The Mexican tourism industry is dropping, but former Netflix executive and current owner of La Palomilla BnB Alessandra Pérez-Cirera is determined to make a difference in hospitality. We sat down to talk with her about the challenges of hospitality in Mexico, what sets her business apart, and what it means to switch careers in her forties.
1. How do you think 2019 changed the way Mexican tourism operates?
2019 was definitely a challenge as the budget that was previously allocated to promoting tourism for Mexico was eliminated – even though it’s the second biggest income of the country. Thankfully, Mexicans always have better results when presented with a challenge, so all of us in hospitality are responding creatively to the task now that we have to do the promoting and presenting of our properties on our own. We depend on our own wit and means to be presented to the right audience at the right time and hopefully convince them to visit our beautiful country and our property.
2. Why do you think travelers would want to visit CDMX in 2020?
There are few countries in the world that compete with Mexico in the sense of a real ¨home away from home¨ feel. We believe in opening our homes, in service from the heart, in offering a superb experience and to make you as comfortable as we possibly can. If you are looking to be pampered, to eat to your heart’s content, and experience a different and unique culture a short flight away from the US, you will be blown away with the offering Mexico City has in all of these aspects.
3. What would you say is the mission statement of La Palomilla?
We receive and spoil our guests with our heart on our sleeve. We love sharing Mexican Culture and are passionate about service, learning, creating and growing the Roma-Condesa community with La Palomilla.
4. In what ways do you incorporate an “authentic Mexican experience?”
La Palomilla was designed with the foreign tourist and a home feel in mind. Mexicans are known worldwide for their hospitality, candor and open heart (plus delicious food). When you arrive at La Palomilla, we receive you with an agua fresca, you arrive to a quiet street with no cars so you don’t have to worry about traffic. Before arrival, we ask if you have dietary restrictions, and if you like, we pick you up from the airport, so from the first moment you feel like you are in a friend’s home. We arrange your experience around your likes and interests. For example, if you’re into Lucha Libre, we give you the Lucha Libre room, take you to the Luchas, make sure you dress the part and make sure you’re in good hands. Just like family.
5. Why do you think incorporating those aspects is so important to your business model?
Because normally during your stay at a hotel or a bed and breakfast, things have become so busy that the guest is typically just someone occupying a room. At La Palomilla, we can only receive 14 people at a time; we attend to 7 rooms. We know your name and we know what you like. We want you to feel like you have a big sister in Mexico City. We want to be different. We want you to remember your stay in Mexico and make it an unforgettable one.
6. What sets you apart from other BnB’s in your area?
We are sort of your personal assistants. We bring in the personal touch, the homemade look and feel. We buy from local businesses, farm to table. We make homemade granola, jams, and cookies or brownies every afternoon. We cater to every guests’ specific needs. We offer airport pick up, and we organize personalized experiences from Mezcal tastings to in house yoga lessons. Depending on what you like and prefer, we make a plan for you, so all you need to do is book your flight and your room. We’ll do all the legwork for you. Think of it as Mexican Hospitality at a Bed and Breakfast with a personal concierge. Also, you can walk to some of the main attractions of Mexico City like the Anthropology Museum and The Chapultepec Castle right from La Palomilla. Some of the most popular 5 star restaurants and bars are steps away. It’s really the best of CDMX all around you, but we are also on a quiet street and it’s nice to come back for a great sleep.
7. How do you feel those factors work together for your business?
We really care. We love to serve. We enjoy meeting explorers and friends who want to get to visit and live a different culture. We want to help promote Mexico and share what Mexico is. It’s a win/win however you look at it.
8. How do you balance those ideals while ensuring you hit a bottom line?
You can’t forget it’s a business, or it turns into the most expensive hobby in the world and I have to remember that 6 families depend on the income of the business. There’s a lot of good ways to make sure that doesn’t happen. So the experiences and the service needs to be top notch to keep attracting new guests.
9. What other challenges do you think are happening in the Mexican tourist industry?
Traveler’s also have concerns about safety, which we try to meet by assisting them in travel to and from the airport and recommending places we know are interesting and safe. It’s like if you visit Los Angeles, your friends wouldn’t send you to check out Skid Row.
10. How have you found American guests react to the hospitality experience you provide?
It’s a great experience. They are grateful and a little shocked that we kind of think a step ahead to surprise and delight them. Our guests are everything. We go out of our way to make their experience an unforgettable one.
11. Finally, what’s your favorite thing about your work? What does it allow you to do that a traditional 9 to 5 wouldn’t?
My favorite thing about my work is that I get to meet amazing people from all over the world and help them get to see “my” Mexico City and have unique experiences only people that have lived in a place for a while have the opportunity to view.
With this job I get to organize my work hours, I have a work-life balance, I can hang out with my niece and nephews and with my partner for quality time (of course you need a staff and great teamwork to help you out because if you don’t have back up you’re dead meat). I have the opportunity to travel and to experience different bed and breakfasts and look into what would make sense to bring back to La Palomilla. I’m so lucky to be doing this in my 40’s and there’s still so much room to grow and I’m looking forward to it!
About Alessandra Pérez-Cirera
Alessandra Pérez-Cirera is the owner and manager of La Palomilla, one of Mexico City’s premiere Bed and Breakfasts boasting a colorful and authentic LatinX experience in the La Roma-Condesa neighborhood. Pérez-Cirera got the travel bug early, as she divided her early years between Mexico and its northern neighbor the United States. With two Master level degrees in journalism and business, her career began in the entertainment industry in CDMX at CNN, Televisa and the dot coms. She then headed to Los Angeles to follow her love of music and hit her stride working with top level clients like A&E Television Networks and Netflix. As corporate burnout hit, Pérez-Cirera returned to Mexico City determined to create her own business that would give her a better work/life balance, engaged her creativity, and celebrated Mexican culture. In 2016, La Palomilla was born. It offers travelers a place that feels like home in one of Mexico’s most exciting, hip and safe neighborhoods, while providing gainful career opportunities for locals who like Pérez-Cirera, desire a workplace that is creative and engaging. When not managing brunch for 10-20 guests or arranging for exotic Mezcal tastings, Pérez-Cirera can be found traveling the world on adventures of her own.
