Fodor's Expert Review Gran Hotel

Located on leafy Parque Hidalgo, this legendary 1901 hotel has high ceilings, wrought-iron balcony and stair rails, and ornately patterned tile floors. The period decor is so classic that you expect a mantilla-wearing Spanish señorita to appear, fluttering her fan, at any moment. The old-fashioned sitting room features antiques and plants; wide interior verandas on the second and third floors provide pretty outside seating. Porfirio Díaz, the dictator who ruled over Mexico for almost 35 years, stayed in one of the corner suites, which have small living and dining areas.