A legendary property gets a Mayan makeover in Mexico

On 25 May 2023, the Riviera Maya will welcome the much-anticipated return of Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, the storied hideaway in the beating heart of the Riviera Maya.

Nestled between 200 acres of lush tropical jungle and the secluded white sands of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the legendary property has been completely reimagined with Mayan culture at its core – and will be the first, extensive transformation within Belmond’s North America portfolio, under LVMH ownership.

This new chapter of Maroma will reveal 10 new waterfront suites, a nature-focussed wellness experience in partnership with Guerlain, ground-breaking sustainability initiatives and a new gastronomic era under Mexican-born Executive Chef Daniel Camacho.

A Mayan legend, reborn

Internationally renowned designer, Tara Bernerd, is at the helm of the comprehensive restoration, working hand-in-hand with local artisans to honour Mexican heritage. Blending contemporary craft with the careful sourcing of indigenous materials, the team will create timeless spaces that are authentic to their roots and channel the healing energy of the locale. The original design and architecture of the property have been preserved, including the white stucco buildings, aligned to the Sacred Geometry of Mayan masonry.

Curved lines and organic forms inspired by the property’s wild surrounds inform the harmonious indoor-outdoor flow of rooms, suites and villas. An unrivalled beach resort, each of the 72 accommodations are spread across Maroma’s private stretch of sand – of which three quarters now have ocean views, including a spacious new waterfront suite complete with private pool and garden.  The property’s three pools have been completely redesigned, featuring Sukabumi tiles hand-made from volcanic stone, in the same vibrant turquoise tones as the region’s many natural cenotes. 

Colourful & contemporary cuisine

Mexican-born Executive Chef Daniel Camacho will continue his legacy of celebrating his country’s rich culinary diversity at Casa Mayor restaurant. Working on a sustainable provenance approach, 90 per cent of ingredients will be sourced from Mexico and almost half from the Yucatán peninsula.

A proud member of #PescaConFuturo, promoting sustainable fishery and aquaculture, freshly caught seafood will be sourced from Amigos de Sian Ka’an. Reinventing traditional Mexican cuisine, colourful dishes will range from seafood towers and Michoacan corundas, to Jalisco-style Birria and chocolate cake with Oaxacan black mole, flamed with house mezcal.  

For the perfect sundowner, Bambuco offers a more casual affair, where seasonal herbal drinks made fresh from the garden sit alongside Mexican wines, tequila cocktails, and an extensive selection of Mezcal. The legendary beach hangout, Freddy’s Bar will continue to channel the vibrant spirit of the Riviera Maya, filled with live music and DJ sets, fresh seafood and cocktails. 

For more information, click here

This tour operator is launching a bunch of private jet tours to some of the hottest destinations

Remote Lands, the luxury tour operator offering bespoke travel and small-group private jet journeys is proud to announce their newest expedition within their remarkable travel collection. From Jan. 21, 2023, to Feb. 4, 2023, Remote Lands will offer an extraordinary itinerary through the United States, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Throughout this 14-night journey, just 14 guests will fly aboard a gorgeous Global Express 6000 jet and stay in five sumptuous AMAN properties for a magnificent travel experience.

New York (Jan. 21-23)

Guests will begin their journey at the newly opened Aman New York in New York City, home to world-class museums, rousing Broadway performances and acclaimed restaurants and nightlife. With 83 guest rooms and suites designed by renowned architect Jean-Michel Gathy in the iconic Crown Building in the heart of midtown Manhattan at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, guests will enjoy their very own metropolitan adventure. Itinerary options will include unmissable stops to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Central Park, Empire State Building, a private helicopter tour and much more.

Bermuda and Turks & Caicos (Jan. 23-26)

En route to Turks and Caicos is a touch down on the British colonial island of Bermuda, where guests will explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. George Old Town and walk on the incredible pink sand beaches.

Delving deeper into the tropics is Turks and Caicos, at the southern tip of the Bahamian Archipelago with the some of the world’s most spectacular coral reefs and beaches. Guests will have flexibility in choosing from an array of activities on both land and sea, including house reef snorkeling, kiteboarding, hobie cat sailing, yacht excursions and more. A beachside cocktail party with a well-known marine biologist as well as a kayak eco-tour spotlighting the iguana sanctuary and coastal ecology of the island rounds out the stay. For this leg of the journey, guests will stay in Amanyara’s fabulous Pavilions nestled amidst 18,000 acres of tranquil nature preserves.

