Are you looking for a sign to travel? Well, now is a perfect time to plan your trip to the fullest. There’s nowhere else better to travel than to one of the World’s Best Cities, San Miguel de Allende. Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine chose San Miguel de Allende as 2020’s Best Small City in the World as part of the magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.
This is an award that the city has won twice, once in 2017 and again, in 2018. San Miguel is also known as a Pueblo Mágico, or Magical Town recognized by the Mexican government for its “magical” qualities, from beauty and charm, to rich history. Oh, and did I mention that Hotel Matilda was selected by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards as the best hotel in Mexico in 2019?
About Hotel Matilda
Hotel Matilda is a boutique hotel located in the heart of San Miguel de Allende that offers 32 rooms and suites with the best luxury finishes, and works of art made by talented Mexican artists. This hotel is perfect for international jet setters looking for a relaxed and sophisticated ambiance with luxurious accommodations, international gourmet dining, personalized spa experiences, and a compelling art scene.
Traditional colonial Mexican-style hotels are popular in San Miguel, but once you enter Hotel Matildas courtyard, the atmosphere, and overall ambiance is refreshingly unique and enjoyable making it one of the most impressive properties in the city.
Located only five minutes away from the main square, Hotel Matilda is the best centrally located hotel in the heart of San Miguel de Allende’s historic district. This hotel opened in 2010 and is one of the more established boutique hotels in the city that has been hosting creative events for years. Recently the hotel renovated five suites as well as its rooftop bar.
The Rooms
Most of the hotel’s rooms and suites face the internal courtyard, and every room comes with a furnished balcony or terrace overlooking an abundance of plants that are native to the region. The best way to describe this hotels aura, is luxe meets romance. The rooms are all spacious, with modern decor and a minimalist design scheme. The standard amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs with cable channels, minibars, safes, phones, and free Wi-Fi. Leisure facilities include an outdoor pool, a full-service spa, and a modern fitness center.
The beds feature pillowtop mattresses and Egyptian cotton linens, and in the bathroom, you’ll find white robes and slippers. Most bathrooms are equipped with double vanities, walk-in showers, or shower/tub combos, and they use my favorite luxury skincare Malin + Goetz, formulated for sensitive skin.
The Luxury Suites have either a full living room or an extra-large main room with a sitting area and these have a separate rain shower in the bath. The Owner’s Suites A and C, recently renovated, have more personality in their furnishings and have a terrace with a view. The A version has a plunge pool but C has a large enough terrace for a small party, looking over the city and park toward the Rosewood.
The Ambiance + Food
Despite its boutique size, this hotel manages to pack in a lot of luxurious extras that make it a stand-out in San Miguel. At the top of the list is food. The fine-dining is their specialty, and Moxi serves highly-rated and innovative Mexican cuisine by well-known chef Enrique Olvera.
The chef also owns one of Mexico City’s most famous restaurant, Pujol. Moxi is a popular choice for guests and other tourist visiting, but keep in mind that the menu changes seasonally, depending on the freshest harvest from local producers. Moxi, is open 7m–11pm. During restaurant hours, anything from the menu can be delivered to your room. They also have Müi Ramen Bar, a project based on the love of cooking and creativity.
Poolside
Let’s talk about my favorite area of the hotel, the pool. Surrounded by palms and beautiful bougainvilleas, Hotel Matilda has the most picturesque outdoor pool lined with sun loungers and shaded umbrellas. As you can see the infinity pool is very intimate, making the area a perfect place for leisurely lounging. It’s giving Restoration Hardware poolside villa vibes. Hotel Matilda is leading in Sustainability efforts by using Solar panels that heat water for guest rooms and the swimming pool, and the pool is heated year-round. The swimming pool, also shimmers with lights at night flowing down a two-story wall.
Monkey Bar is a new poolside bar inside Hotel Matilda that serves signature drinks. This bar offers premium brands, specialty spirits by artisanal producers, classic and original cocktails using the latest trends in mixology, and a huge 82″ HD TV for the ultimate viewing of sports and other shows.
Packing Tips
San Miguel de Allende is 6,234 ft above sea level so that means the sun is strong. There’s a lot of unpaved cobblestone sidewalks and streets so you’ll want to bring some type of comfortable shoe or sandal to navigate the historic town. I’ve linked a few cute outfits that will be perfect for you trip.
Services
Hotel services includes a 24-hour front desk, concierge, laundry, dry cleaning, tour desk, luggage storage, bike rentals, and airport transfers for a fee. Hotel Matilda has a guaranteed late check-out at 3:00 PM, meaning you can actually enjoy the facilities. One of the things that always shocks me about hotels in Mexico is the free breakfast.
This hotel offers free continental breakfast with every stay which is a nice touch, and motivates you to wake up early so you can enjoy it on their outdoor dinning patio. Rates for this hotel vary from $316 to $1,342 including the continental breakfast, plus taxes and fees. The continental breakfast includes coffee, a fruit plate, and toast.
The Art
Diego Rivera painted the portrait of the hotel’s namesake, Matilda, (the owner’s mother) which is on permanent display in the Library Lounge.
Did you enjoy this post? Let me know if this information was helpful, and if you have been to San Miguel before in the comments below. I look forward to reading your additional thoughts and experiences, as well as answering any questions you may have!
Until next time,
Stephanie
Honestly, it’s the poolside mural, the sculpture, the room + terrace, ok… really EVERYTHING for me! What a gooorgeous hotel. I read this and immediately thought, I NEED to visit this place. Thank you for sharing your experience here. I felt like I was there through your photos!