A wonderful occurrence when an establishment lives up to its name, and that is certainly the case with the legendary Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico. This gracious, gorgeous grand dame of Mexico City hotels proudly maintains its noble position just off the massive Zocalo in the Centro Historico, providing an elegant but friendly, and remarkably reasonably priced, domicile for those lucky to stay there. From the magnificent Art Nouveau lobby, with its incredible stained glass ceiling and turn-of-the-century cage elevators (which guests can use once after checking in), to its very large, stately and comfortable rooms, the Gran Hotel fulfills its name and its reputation. Every employee, from the desk (many thanks to Manuel, Jorge and the delightful young woman whose name I unfortunately do not recall) to the bellmen (Javier, Victor and Enrique), and the lovely women who service the rooms, are warm, friendly and helpful in every instance. With the city's extraordinary history echoing through its hallways and just outside in vibrant central district, there is no better place to stay in CDMX.