Dominican Republic (Jan. 26 – 29)

The third stop on the jet adventure is the Dominican Republic, one of the Caribbean’s most geographically diverse countries touting rich, cultural experiences perfect for the curious traveler. Itinerary highlights include immersive day trips into the destination’s very best gems: Colonial Santo Domingo, a quaint fifteenth-century city and Puerto Plata, the oldest town in the area that offers spectacular city and coast views. Additional options include a private ceviche cooking class with a top local chef as well as reef and wreck diving in Sosua amidst 20 different dive sites. To celebrate the very best of the traditions within the Dominican Republic, a private rum and cigar class led by Juan Carlos Albert of Arturo Fuento will educate guests on how to blend, roll and distinguish cigars.

Guests will stay at Amanera, a luxurious sanctuary located around a verdant jungle with panoramic ocean views, perched above the golden sands of Playa Grande Beach.

Canyon Point, Utah (Jan.29 – Feb. 1)

A gorgeous vestige of the wild West, Canyon Point is cradled by a staggering landscape of dramatic canyons, mountains, rapids, gorges and desert, with traces of human life dating back 10,000 years. Here, the extraordinary accommodations of Amangiri await travelers, serving as the perfect backdrop of unobstructed desert and canyon views. Activities pay homage to the destination, including a three-hour canyon hike led by a Navajo guide, and petroglyph and ancient culture exploration with an expert guide at Broken Arrow Cave to learn about 6,000 years’ worth of local history. Additional activities include via ferrata climbing, Amangiri’s on-property rock-climbing site; Zion National Park; UTV excursions; hot air balloon rides and a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. To wind down, spa treatments, cocktails and dinners inspired by Navajo tribal cuisine and an array of resort activities await. 

Jackson Hole, Wyoming (Feb. 1 – 4)

The final stop in this great North American journey is Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a destination beckoning nostalgia of the American West and flanked by dramatic mountain ranges. Amangani, meaning ‘peaceful home,’ abides by its namesake by sitting at the nexus of extraordinary wilderness full of abundant wildlife. The choices of activities are plentiful, including skiing across a range spanning over 2,500 acres; snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park; dog sledding; heli-skiing; a private tour of Yellowstone National Park; sunset sleigh rides and more.

“My favorite itineraries include lots of scenic and cultural diversity, which Adventures in the Americas has in abundance across five different countries,” said Catherine Heald, CEO and Co-Founder of Remote Lands. “We visit tropical islands, snowcapped mountains, remote deserts, big cities, charming villages, UNESCO World Heritage sites and great natural wonders of the world aboard a gorgeous Global 6000 private jet.”

The Adventures in the Americas journey will be led by Remote Lands’ CEO and Co-founder, Catherine Heald, on January 21 – February 4, 2023. This trip is priced at $112,888 per person, with a single supplement of $39,888. Children are welcome. While Remote Lands will not require proof of vaccination, travelers must abide by all local government health protocols within each destination. To learn about the Americas journey and other luxe excursions, please visit www.remotelands.com.

A person swings from a rope above a sunken lake or quarry. The clear pool of water is surrounded by rock walls and climbing roots and vines.

See a new side of the Mexican Caribbean

How to explore like a local on your next trip


Home to some of the best beaches, gastronomy, and culture in the world, the Mexican Caribbean is a popular destination for Canadian travellers. In recent years, a multitude of new tourist attractions and luxury boutique hotels have opened in the region. However, the destination is also home to untapped local experiences, which offer a new side of the Mexican Caribbean for travellers to explore. 

Known for its status as a leading entertainment hub, Cancun’s allure extends to its restaurants, too. The centre of the city is home to the iconic El Parque de Las Palapas, an open-air park just a short walk from Tulum Ave. where diners can taste Mexican and regional dishes, like their famous marquesitas. A few steps away is La Ruta Nader, a street lined with restaurants ranging from Italian to more traditional Mexican food. 

