Where to stay in Mexico City
Benito Juárez airport is about 8 km by road from the Zócalo, and every area in this guide lies within about 18 km of it. The areas differ in what surrounds the door and in whether the street has meters; the lodging tax depends on the kind of place booked.
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How the areas differ
The Centro Histórico spreads out from the Zócalo, the largest plaza in Latin America, over 668 blocks with 1,550 buildings of historical importance and many of the city's museums; UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage Site. Juárez lies to the west, between Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida Chapultepec and Bucareli, and holds the Zona Rosa, with its shopping, nightlife and Little Seoul.
Roma, just west of the historic centre, has streets of restaurants, bars, galleries and shops, many in Art Nouveau and Neo-Classical buildings from the early twentieth century. Condesa, immediately west of Roma, adds many international restaurants and bars, and Parque México. Polanco, in the Miguel Hidalgo borough, is known for luxury shopping on Presidente Masaryk, upscale hotels and embassies, and the National Museum of Anthropology is about 2 km away by road.
Coyoacán, about 12 km south of the Zócalo by road, is a borough where many former villages kept their plazas, narrow streets and old buildings, and its historic centre draws visitors at weekends. The Frida Kahlo Museum is under 1 km from that centre.
Staying with a rental car
Street parking in Roma Norte, part of Condesa and Polanco is metered. The city's meter system, ecoParq, covers Roma Norte, Hipódromo in Condesa, Polanco and other colonias such as Anzures, Lomas de Chapultepec and Nápoles, and charges MXN 3.40 per 15 minutes in 2026. In Roma and Hipódromo the meters run Monday to Wednesday from 08:00 to 20:00 and Thursday to Saturday from 08:00 to 01:00; in Polanco they keep weekday hours, and the blocks between Arquímedes, Horacio, Molière and Reforma run to 01:00 from Wednesday to Saturday. Drivers pay with coins, the Mueve Ciudad card or an app, entering the full plate number. The zones and hours are as the system listed them in June 2025.
The city charges MXN 340 to remove a wheel clamp, MXN 1,001 for a tow and MXN 104 a day in the pound in 2026, and a car on out-of-state plates left unpaid in a meter zone is clamped and can go to the pound after two hours (via GetCar). Juárez is outside ecoParq: its street parking has a separate operator and app. The Centro Histórico and Coyoacán are not in the meter list, so ask the hotel or host about a space before booking.
Under Hoy No Circula, cars with a 1 or 2 hologram rest one weekday and some or all Saturdays, from 05:00 to 22:00, by plate ending, and a company-owned rental cannot get the free tourist pass (via GetCar). GetCar's guide Driving in Mexico City covers the hologram rules, the two airports and the tolls out of the city.
What the taxes and registration rules mean for a guest
Two taxes sit on a stay. The city's lodging tax is 3.5% of the total in hotels, hostels, motels and timeshare, and 5% in flats and houses let whole or in part. It counts everything paid for the stay, deposits and advances included, and the law has providers pass it on to the guest; when a platform collects the payment for a flat or house, the platform pays the tax to the city. VAT (IVA) of 16% comes on top, and a platform selling stays for hosts must show the IVA separately or mark prices "IVA incluido". Mexican consumer law requires the total price, taxes and charges included, to be shown.
Since the reform of the city's tourism law published on 4 April 2024, every flat or house let to tourists must be in the Padrón de Anfitriones, the host registry of the city's tourism secretariat. Each property gets a folio, valid for one year; platforms must show it on every listing, and the host must display it in the property with the city's emergency numbers and a contact number. From a host's fourth property on, each further one must be registered as a commercial establishment, unless the host lives in the home where rooms are let. Press reports say the online registry opened in May 2026 and that the deadline for hosts already operating moved to December; both dates are unverified as of September 2026.
At check-in, hotels and hosts must ask for an official ID proving the guest is an adult, and may admit minors only with a person who can prove kinship or custody.
When to book what
Look for the folio on the listing before paying, and compare totals with the lodging tax and IVA included. With a car, a place with its own parking space saves feeding meters that in Roma and Hipódromo run to 01:00 from Thursday to Saturday. Check the rental's hologram against the days planned for driving.
For an early flight from Benito Juárez, the Centro Histórico is the closest area in this guide, about 8 km away by road. Some flights use Felipe Ángeles airport instead, about 48 km north of the Zócalo, so check the airport on the ticket before choosing a base.
Which area for which trip
Sights and museums on foot: the Centro Histórico.
Restaurants, bars and galleries: Roma Norte.
Parque México and international restaurants: Condesa.
A central base beside Reforma: Juárez.
Upscale hotels and shopping: Polanco.
Old plazas and the Frida Kahlo Museum: Coyoacán.
Questions
How far is the airport from Roma and Condesa?
About 12 km by road to Roma Norte and about 14 km to Condesa, from Terminal 1 of Benito Juárez airport. The Zócalo is about 8 km from the airport.
Is the lodging tax higher for apartments than for hotels?
Yes. The city charges 3.5% in hotels, hostels and motels and 5% in flats and houses, on the total paid for the stay. VAT (IVA) of 16% comes on top.
Where are the parking meters in Mexico City?
The city's ecoParq zones include Roma Norte, Hipódromo in Condesa, Polanco, Anzures, Lomas de Chapultepec and Nápoles, at MXN 3.40 per 15 minutes in 2026. Juárez has its own operator.
Does Hoy No Circula apply to a rental car?
It depends on the hologram on the windscreen: 00 and 0 drive every day outside pollution alerts, while 1 and 2 rest by plate ending. A company-owned rental cannot get the free tourist pass, so ask the desk (via GetCar).
What is the folio on a Mexico City rental listing?
The registration number from the Padrón de Anfitriones, the city's host registry. Platforms must show it on each listing, and hosts must display it in the property.