Old and new: tips form the concierge at the Embassy Suites in Mexico.

Could you recommend a restaurant for a business lunch or dinner?

The best is a French restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon. It's located inside the Presidente InterContinental and is open 24 hours a day. The service is good and in fact, it has one of Latin America's largest wine cellars. There is also L'Alsace, in the Polanco area. It has two stories and a wonderful terrace.

I have to bring a large group into town for a conference. What are my best options around town?

The historic downtown of the city, because there you appreciate the country's three historical eras: the old Tenochtitlan, the colonial and contemporary Mexico.

Is there a top-notch golf course nearby? What about tennis?

Most of the golf courses are for members only. But we have deals with the Club de Golf Bellavista, located in the north of the city. For tennis, only at the Hotel Maria Isabel Sheraton.

What is the best mode of transportation to get around town if I have to attend several meetings on the same day?

Hotel taxis are the best way. On top of being safe and secure, you're guaranteed, for example, air conditioning, a newspaper, etc.

Can you recommend a shopping district or two?

The first is downtown, where you'll find big name-brand stores. The second is the Santa Fe Shopping Mall, which, on top of being impressive, is the largest in Latin America.

What has been one of the most unusual requests from your guests?

When I worked at the Hotel InterContinental in Mexico City, the singer Luis Miguel was a guest. On Friday afternoon, he asked us for a jabugo ham, made from acorn-fed Spanish pork and prepared in a traditional manner. We couldn't find it anywhere, not even in the Spanish food warehouses. So we had to go by a Spanish restaurant, where an airline crew just happened to arrive from Spain with such a ham.

Bernardo Rodriguez has been the concierge at the Embassy Suites Mexico hotel since November of 2006.