Riviera Maya hosts an endless array of unique experiences for visitors, however select places that are frequented by locals remain off the beaten path. One such local favourite is Xpu-Ha beach, home to Serenity Beach Club. For another beach club experience, the latest trend in Tulum is cenote clubs like Buuts’Ha’ – this space offers food, music, and activities inside some of the region’s most stunning cenotes. 

Cozumel island is bursting with hidden gems, like the Benito Juarez Municipal Market. For over 30 years, this public market has sold fresh produce, regional treats, handmade tortillas and artisan souvenirs. The market is adorned by a large central mural displaying symbols of the island, like endemic wildlife, local garments, important historical figures, and more. Even more murals in Cozumel can be found at Cozumel Sea Walls, by the non-profit PangeaSeed Foundation. This urban ‘artivist’ project is a collection of 36 murals by contemporary artists from 12 countries, each looking to raise awareness of marine preservation through art. 

Visitors can also walk the charming neighbourhood of El Cedral to experience authentic Cozumel island life. Once a worship ground for Mayan gods, today El Cedral is the site of the annual Día de la Santa Cruz festival held each spring, which celebrates the 21 founding families that established Cozumel after the Caste War in 1848. Cool down with a visit to Chempita Cenote, a cave located in Quintana Roo, which is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. 

Art lovers can head to the State Congress in the Quintana Roo capital city of Chetumal for breathtaking murals. Walking along the boardwalk watching the sunset overlooking the Bay of Chetumal while eating a machacado is also a must in the area.

The One&Only villa interior features woodwork ceilings, stone floors, warm furnishings, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the coast and the Mexican landscape

A collection of luxury villas that sleep 24 guests just opened in the Mexican jungle

Located on an undiscovered stretch of coastline along the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico just 45 minutes from Punta Mita, One& Only Mandarina is a rare haven in nature, overlooking the Pacific Ocean with dramatic vistas and an awe-inspiring beachfront rainforest setting.

An ultra-luxury beach sanctuary, One&Only Mandarina stretches across a 33-hectare landscape of unspoiled nature, and nestled in the lush, tropical landscape lies an extraordinary collection of expansive Signature Villas, designed for the modern luxury traveller. Together with the resort’s majestic Grand Villas, such as the exceptional Villa One, the resort has an array of options for groups of families and friends that are seeking a place to gather with loved ones, relax and reconnect.

The collection of Signature Villas features sustainable design and ground-breaking architecture by Studio Rick Joy, sensitively built to integrate within nature and embrace the dramatic setting rather than reshape it with careful low-density planning, as well as harmonize eloquently with the surrounding environment.

Each villa is designed specifically to reflect its location, drawing the outdoors in via breath-taking views of rolling, green mountainsides fading into jungle canopies or the unspoilt vistas of the crystal-clear ocean meeting the horizon. Open structures capture natural light, filtered through the towering trees, while traditional Mexican design elements are reimagined, including pitched roofs with large overhangs, a nod to local palapas.

Earth-hued walls emerge from the ground with low visual impact, inspired by the historic buildings once constructed on the site by the Cora, an Indigenous settlement in the Western Central Mexico, who covered their buildings in earthen plaster. Terraces and courtyards are made from volcanic rocks directly sourced from the location while the tropical rainforest provides woods including Cumaru, Rosa Morada, and Tornillo.

Locally crafted custom woodwork, stone accents and earthy tones add rich, textural warmth throughout the interiors, complemented by intricate artefacts curated specifically for the space by local artisans. Designed to enhance the interior space, the villas showcase state-of-the-art Delos’ Home Wellness solutions with air and water purification, dehumidification, and circadian lighting systems to ensure a harmonious inner sanctuary and a wellness-focused living experience that is seamlessly in tune with its surroundings.

The Signature Villas introduce four- to eight-bedroom luxurious residences, with an expansive layout of multiple inter-connected buildings surrounding a central indoor/outdoor living area ranging from 758 to 1,725 total square meters that can accommodate from 12 up to 24 guests in different layouts
perfectly designed for multi-family travellers, groups of friends, and celebratory gatherings. Each villa is distinct, offering unparalleled bespoke amenities with a dedicated host service and preference planner to tend to guests’ every need, from pre-arrival shopping to booking private chefs, musical entertainment and more.

