Brick Hotel, Mexico City
A Belle Époque mansion where historic elegance meets the creative energy of Roma Norte
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A beautifully restored early 20th-century mansion built with imported English bricks, preserving one of Roma Norte’s architectural landmarks while introducing contemporary luxury.
● Just 17 rooms and suites combine Belle Époque architecture with understated modern interiors, creating one of Mexico City’s most intimate boutique hotels.
● Multiple restaurants, bars, a rooftop terrace, and a hidden speakeasy make Brick Hotel as much a neighbourhood destination as a place to stay.
A House with Many Lives
Long before Roma Norte became Mexico City’s creative epicentre, this elegant mansion was already turning heads. Built in the early twentieth century for the director of the Bank of London & Mexico, using bricks imported from England, the house reflected the European ambitions of the capital during the Porfiriato era. Over the following decades it served as a presidential residence, later became a notorious brothel, and eventually slipped into decline before its careful restoration. Today, Brick Hotel embraces every chapter of that extraordinary history. Rather than disguising the building beneath fashionable design, local architecture studio LRDG allowed its Belle Époque character to remain firmly in place, giving one of Roma’s finest historic houses a new purpose.
Heritage Without Nostalgia
The restoration feels remarkably restrained. The distinctive English brick façade remains one of the neighbourhood’s architectural signatures, while original ceramic tiles and historic detailing establish the building’s identity before guests even reach reception. Inside, contemporary interventions quietly take over. Parquet floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, full-height mirrors with subtle Art Deco references, warm neutral tones, and elegant lighting create interiors that feel sophisticated without overwhelming the original architecture. There is luxury here, certainly, but it arrives through proportion, craftsmanship, and atmosphere rather than visual excess.
Only Seventeen Rooms
With just 17 rooms and suites, Brick retains the atmosphere of a private residence. The guestrooms favour calm over spectacle. Warm timber flooring, soft textiles, restrained colour palettes, curated Mexican artwork, and bespoke lighting create spaces that feel insulated from the energy outside. The suites become progressively more generous, introducing claw-foot bathtubs, high ceilings, and balconies overlooking Roma’s leafy streets. At the top sits the Rooftop Suite, spread across two levels with a private terrace, outdoor soaking tub, and panoramic views across one of Mexico City’s most attractive neighbourhoods. It feels less like a hotel room than an elegant city apartment.
The Social Side of Roma
Brick understands that in Roma, hotels are expected to participate in neighbourhood life. The hotel’s restaurants and bars attract as many locals as overnight guests, helping the building remain socially active throughout the day. The restaurant reinterprets contemporary Mexican cuisine using seasonal ingredients, while the relaxed terrace provides one of the district’s quieter outdoor settings. As evening arrives, the atmosphere shifts towards Embury Speakeasy, hidden behind discreet entrances and serving carefully crafted cocktails in an intimate, low-lit setting that suits the building’s slightly mysterious history rather well.
More Than a Hotel
Like Roma Norte itself, Brick sits at the intersection of architecture, food, design, and culture. Independent galleries, bookshops, cafés, creative studios, and some of Mexico City’s finest restaurants are all within walking distance. Rosetta, Contramar, small neighbourhood bakeries, and countless independent boutiques reinforce the feeling that this part of the city is designed as much for wandering as for sightseeing. Brick doesn’t isolate itself from that creative ecosystem. Instead, it becomes part of it.
Why It Works
Brick Hotel succeeds because it understands that heritage is most compelling when it continues to evolve. LRDG’s sensitive restoration preserves the elegance of one of Roma Norte’s finest Belle Époque mansions while introducing contemporary design with admirable restraint. The intimate scale, thoughtful interiors, lively restaurants and bars, and deep connection to the neighbourhood create a hotel that feels inseparable from Roma itself. In a district built on creativity, culture, and beautifully preserved architecture, Brick has become exactly what the neighbourhood deserves: a modern classic.
