The Condesa neighborhood was a residential area in Mexico City that developed in the early 20th century. Currently, its privileged location and significant economic growth have brought it into the spotlight for all those who visit the city. For these reasons and many others, it was decided that Hostel La Buena Vida would be located in this area, and an ideal space was found on Mazatlán Street.

Throughout the area, the architecture reflects a typical style of the time. In order to stand out from this trend, the team at ARCO Contemporary Architecture proposed a double-layered facade —to minimize external noise— filled with color and texture, making the hostel stand out from any point on the street while respecting the tolerances and proportions of the surrounding buildings.

The facade highlights attractive geometric shapes, in a bold combination of various shades of magenta, or better known as the famous Mexican pink, moving in an architectural allegory reminiscent of candy wrappers and complemented by the serenity and warmth of Ipe wood lattice.

The hostel presents itself as an attractive alternative for the contemporary urban traveler, inviting them to enter a space that they know will definitely not be like the others. At street level, there is a small lobby where the reception is located, and guests can access the different spaces of the hostel spread over two levels, including the laundry area, communal kitchen-dining area, internet lounge, sun terrace, and the rooms.

The 8 shared rooms provide a total of 48 beds in bunk bed arrangements, with room capacities ranging from 4 to 10 beds. Each room has its integrated bathroom module, and each bed comes with a locker to ensure travelers that their belongings will be safe throughout their stay.

Color is a very important element of the entire project, and for the interiors, a palette of 5 different colors was selected. Color accents, both on the walls and furniture, were combined with large murals featuring fretwork and skulls in a style synchronous with the entire concept, maintaining Mexican tradition in one of its most representative elements. Hostel La Buena Vida surprises visitors with a complete experience in an atmosphere that combines the best proposal of its kind in a context that defines the Mexico City that is experienced today.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JAIME NAVARRO