What it is

Tucked within 17th and 18th century mansions, a 37-room garden elysian with a holistic spa and lauded cooking school.

What it isn't

Just about food. Curated experiences here include jaunts to ancient Mayan hot springs and art classes in the hometown of Frida Kahlo.

What we think

Mexican boutique hotels don’t get better than this blissful hideaway, where storied centuries-old buildings are connected via lavender-lined path. The antique and art-stocked rooms are worthy of their locale; most have their own quarried stone fireplace and all are fitted with the type of sumptuous furnishings, textiles and antique tome-laden bookshelves you’d expect to find in the pages of Architectural Digest. We particularly love the Studio Suites for their ultra luxe amenities: a leafy private terrace and copper soaking tub, ideal for steeping your worries away (not that you have any, here).

You're here because

You told yourself that this was the year you’d finally get better at cooking, and courses at their cooking school—housed in an 18th-century mansion—have you salivating, not least because they begin with a tour of San Miguel Market with the chef.

The Moment

Being massaged by herbal poultices, scrubbed until you feel newborn, and massaged with hot stones wasn’t on your bucket list, but now that you’ve experienced them in this truly cinematic spa, you’re adding it. It was a once in a lifetime kind of calm.

Restaurants & Bars

Andanza Restaurant - Contemporary Mexicon with a traditional flair

The Blue Bar

Location

The historic “Zona Centro” heart of San Miguel de Allende, just three blocks from the Museo la Esquina del Juguete Popular Mexicano—a.k.a. A beloved museum of folk art toys, all handmade in Mexico.