 | Flytrippers cofounder |
I love unique boutique hotels, design-focused properties in particular, and the Marriott Bonvoy program… so it’s somewhat surprising that it took me this long to finally experience their cool Design Hotels soft brand. I was back in Guadalajara, an incredibly underrated Mexican city, and redeemed a free night certificate at Casa Habita.
With the can’t-miss record-high deal on both Marriott Bonvoy cards, it’s the absolute best time to finally get your extremely precious Marriott certificates (and a ton of points, too). You should definitely have 2 certificates every year!
You can also read the 12 reasons why I loved Guadalajara. Flytrippers aims to help you travel for less through our 3 types of content, namely flight deals, travel rewards, and tips/inspiration/news.
Here’s my review of Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels.
What is it like to stay at Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels was amazing. The small 37-room hotel felt very intimate yet still had great common areas, including a nice pool area and rooftop terrace.
The historic Art Deco main building was masterfully refurbished in an eclectic style, and the new 9-story building is superbly designed. It feels like an oasis, even though the urban hotel is in a great location in a vibrant city.
Design Hotels is one of Marriott’s soft brands, meaning it’s a collection of very original properties rather than cookie-cutter chain hotels. Those are my absolute favorites, and this one is design-focused. Casa Habita was an amazing first experience.
What is the price of Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
I booked the Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels with one of my Marriott Bonvoy free night certificates.
These are literally among the very best credit card benefits. Every single Canadian traveler should have 2 of them each year, thanks to the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card (contrary to the common myth, no incorporated business is required).
Both cards currently have record-high offers until September 22. Do not miss out.
|
Best credit cards for Marriott points |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LUCRATIVENo min. inc.
 Valuation (BONUS)(≈ 19.6% back on $6k)
Rewards: ≈ $1293
Card fee: $120 (≈ 19.6% back on $6k)
Rewards: ≈ $1293
Card fee: $120
Spend required:
$6k in 6 mos. spend $6k in 6 mos. &
make 1 purchase in month 15 Best for: 122,000 pts after welcome bonus
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LUCRATIVENo min. inc.
Valuation (BONUS)(≈ 11.9% back on $10k)
Rewards: ≈ $1335
Card fee: $150 (≈ 11.9% back on $10k)
Rewards: ≈ $1335
Card fee: $150
Spend required:
$10k in 6 mos. spend $10k in 6 mos. &
make 1 purchase in month 15 Best for: 130,000 pts after welcome bonus
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. |
The price in points was precisely 35,000 for my night in November, meaning I didn’t need to add a top-up to the certificate.
The price in cash was 345 USD, which gave me a very decent value for this certificate. I basically prepaid 120 CAD (the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card’s annual fee) to get a room worth 345 USD.
That’s being a savvy traveler. Knowing how to do math correctly is so important in the wonderful world of travel rewards.
It’s not the best Marriott certificate redemption I’ve made, but I wanted to experience this particular hotel and brand. I can gladly recommend this certificate redemption.
Where is Casa Habita, Guadalajara located?
Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels is located in the city’s trendiest neighborhood, Colonia Americana. It’s an upscale area near the city center. The hotel is on a quiet residential street, so it’s very peaceful.
You can walk to all of the neighborhood’s great restaurants and bars (I’ll share a few in the food section), and to a few attractions I also enjoyed, like the MANIFESTO art gallery, the MUSA museum and neighboring church, Revolución Park, Anestesia alternative bar, etc.
The rest of the awesome city is a short Uber ride away, and they’re pretty affordable in Guadalajara.
How was the check-in experience at Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels is inside a small low-rise Art Deco building and an adjoining modern tower. The entrance is not particularly visible from the street due to the bushes and limited signage.
The lush greenery at the front door is also a recurring theme throughout the hotel.
It really feels like you’re entering someone’s home mansion, rather than a hotel.
The check-in area feels very retro.
There was already someone being served, so I sat on the red sofa.
There was a powerful scent that really fit the vibe (and it was from a Mexican perfumer).
I almost always get early check-in thanks to my Marriott elite status, but this was a rare occasion where they weren’t able to offer it when I arrived at 1:30 PM.
With the hotel having only 37 rooms, it’s a bit easier to understand. The friendly agent still processed my check-in to get that out of the way.
Thankfully, the hotel offers a free cocktail at the pool bar as a welcome drink, so I left my bags and headed up with my laptop to get some work done and pass the time.
At 3 PM, the room was ready, and I got the key. And it was an actual old-school key.
I got a free upgrade thanks to my elite status, but not to a suite. Again, they really don’t have many of those at a small property. I got a higher room category, a room with a balcony. I never have expectations in North America anyway (everything’s way better elsewhere).
What is the room like at Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
I booked the standard room at Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels, but I got an upgraded room (official room name: Balcony Room, Guest room, 1 Queen, City view, Balcony).
