Now that the first generation of hip boutique hotels is firmly established in Mexico City, it's time for a second, more luxurious wave. The chic enclave of Polanco, never a rough neighborhood in the first place, is home to a new crop of elegant, opulent boutique hotels, hotels like the impeccably crafted, impeccably styled Las Alcobas.Seasoned travelers might feel a tinge of familiarity emanating from Las Alcobas's urbane spaces, thanks to the designers %u2014 the New York%u2013based Yabu Pushelberg are responsible for some of North America's most sophisticated hotel spaces, and there's a hint of Manhattan-style confidence pervading these rooms. The interiors strike a stately note, in monochrome whites and blacks with the occasional rich wood accent, and European design pieces mix freely with native-inspired objects, recalling the heritage of Mexico City itself.The rooms, suites and penthouses are comfortable and exquisitely private, fitting for a hotel called "the alcoves"; they mix most of the comforts of home with some luxuries we wish we could come home to. It's a small hotel, but not too small to have its own spa %u2014 and Las Alcobas is home to not one but two restaurants, the fine-dining Barroco and the cantina-style Dulce Patria.