FOUR SEASONS HOTEL, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

   During his brief reign as emperor of Mexico in the mid-1860s, Austrian-born Maximilian I ordered the construction of a wide boulevard that would traverse the country's capital in the same fashion that the Charnps-Elysees passed through Paris. The Hapsburg ruler, whom Napoleon III appointed to the throne, was executed by Mexican nationalists in 1867, but his European-style thoroughfare remains the heart of what is now the world's second-largest metropolis. The bustling, tree-lined Paseo de la Reforma is home to several of Mexico City's most notable monuments, including Chapultepec Castle (where Maximilian and his empress, Carlota, resided), the National Palace, the Angel de la Independencia war memorial, and the 14-year-old Four Seasons hotel.

    Set near Chapultepec Park and the National Museum of Anthropology and History, the Four Seasons, like its surround­ings, displays European influences. Bougainvillea and banana trees adorn the colonial-style hotel's central courtyard, where guests and city residents gather to hear classical jazz perfor­mances. The courtyard bar menu includes several Mexican standbys, but you will not fmd tacos or fajiras at Reforma 500, a formal dining venue with Mediterranean selections that might include crawfish soup with coriander, fettuccine with shredded duck and pine nuts, and Provencal-style roasted lamb chops.

     The Four Seasons completed a renovation of its flagship res­taurant and 240 guest rooms in spring 2006.While most. of the accommodations overlook the property's courtyard, tile top­floor presidential suite faces the street, offering a supreme view of the Paseo de la Reforma. Four Seasons Hotel Mexico, D.F., +52.55.5230.1818, 800.819.5053, http://www.fourseasons.com/

ACCOMMODATIONS
The eight-story hotel's 200 guest rooms and 40 suites have courtyard or city views.

FACILITIES
The Four Seasons does not have a dedicated spa, but massages are available en suite or in one of the three treatment rooms at the hotel's rooftop health club, which also includes a pool.

DINING
The formal Reforma 500 serves Mediterranean­style cuisine indoors or on the courtyard. El Bar offers casual dining and an extensive menu of fine sipping tequilas.

CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS
Take a weekend tour with the hotel's art historian, visiting the nearby Aztec pyramids at Teotihuacan and the Dolores Olmedo Patifio Museum, home to one of the largest private collections of works by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

RATES
From $340 for a standard room to $3)50 for the three­bedroom presidential suite.

 NIGHTLIFE

   Mexico City's nightlife is as lively and varied as everything else the city has to offer. All tastes are catered for from gentle supper clubs with floorshows and loud, brash nightclubs to ritzy piano bars, rustic antros (or disco-bars) and bars specialising in traditional Mexican music. La Zona Rosa remains a popular nightspot district but has lost ground to Polanco and Condesa in recent years. San Angel is another hot hangout. Prices of drinks and admission vary enormously depending on the area. Nightlife starts late and rages to the wee small hours. No licensing hours apply though many bars and nightclubs close on Sundays. Mexico's minimum age for drinking is 18 years old.

   To check on what's happening across the city, pick up a copy of weekly listings magazine Tiempo Libre (http://www.tiempolibre.com.mx/), published every Thursday from the newsstands (Spanish only). English-language newspaper, The News, also has a brief what's-on guide at the weekend.
 
   Bar-hopping at high altitude can have a dramatic effect on the body, from spells of dizziness and heightened intoxication to bouts of serious nausea. One drink in Mexico City can be the equivalent to two elsewhere in the world - so it pays to proceed with caution. Crime in the capital is another consideration after dark. Pickpockets are rife in crowded nightlife areas where wallets and bags should be well guarded.