Serene Elegance and Olfactory Splendor at Mexico City’s Casa Polanco
A minimalist environment elevated by a unique collaboration with local perfumer, Xinú
Overlooking CDMX‘s Parque Lincoln, Casa Polanco (opened during the summer of 2022) celebrates the architectural history and contemporary art scene of the sprawling metropolis. The luxurious 19-room boutique hotel offers an elegant, minimalist environment with a peaceful palette of natural colors accented with fresh plants and green marble. Built in the 1940s, the historic neoclassical villa has been artfully restored and expanded (led by architect Claudio Gantuz) with an adjoining contemporary geometric structure. The architecture, art, design and product collaborations at the property bring together the local creative community in a nuanced sensory experience.
One such partnership is a unique collaboration with local perfumer Xinú, which ensures that the entire hotel smells like a subtly fragrant garden. Hotel amenities are also courtesy of Xinú, a company known for their use of raw materials from the Americas.
In addition to experiencing Xinú’s intoxicating fragrances at the hotel, guests can visit their gallery (about a quick drive or seven-minute walk) to immerse themselves in the sensory world of the company. Ring the bell to be allowed inside a dimly lit entry with white sculptural forms and reflective surfaces. A table display of natural elements of the fragrances sits close by, and upstairs visitors will find an otherworldly gallery that appears full of foraged ingredients for magic potions. Each of their five signature scents is set up as a display revealing their ingredients and inspiration.
Visitors are invited to pick up the glass domes, beautifully carved wooden wands and hand-blown glass vessels with wooden hand-carved half-spheres that were designed by Esrawe Studio and Cadena & Associates to reveal the beautiful notes of each perfume. The bottle design, an embodiment of their sustainable practices, can be reused as small vases and incense holders and can be artfully stacked into full spheres and other shapes.
At the hotel, guests can use the brand’s Flor de Musgo lotion (comprising lime oil, tuberose, moss and cedarwood), their hand sanitizer gel (made with mentha piperita, eucalyptus and mandarin) and more.
Casa Polanco combines the feeling of staying in a friend’s home with the hospitality of a luxury hotel. Guests are greeted at the front gate and ushered through a beautiful wrought iron embellished door into the library to check in. Light filters through a two-story glass ceiling onto the tables in the interior veranda. The property has been set up for completely private accommodations, with meals, afternoon tea and cocktails available for guests in their rooms, on the veranda, or on a balcony overlooking the park.
Flanking the dining area, black and white murals by Lucía Prudencio (who is from Xalapa, Veracruz) were made in association with Ángulo Cero gallery. Prudencio’s work with traditional printing techniques informs the large-scale works developed with interior designers Mónica Romo and Monica Novelo of Casa M+M for Casa Polanco’s garden-themed central gathering space.
Decorative items were sourced from antique shops and markets in Mexico. The art collection focuses on works by Mexican artists and were selected by curator Santiago Toca. There are sculptures by Rodrigo Gargarza, paintings by Ricardo Mazal and Jordi Boldó, and photography by Graciela Iturbide and Roberto Polidori.
Guest rooms and suites are spread throughout both sides of the property and are connected by wood and glass corridors and an angular, sculptural staircase. Gantuz designed the new structure to seamlessly complement and blend with the original house. Pale green marble floors, archways and romantic wrought iron lead into the minimalist-leaning contemporary part of the property.
Each of the guest accommodations extends the feeling of tranquility with walnut floors, light fabrics and cozy seating in each room. Most have patios or balconies with garden views throughout and vases holding fresh-cut greenery.
Three times each day, Xinú’s Madera Santa incense—with subtle notes of cedar leaf, Guatemalan patchouli, cedarwood, and Mexican vanilla—is diffused throughout the hotel. The subtle, inviting fragrance along with the decor, leafy surrounds and exceptional service all provide a dreamy respite from the pulsing energy of Mexico’s vibrant capital city.
Hero image courtesy of Karyn Millet