Wine studios can be outfitted with leading wines from the region and the world, while TV rooms, cinemas and casino rooms offer a multitude of entertainment options. Fully outfitted gyms allow guests to focus on wellness in the privacy of their villa, and offices allow for any work needs to be swiftly and professionally met. Expansive bedrooms with walk-in closets and ensuite bathrooms enhance a residential feel, allowing guests to linger for longer stays in ultimate comfort. Lush landscaping brings the rainforest into the gracious outdoor living spaces for gathering and entertaining, including spacious terraces, infinity-edged pools and jacuzzies. All Signature Villas feature additional facilities to ensure an easy stay, such as multi-car garages and laundry rooms.

This level of thoughtful design is matched with a warm hospitality and intuitive personalized service. One&Only Mandarina’s 24-hour dedicated butler service and an expert team of butlers, chefs, fitness instructors and spa therapists, create a dedicated team delivering a perfectly personalized level of
service tailored to each guest’s individual needs. Candlelit dining for two, an unforgettable family dinner under the stars, or an intimate barbeque with friends, One&Only Mandarina is designed to create special celebrations and memorable moments. Guests of the Signature Villa collection can
enjoy dining at Carao from globally celebrated chef Enrique Olvera, embark on a wellness journey at One&Only Spa featuring exclusive treatments from clean beauty guru Tata Harper, or spend an afternoon at the waterfront Jetty Beach Club. Guests can also explore the larger Mandarina community, visiting the Polo & Equestrian Center for weekly matches or soaring through the treetops on the zipline course.

These new villas are the first to join the growing Signature Villa collection at One&Only Mandarina, offering ultra-luxury accommodation for groups of friends, multi-generational families, or celebrations. They complement the existing Grand Villa collection – Villa One, Villa Banderas, Villa Tortuga, Villa Jaguar, and Villa Pacifico.

For more information and bookings, please visit oneandonlyresorts.com/mandarina.

A 500-room luxury hotel with private plunge pools is opening in one of Mexico’s hottest neighbourhoods

Opening in 2024, Grand Hyatt Cancún Beach Resort is a new-build resort coming to Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Situated in the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula with expansive views overlooking the Caribbean Sea and nearby Isla Mujeres, Grand Hyatt Cancún Beach Resort will be a captivating destination, featuring 500 guestrooms, of which 28 guestrooms feature their own plunge pool, and 46 are luxury suites, including one Presidential Suite; 11 dining concepts that will feature world-class chefs and iconic dishes reflective of the destination; six bars, including a lobby lounge bar, pool bar, and beach shack; an indoor and outdoor destination spa area and fitness center to connect guests with their physical and mental wellbeing; three swimming pools; and more than 16,000 square feet of dynamic, state-of-the-art gathering spaces designed to accommodate events of any size and kind. Additional offerings and amenities will include a kids club, activity center, business centre and retail shops.

The resort will be located within Puerto Cancún, a master-planned residential resort community that includes a full-service marina, golf course, resorts, time-share, condominiums, single-family homes, state-of-the-art fitness and recreation centre, protected natural reserve, and a lifestyle shopping mall offering an open-air shopping experience with over 220 tenants including fine dining, art galleries and children’s entertainment activities. A newly developed resort cluster will include the new Grand Hyatt Cancún Beach Resort.

Strategically located between downtown Cancún and the Cancún Hotel Zone, Puerto Cancún intends to merge dynamic city life with a resort experience and environment, positioning the new Grand Hyatt hotel as an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike.

Mexico just got a new hotel and it’s home to the highest rooftop bar in Cabo

Occupying prime real estate along the coveted shores of Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, the newest addition to Noble House Hotels & Resorts’ elite collection.
 
Open as of Feb. 24, 2022, the hotel features a new-build tower with 204 rooms and suites, contemporary meeting space, the highest and most lavish rooftop bar in Cabo, two infinity edge pools, and various dining options.
 
Currently, guests can experience the modern guest rooms, pools, lobby and posh rooftop bar, while next year’s grand reveal will encompass the complete unveiling including the signature restaurant and fresh meeting space. In addition to the newly built tower and its amenities, guests also have access to pre-existing features enveloped into the Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa experience, including Baja Brewing, the only micro-brewery in Cabo San Lucas; Aleta, an oceanfront all-day dining destination; additional pools; full-service Sparitual and salon; and Corazón Beach Club, the largest beach club on Medano Beach, the only swimmable beach in Cabo San Lucas.
 
