San Miguel de Allende is not new to fabulous hotels. On the contrary. The small town of fewer than 150,000 people has one of the highest concentrations of boutique hotels in Mexico. These design-oriented hotels are part of the structure that makes the destination so special. And after the pandemic, when San Miguel de Allende expects travelers to flood the city again, new hotels are preparing for their debut.
Much like Cancun, Mexico City, and Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende is becoming one of the must-see cities in Mexico to really understand the soul of the country. I say this from personal experience. For almost a decade my travels have taken me all over Mexico, but never to San Miguel de Allende. On my first visit earlier this month, I felt like another piece of the puzzle had finally clicked into place.
In a word, it’s breathtaking. I’ve traveled to colonial cities in Mexico and historic districts before. But I’ve never seen a city that looks like it has jumped off the pages of a coloring book. It almost feels like a movie set or a scene straight out of Disney. But then you remember that it’s real – that the city looks like it and has been for decades. Cobblestone streets meander up and down hills, flanked by beautifully painted, low houses. Ivy and flowering bougainvillea cover the sides of buildings in an earthy color kaleidoscope. More than 30 church towers shape the skyline, and in the background a dormant volcano sleeps quietly under a blanket of puffy clouds.
Related insights: San Miguel de Allende is reinventing itself
The city of San Miguel de Allende has been one of the toughest when it comes to responding to pandemics. While other destinations in Mexico were closed to tourism for three months, San Miguel de Allende pushed for four. It reopened in July 2020 and continues to enforce a strict mask policy to this day. Anyone on the street without a mask will be approached by the police. As someone waiting to travel, I comforted myself with this and would recommend San Miguel de Allende to cautious travelers starting to travel again. The city’s tourist facilities (hotels, restaurants, tours, etc.) are currently 75% busy and every business in the city, be it a tortilla shop or a high-end hotel, had to meet the same health standards in order to to be certified for reopening.
As part of my visit to the Spanish colonial jewel, I toured some of the city’s notable hotels, including the legendary one Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Hotel Matilda, Hotel Hacienda El Santuario, Casa Blanca 7 and Dos Casas. Many of these major hotels have started adding new offers for guests. When San Miguel de Allende closed for four months during the pandemic, many hotels and restaurants began pouring pent energy into creativity. This manifested itself in a number of ways.
The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. Photo credit: Meagan Drillinger
For example, the Rosewood offers outdoor cooking classes that are only open by prior reservation for a personalized experience with the hotel chef. The Hotel Hacienda El Santuario turned one of its courtyard rooms into a small spa treatment room.
For me, the Hotel Matilda was one of the most impressive hotels we have visited. It’s not surprising when you consider that this is one of the most established boutique hotels in town and has been hosting creative events for years – the annual Cena Negra dinner is one of the most anticipated events in town. As part of the pandemic renovation, Hotel Matilda opened a new bar in its courtyard, the Monkey Bar. The hotel also renovated its five suites and its rooftop bar. The spa unveiled a new treatment: a mezcal body wrap – a decadent treatment I just had to try for myself. A vigorous body scrub followed by the moisturizing wrap softened my skin baby and the muscles were shockingly unwound just in time for an hour-long massage. This was the prelude to a fabulous dinner at Moxi, the hotel’s main restaurant. Tip: The octopus main course is a dream.
Hotel openings on the horizon
But that’s not all that’s new in San Miguel de Allende. The city is ready to welcome a number of hotel openings. In fact, the sounds of construction were part of the daily soundtrack as we walked the narrow streets. San Miguel is growing and it is now unstoppable.
The Dream Hotel Group, for example, will launch its five-star chat whale San Miguel de Allende this year. It will be located in the Vines in San Miguel de Allende and will have 44 detached villas and 125 branded residences on a cliff overlooking the city’s iconic church spiers and boldly colored buildings.
The lobby area of Casa 1810. Photo credit: Meagan Drillinger
Hyatt is working hard to build a new hotel in town. The hotel to be named is located opposite the rosewood and has a total of 44 rooms. It will be part of the brand’s Unbound Collection.
Hilton will also open the 94-room Homewood Suites by Hilton San Miguel de Allende and the 120-room Hampton Inn by Hilton San Miguel de Allende. Both will open this year.
One of the most popular boutique hotels in the city center is this House 1810, a lovely hotel with a bold design and a rooftop restaurant that offers 360-degree views of the city. The hotel is ready to open a second hotel in the immediate vicinity of Parque Juarez. The new hotel will have 19 rooms and a restaurant for 150 guests. It will be called Casa 1810 Parque while the existing hotel will be renamed Casa 1810 Centro. The new hotel is scheduled to open in September.
It’s a destination that really feels safe, especially considering it’s one of the most heavily tourist-trafficked. This mood is a little more subdued these days, especially as other destinations in Mexico are easier to reach. The streets are quieter than usual during the day, or so I’m told, but it hasn’t lost energy. The air filled with the sounds of rumors from outside dining, tourists took Instagram-worthy glamor shots against the colorful facades, and the bells of the blushing Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel echoed in all directions. For everyone who told me that the city was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, I say “right”.