I headed to the 2nd floor. Even the hallways were very colorful.
I was in room 203.
It’s located in the modern tower.
The room was very bright, and the design was very original indeed.
The balcony was quite nice, with a chair and a small table, next to a few plants.
The view of the pool area and all the greenery was pleasant.
There was a small table with a single stylish red chair in the corner.
The queen-sized bed was very comfortable.
I loved that the bed was facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a great view even when lying down.
That means the television was on the side wall. I really don’t care as I never watch TV, but it was on the smaller side.
The room itself was also on the smaller side, so they cleverly added a built-in shelf in the headboard to avoid needing nightstands on either side.
That headboard is actually also a huge storage cabinet accessible from the other side. I’ll get back to that.
The bathroom was stylish, albeit also on the smaller side.
Even something as minor as the light fixture was far from boring.
The shower was on one side.
The toilet was on the other side, with a partial wall, but it wasn’t fully enclosed.
The hotel had its own branded toiletries.
The 2 bathrobes were very comfortable and found in the first cabinet door behind the bed, along with a full-size mirror.
The next one was the largest storage space.
The safe and a few more shelves for storage were in another.
The last door had the mini fridge and mini bar items.
There was no free water provided. Thankfully, there’s always the trick for free water in the hotel gym.
On the table were another 2 bottles of water. As is the case in any hotel worldwide, they were pricey. I can assure you water bottles in Mexico cost 20 MXN, not 90 MXN.
There was a greeting note on the bed, but no welcome amenity other than the free cocktail coupon given at check-in.
I slept great; it was very quiet given that there were only 5 rooms on my floor. What’s unique is my room shared no wall with any other room (only hallways all around).
The air conditioning was okay and was controlled from a wall-mounted display.
The Wi-Fi signal was strong.
While there was no desk, I could manage with just the table, and anyway, there were more than enough places to work from in the common areas.
What amenities are offered at Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
The highlight of the amenities at Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels is the pool area 1 level above the main floor.
While it is indeed a very small pool, the pretty setting is quite unique.
The quirky wall on one side of the pool separated the hallway that led to the main building.
There were plenty of white loungers, sofas, and chairs.
There was even a cute little private hut with a vintage television for those who wanted more shade or privacy.
The hotel has its own little garden, which adds to the already very green vibe.
Downstairs, there was a separate outdoor courtyard terrace that was also very beautiful.
There were plants all over, even inside. So it did feel very tropical even if it’s in the middle of a huge city.
The lobby felt like a cozy retro living room.
If you like unique design, every single common area in the hotel is very pretty.
Even the elevator interior was cool.
Finally, the rooftop terrace offered a great view.
The only downside would be that there wasn’t much in terms of furniture up there, only a few loungers and fewer chairs.
There’s a hotel spa, but I didn’t try it (I do recommend the back massage at the Manassana Spa 2 blocks away, though). There was even a massage chair on the rooftop.
Sadly, the hotel gym was small and not open 24/7, which is really my only complaint about the stay.
How was the food at Casa Habita, Guadalajara?
I actually didn’t get any food at Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels, apart from the welcome drink.
I normally would have at least tried the breakfast, but among Marriott’s 40+ different brands, Design Hotels is one of the very few that don’t offer free breakfast to Platinum elites and above.
I can say that the welcome cocktail was great. I chose a margarita, of course. Almost everyone knows tequila, but few know it comes specifically from the nearby city of Tequila (visiting the city and a distillery was a lot of fun).
That pool bar was elegant and quiet, and the waiter was nice.
Down in the lobby, there’s another retro-inspired bar.
The hotel’s restaurant was also located in the lobby.
It had its own separate terrace on the other side of the building, with plenty of nice plants.
But being in Colonia Americana, there are so many delicious food options a few steps away, including 1.5 USD tacos and 2 USD quesadillas at Las Originales Carnes (and plenty of other spots).
I also had great meals at De La Õ Cantina and Café palReal, and on the more upscale side, Hueso was literally one of my most unique restaurant experiences ever. I share a bit more about them in the food section of my post about my Guadalajara trip.
Learning how to travel for less
Join over 150,000 savvy Canadian travelers who already receive Flytrippers’ free newsletter so we can help you travel for less (and inspire you, too)!
Sign up for our free newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter
Summary
My review of Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels is extremely positive. If you like unique boutique hotels, you’ll enjoy this property, which is very well located in an amazing Mexican city that too few travelers know about.
What would you like to know about my review of Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels (Marriott)? Tell us in the comments below.
See the flight deals we spot: Cheap flights
Discover free travel with rewards: Travel rewards
Explore awesome destinations: Travel inspiration
Learn pro tricks: Travel tips
Featured image: Casa Habita, Guadalajara, a Member of Design Hotels (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)