Photography By Francisco Estrada Photo Mexico Studio.
 
Standing nine stories high, the new Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa is topped off byRooftop360, which proudly holds the title of the highest rooftop bar in Cabo. The roomy and ritzy deck boasts unmatched views of the Sea of Cortez and enchanting city skyline, flanked by an infinity pool overlooking the sea. The bar evokes local charm with custom patterned cement tiles made in Todos Santos embellishing its façade, while string lights and chandeliers dangle from the signature, leaf-patterned pergola ceiling made of Palo-de-Arco, a material typically used in Baja.
 
The contemporary new build offers 187 hotel rooms and 17 luxury suites, ranging in size from 358to 945 square feet.With an envious location where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, the building’s design by Mexican architect Arnoldo Rábago of RACO is inspired by the surrounding nautical elements, playing upon clean modern lines to offer somewhat of a departure from the typical Cabo model.

This stunning new luxury hotel in Tulum was designed with the help of local artisans

Located eight miles north of Tulum, in a secluded bay surrounded by a tropical forest and pristine Caribbean waters, the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is a 349-room resort that offers a retreat for guests seeking a transformative getaway, with curated signature restaurants, destination spa, oceanfront pools and access to Tulum’s celebrated sights and attractions.

In the heart of the world’s most exquisite natural wonders, from jungles and beaches to hidden cenotes and colorful flora and fauna, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is designed to give guests a deep connection with Tulum’s distinctive landscape. Upon entering the lobby, guests pass through ornate wooden doors, engraved by local artisans, and are immediately greeted by sweeping ocean views and an immersive art installation, a nod to ancient Mayan architecture and Tulum’s surroundings. 

The nature-inspired theme continues throughout the hotel’s thoughtfully designed guest rooms, incorporating organic elements such as stone, wood and metal. Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic ocean views, guest rooms are designed with calming tones and elegant furnishings, each with their own private balcony and relaxation tub or plunge pools on the ground floor rooms.

Guests seeking additional space can enjoy a suite complete with a spacious living room and adjacent dining area for up to eight people, as well as a spa-inspired master bathroom complete with a soaking tub and rainfall shower.

A destination unto itself, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya’s diverse dining options include five restaurants as well as six bars and lounges featuring globally inspired cuisine, casual poolside fare and world-class catering for meetings and events. Venues include energizing bar experiences serving up generous wine lists, regional spirits and refreshing tropical cocktails, and elevated dining experiences offering flavors of the world with innovative and local twists. A sample of the dining offerings at the hotel includes:

  • Autor: The resort’s most sophisticated dining experience is an ode to its chef or ‘author’ where guests experience a personalized culinary journey curated by Chef Jersaí Miranda.
  • Maratea: Features distinct cuisine inspired by the Mediterranean Basin from southern Spain to North Africa, Greece and Turkey.
  • Ukai: A sushi bar dedicated to the traditional Japanese fishing method, brought to life as a contemporary sushi counter committed to sustainable fishing.
  • Kengai: A Teppanyaki restaurant that merges classic Japanese and Southeast Asian techniques with local ingredients and styles, whose name is inspired by the Jacaranda tree, brought to Mexico by Japanese immigrants in the 20th century.
  • Chaak Bar: Named after the Mayan rain god and inspired by the cenotes where the Mayans would connect with him, Chaak Bar offers guests a place to seek shelter and recharge.
  • Cafetal: This upscale café and market are inspired by the traditional Tianguis, an economic and social gathering center in Mexican culture serving locally sourced coffee, snacks and all-day essentials.

Allowing travellers to discover new facets of well-being and self-fulfillment, the guest experience at Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is characterized by a deep connection with the natural environment and to honor Tulum’s cultural traditions. Whether floating, snorkeling or kayaking in the crystal-clear bay waters or lounging in an oceanfront cabana by one of the five pools, guests can fully immerse themselves in this mystical paradise. 

Nestled within lush mangroves, the Conrad Spa Tulum, for example, is a destination purposefully designed as a wellness refuge.  Guests enjoy a wide range of services inspired by the legends of the Mayan gods and traditional Mexican herbalism in individual treatment rooms or “casitas.” Spa offerings include an extensive menu of body rituals, a sensory Water Ritual including an outdoor pool and thermal facilities and the Mayan Manteada, an ancient massage technique in which shawls are tied around the waist to relax and realign the body.

