IHG

Disclaimer: In exchange for a hosted stay, I am writing this review of Kimpton Virgilio.

After a nice stay that was coincidentally almost across the street, it was time for my first Kimpton experience.

As the newest hotel in Polanco — it will be celebrating its 1st anniversary this February — the Kimpton Virgilio, an IHG hotel, still seemed to have that polished look.

In accord with the rest of its Polanco neighbors, at only 48 rooms and suites, the property is quite small. Amusingly, I actually walked by the entrance a couple of times before giving up and passing through the doors of Pepe, its in-house restaurant. Indeed, the hotel lobby might as well be the size of a Hong Kong apartment…that is to say, it’s compact.

Location & Access

Close to a number of restaurants, shops, and cafes, the hotel is also a short walk to Chapultepec Park, and the National Museum of Anthropology.

Public transit isn’t so easy if you’re coming from MEX, the primary international airport, but Uber worked out quite well when it wasn’t rush hour; it was only 35 minutes from the hotel to Terminal 1.

However, if you are keen on public transportation, the Metrobus stations of Campo Marte and Auditorio are quite close. Grab a multifunctional transit card (it works on the metro, cable cars, buses, trams, etc.) first, then take a bus down Paseo de la Reforma towards Campo Marte.

Check-in & Room

Although I had to wait a short time, I was able to check-in early. Still, I can’t wrap my noggin around that tiny lobby…do they not expect more than one party to check-in at a time?

They offered a welcome drink while I waited at the more spacious Pepe restaurant.

Before heading to the room, I wanted to take advantage of empty hallways for some photos:

Airy and leafy, I always appreciate a good hotel atrium. The one at Kimpton Virgilio had the advantage of an assortment of plants scattered throughout.

How about my room?

The first thing I noticed, besides the rather inviting bed, was the lack of a workstation. Where’d it go? No business travelers here?

One other annoying thing was that the switch that controlled the living room light also controlled that of the bedroom. There were smaller lights, but those had far fewer lumens.

The bathroom was immaculate, the shower pressure great, and the soaps and shampoo had some wildly unexpected aromas…all good!

As you may have noticed in the above video, there were two patios. However, one had the displeasure of a constant generator sound; perhaps it was coming from the hotel gym just down the hall?

And I do mean right down the hall.

Stingy lighting, but serviceable gym, innit?

Dining

I happened to be able to enjoy one breakfast and one dinner at Pepe, or Pepe Mesa Española to be more correct.

As a welcoming, convivial place to grab a bite and a drink or two, I liked the fact that there was also very good ventilation. Given how nice the temperature is for much of the average Mexico City day, the doors to Pepe were left wide open for most of its operating hours.

Speaking of which…

Kitchen: Monday – Sunday7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Bar: Monday – Sunday7:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.

Let’s start with what I had for breakfast.

Whereas I did order…

I barely finished the plate. Why? Good reason. I had a lengthy and amiable conversation with one of the lead f&b crew, Rocío Elizabeth. As much as I want to eat just about everything in Mexico, having a good chat often leaves a more indelible image.

Dinner though, that was fun.

It was a tasting menu of some of the restaurant’s highlights, which appeared to infuse some Japanese flavors into a number of dishes. Each plating was paired with wine or beer, or for the dessert course, an espresso cocktail. Given the alcohol — and Spanish elements — involved, you can be sure I ordered bread with olive oil and sprinkled with smoky pimentón (paprika).

To begin, a delicious serving of calçot, a type of green onion from Catalonia (which calls Barcelona its capital):

Already we have another candidate for a top five eat of 2025! The calçot was beautifully grilled, and imparted a naturally sweet addition to the otherwise savory dish. Muhammara is a Syrian dip made of walnuts, roasted red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and migas, or bread crumbs.

In other words, it was a one-two punch of holy moly, was that good.

Up next…

Jamón Ibérico dumplings, with a sherry broth and pickled chilies.

As much as I like dumplings, these were rather lacking in the ham department. Still, good sauce.

Huevos rotos is a Madrid specialty. Take an egg, poach it in lots of olive oil, then lay it to rest on a bed of fries. Yeah, it’s that healthy.

Pepe’s version was a more upscale one, with fries, chistorra (a type of chorizo), jamón Ibérico, and parsley. And a glass of Kung Fu Girl wine (oddball name, but quite tasty).

The potatoes could have used a bit more salt, but instead of that, I just ordered a lot of bread.

Main dish time.

Ooh, another winner.

I’m typically against something sweet showing up in my dinner, but the sugars and slight kick of the purée sure did help offset the richness of the lamb. Artichokes, too, are another overlooked vegetable that seem to only ever get fried, or mashed into dips. Good job!

By this point, I was open to not having dessert…but then I suddenly had an image of a porra with hot chocolate. What’s a porra? A churro that has eaten too many other churros.

Eh, they didn’t have porra, but the churro bites sufficed. As did the fried arroz con leche balls, and the cheesecake-on-a-stick.

Good, attentive service by Lobato and Neri, too.

After taking a short pause, I went to the Peruvian-influenced rooftop bar, La Caña.

First, here are a few day and night shots.

La Caña’s kitchen is open daily from 9am – 11pm, and there’s a live DJ nightly from Thursday – Saturday, and during Sunday afternoon.

Due to a busy schedule, I didn’t spend too much time up there, but it was quite amenable to wiling away hours with friends and colleagues.

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In spite of lacking a proper workstation, and the presence of a loud generator in one of the patio spaces, I had a rather tranquil stay at Kimpton Virgilio. The food worked, service was friendly, and the location was quiet.