World Travel Guide Search for a City   Destination Guides > North America > Mexico > Mexico City and around > Mexico City Mexico City -- Neighborhoods -- Central Mexico City North of the centre South of the centre -- Sights -- Bosque de Chapultepec .  Mexico City .  Health And Safety In Mexico City .  History .  Mexico Versus Mexico City .  Orientation .  City Transport .  Eating .  Entertainment And Nightlife .  Best Of .  Information .  Arrival .  Markets And Shopping .  Sport .  Listings .  Explore Mexico City .  Hotels in Mexico City MEXICO CITY - MEXICO VERSUS MEXICO CITY Hotels in Mexico City   .  Mision Zona Rosa Hotel Mexico City from  $74.00  USD     .  Galeria Plaza Mexico City from  $96.00  USD     .  Sheraton Centro Historico Mexico City from  $149.00  USD   More Hotels in Mexico City >> For clarity, we've referred to Mexico's capital as Mexico City throughout this guide, though its literal translation "Ciudad de Mexico" is rarely used. To Mexicans it is known simply as Mexico, La Ciudad or El DF (El "day effay") - the Distrito Federal being the administrative zone that contains most of the urban areas. It's a source of infinite confusion to visitors, but the fact is that the country took its name from the city, and "Mexico" in conversation almost always means the latter. The nation is La República, or occasionally in speeches La Patria - very rarely is it referred to as Mexico.