For guests looking for an enlightened sense of well-being and tranquility, the property has an in-house Shaman to perform ancient rituals like the purifying gratitude and sacred cenote ceremonies.

For more information, including photos, click here.

Explore the heart of Mexico with a visit to the colourful colonial city of Guanajuato

Known as the heart of Mexico, Guanajuato is home to boutique hotels, vibrant colonial cities, top notch tequila, gastronomical experiences, Instagrammable views and passionate people.

It’s hard to appreciate or understand just how much time goes into producing a bottle of tequila. That’s why one of the premium tequilas at the Tequila Corralejo distillery boasts the name 99,000 Hours to call attention to the lengthy amount of time it takes to create the añejo (old) spirit. 

“Eleven years and three months is the time of the whole process. From when the agave is planted until the harvest, it’s eight to 10 years. Then comes the process in the company [for roasting, distilling] and aging it for one year and a half,” says Nohemi Murillo, e-commerce manager and marketing executive at Tequila Corralejo. “The shape of this bottle is like a tree. It represents that we wait patiently to do something right. We are passionate and proud of the final result. We are so proud of our tequilas.”

The distillery is housed in a hacienda that’s roughly 1.5 hours from Guanajuato City and two hours from San Miguel de Allende, two colonial cities that are a must to visit in Guanajuato, which is also the name of the Mexican state. 

Here, a walking tour (free guided tours are available daily) reveals more insight into the process of making tequila, which can only be made using blue agave. Notably, you have to pass through a confessional to get to the storage area for Tequila Corralejo’s best tequilas, including 99,000 Hours.

The hacienda is open 365 days a year and produces its own bottles so along with an impressive collection of tequilas and whiskey to choose from, it’s an ideal spot to pick up glassware like vases and shot glasses. 

Murillo’s tour ends by sharing the product that’s at the heart of the business — the tequila that’s 99,000 hours in the making. With a smile on her face, she eagerly distributes a sample to everyone, passionately describing its smooth flavour profile. 

This passion winds up being a common theme across the people we encounter along the way over the next week across Guanajuato, from tour guides to restaurant owners to artists. Along with the highlights of the destinations themselves, it’s arguably the charm of the people that make the region known as The Heart of Mexico so special. 

It’s easy to see why San Miguel de Allende has become a popular spot for North American travellers. This city has a thriving culinary scene, delightful colonial Spanish architecture and photogenic boutique hotels. 

While Guanajuato City isn’t yet all well known in the Canadian market — it likely won’t be that way for long. For anyone looking for an alternative to their beach getaways or to tag on an authentic destination to a sunny stay, this UNESCO designated city offers something for everyone. With over 3,200 alleys to meander through, it’s indeed a city that’s best discovered by foot — and there’s a photo opportunity around every corner. For a stunning view of Guanajuato from above, take the funicular or steps up to Al Pipila monument. From below, the vibrant city almost appears toylike. 

Boutique luxury hotels are the norm across Guanajuato. In Guanajuato City, a great option is Casa del Rector, which has an awesome courtyard restaurant and a hard to top view of the colourful city from its rooftop bar. The boutique hotel also offers experiences like tequila and chocolate tasting with Jonathan Martinez of Xocola-T. Be prepared for chocolates with a twist — his creations have some unexpected ingredients like grasshoppers or fried pork skin, which pair surprisingly well with the chocolates. 

Another unique choice is Villa María Cristina, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The luxury villa has nineteenth-century roots and is like a labyrinth of discovery. For an Instagrammable stay near the tequila farms and plantations of Penjamo, look no further than Real de Piedra Hotel. If it looks straight out of a luxe magazine, it’s because the 20 room boutique hotel is owned by an interior decorator. For a modern hotel that’s steps away from the cobblestone street featuring one of the most iconic views of San Miguel, check into Hotel Matilda. Whether or not you spend the night, be sure to visit the rooftop Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende for delicious tacos and spectacular views of the city. 

Travellers are drawn to Guanajuato for its boutique hotels, Spanish colonial architecture, gastronomical experiences and Instagrammable cities, but somewhere along the route you’ll discover it’s about so much more.