma. Together, these two neighborhoods are considered the center of the creative communities in the city, as well as two of the most architecturally significant neighborhoods in all of Mexico City — not hard to see why it’d be a desirable spot for the sort of person who’d call casa9 home.