Saint Augustine House, monument in Mexico

The Saint Augustine House is a building in Mexico City's center featuring Art Deco style and a facade of ajaracas, intricate geometric patterns made from interwoven mortar. In 1924, three additional floors were added combining Spanish traditions with modern design, topped with a rooftop terrace restaurant featuring geometric details.

The house was built at the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th century, according to historian Francisco de la Maza, as a property of the Augustinian order, whose convent stood next door. Engineer Luis Robles Gil, a descendant of Manuel Tolsá, remodelled it in neo-colonial style between 1924 and 1928. In 1936 two floors and a terrace with Art Deco details were added. From 1928 it housed the Hotel Ontario until the mid-1980s; after the 1985 earthquake it stood semi-abandoned until its 2008 restoration as a Hilton hotel.

The name comes from the Augustinian order, which owned this house and whose convent stood next door. Since December 2008 the building has operated as a Hampton Inn and Suites; the 2008 restoration recreated 12,000 mosaic tiles by hand and installed a stained-glass window in the lobby reproducing the facade's main elements in mid-19th-century colours.

The building sits at a busy street corner in the historic center and is easy to reach while exploring other nearby sites. Take time to look up at the facade and geometric details, which particularly show early 20th century architecture from different angles.

The facade features ajaracas, a rare Moorish decorative pattern made from interwoven mortar that is rarely seen in the city and points to the blending of cultures in Mexico's colonial heritage. This skilled technique combines North African craftsmanship traditions with local building practices of early Mexico.