La Condesa neighborhood. Mere steps from the Parque México, the new property is a serene retreat central to the city’s bustling energy.The reimagined hotel features 19 rooms across five floors, a lobby bar and lounge, and a rooftop terrace. Taking its name from the building itself, Edificio San Fernando, the property honors the patron saint of the Spanish Army Corps of Engineers. This ties in to the building’s architectural features, which draw from the anti-traditional elegance of the Art Deco era. Built in 1947 as an apartment building, original architectural details such as casement windows, encaustic tile floors, wainscoting in the corridors and lobby, and stained glass, remain, while Bunkhouse and Mexico City-based Reurbano revitalized the design to reflect the rich color and history of Mexico, melding old world elegance with new world style.
“CDMX has absolutely everything we love in a city, and more. The culinary scene is mind blowing, the depth of culture is remarkable, the architecture and design are stunning, and most important of all, the people are incredibly warm and welcoming. We’ve been searching for the right opportunity to open a hotel there for some time now, and in partnership with our friends at Reurbano, as well as countless other local creators, we couldn’t be more thrilled to expand into such a vibrant and captivating city.” – Amar Lalvani, Executive Chairman, Bunkhouse Group
Guests are immediately introduced to the hotel’s Art Deco inspiration with entry doors featuring playful, curved metal panes that are original to the building with new glass that mimics the historic stained-glass windows. The updated lobby design features pieces from many local collaborators, including lobby lounge chairs from CDMX furniture showroom Originario, while the eclectic art program features work from local CDMX-based artists such as Pedro Friedeberg and Ricardo Guevara, to a piece from Texas-based contemporary artist Cruz Ortiz. Hotel San Fernando’s lobby retail shop sells a thoughtful selection of Mexican-made wares from local artisans and makers meant to evoke the easy feeling of visiting CDMX, as well as custom Bunkhouse-created pieces only found on property.
Guests can ease into the morning with complimentary breakfast on the rooftop with daily offerings such as fresh fruits, classic Pan Dulces and rotating specialities like Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. In the evenings, guests are welcome to bring up snacks or a beverage from the downstairs lobby lounge. Accessible from the lobby through arched entryways in a rose-colored lacquer, the lounge, which boasts limited outdoor seating, also makes for the perfect first or last stop of a storied evening, offering coffee and pastries by day, and a curated selection of natural wines and cocktails alongside a menu of tostadas, aguachile, and other small bites in the afternoons and evenings. Stained-glass windows feature Art Deco details in bold hues of deep turquoise, dark emerald green, lavender, and ochre, while soft green walls and a bar clad in clay tile with a marble top complement unique furniture that brightens the space, such as a chandelier by local female designer Rebeca Cors.
With nods to Bunkhouse group’s Texas heritage, the 19 refreshed guest rooms feature clean-lined furnishings from local CDMX-based studio La Metropolitana and are accentuated with color blocked walls in a punchy coral, with ivory and gold peppered throughout. Touches reminiscent of home are found throughout the rooms, such as dishware and textiles that feel collected from the city’s various markets, with select rooms featuring a kitchenette for added convenience. The updated design also features pieces from many local collaborators, including customized bedside lighting and decorative lobby lamps from Oaxaca-based studio Oaxifornia, while Bunkhouse stained the built-in wood millwork by La Metropolitana in a warm tone and added a pop of teal and green to the exposed plywood edges, and the three new guest rooms on the roof level feature brand new furniture designed by Bunkhouse and fabricated by CDMX-based B Collective Studio, with colorful tiles in pale blue, coral, and green to create geometric patterns ranging from triangles to pinwheels. Lush plants add to the apartamento feeling in all the rooms, and a custom linen program from Kassatex, alongside signature Bunkhouse custom robes, reference the incredible textile heritage of the city.
The bohemian neighborhood of La Condesa is home to many restaurants, cafes, parks, and boutiques, offering endless exploration through the tree-lined streets. San Fernando embodies the Mexico City ideal of La Sobremesa, the stretch of time and conversation after eating is finished, providing a place to relax and unwind from the bustling city.
