There's something special about hotels in old mansions. Of course, they do make you wonder about all the macabre events that occurred there — and there's no shortage of tales about haunted hotels, everywhere in the world.
But this is not that list. This is not Halloween or Día de los Muertos. This a simple celebration of Mexico's unique abundance of residential-style accommodations; hauntingly beautiful houses filled with the kind of character that can only come from a lifetime of personal care and passion. For decades these spaces were used as private family homes, and as a result, there are traces of warmth and intimacy and all the ghoulish and ghastly events that occurred there.
Just kidding about that last part. Or are we?
Grana B&B
Grana B&B
Oaxaca City, MexicoA stately 18th-century residence on the west side of Oaxaca City is now Grana B&B, and it’s safe to say that it’s rather more grand than the bed-and-breakfast tag ordinarily implies. Its 15 rooms have been left largely intact — a necessity given the house’s landmark status — but they’ve been updated in an eclectic, contemporary style, mixing traditional craft and modern design in roughly equal measure.
Book Grana B&B on MICHELIN Guide →
Casa Kimberly
Casa Kimberly
Puerto Vallarta, MexicoThis lovely pair of adjoining villas in Puerto Vallarta was once home to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton — and while the connection is part of its charming history, and its most lavish suite bears Ms. Taylor’s name, what’s important about Casa Kimberly is the sheer extravagant romance of the place as it stands today.
Book Casa Kimberly on MICHELIN Guide →
Pug Seal Allan Poe
Pug Seal Allan Poe
Mexico City, MexicoIn the hip Mexico City neighborhood of Polanco, set behind wrought-iron gates on a residential block, a 1930s mansion and mid-century annex are home to Pug Seal Allan Poe. The aesthetic in the hotel’s 21 rooms and suites is clean and modern, but there’s a whimsical edge to these interiors, one that’s inspired by nature — fitting, given the Pug Seal Allan Poe’s proximity to the urban oasis of Chapultepec Park.
Book Pug Seal Allan Poe on MICHELIN Guide →
casa9
casa9
Mexico City, MexicoYou’d be hard pressed to find a more exemplary hospitality success story than casa9. Originally built in the early 20th century as a decadent private residence for a wealthy family, the house was left neglected for decades and slowly fell into total disrepair before a new family gave it a top-to-bottom makeover. Now, years later, it exists as casa9, one of the most exquisite B&Bs in Mexico City.
Book casa9 on MICHELIN Guide →
Ignacia Guest House
Ignacia Guest House
Mexico City, MexicoIgnacia Guest House is no ordinary guest house. Set in the upscale Colonia Roma, the mansion that’s stood on this site since 1913 was already impressive enough. Now, thanks to an ultra-modern expansion by architect Fermín Espinosa and designer Andrés Gutiérrez, it’s the kind of house that gets written about in architecture magazines — and one of the most unique hotel experiences in Mexico City.
Book Ignacia Guest House on MICHELIN Guide →
Nima Local House Hotel
Nima Local House Hotel
Mexico City, MexicoMexico City’s charming and stylish Roma district feels almost European, and there’s more than a little bit of that old-world elegance about the turn-of-the-century mansion where Nima makes its home. Once inside, however, you’ll find the style is contemporary, thoughtful, and subtly stylish — not a “design hotel,” per se, but a well-designed hotel all the same.
Book Nima Local House Hotel on MICHELIN Guide →
Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel
Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel
San Miguel de Allende, MexicoThe quietly stylish Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende is the perfect setting for a classic refuge like the Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, equal parts 16th-century residence and modern luxury boutique hotel. The level of service is high, as professional as it is warm, and the hotel’s old-world charm is always allowed to shine through.
Book Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel on MICHELIN Guide →
Casa Blanca 7
Casa Blanca 7
San Miguel de Allende, MexicoCasa Blanca 7 is a 300-year-old house in San Miguel de Allende’s historic center, and as its name might suggest, it’s got a touch of Moroccan atmosphere, recalling in a subtle way the ultra-private riad hotels of cities like Casablanca and Marrakech. With just ten suites it can’t help but feel less like a hotel and more like a private house — one that’s impressively detailed and perhaps surprisingly contemporary.
Book Casa Blanca 7 on MICHELIN Guide →
Casa No Name
Casa No Name
San Miguel de Allende, MexicoOriginally built for the local bishop in the 18th century, this stunning six-room mansion is tucked into the heart of San Miguel de Allende. The late fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville lived in Casa No Name for more than twenty years, and made it famous in a photo book. Fortunately the photos aren’t the only way to remember Casa No Name: in its new life it’s a luxurious little boutique hotel.
Book Casa No Name on MICHELIN Guide →
Las Casas B+B Hotel
Las Casas B+B Hotel
Cuernavaca, Mexico“B+B Hotel” might seem redundant, but Las Casas is truly a little bit of both — it’s more polished and more stylish than most any bed and breakfast, while it’s smaller and more intimate than most any hotel, boutique or otherwise. The rooms and suites are sharply outfitted in shades of white and gray, with the house’s colonial architecture still visible beneath the contemporary, minimalist décor.
Book Las Casas B+B Hotel on MICHELIN Guide →
Hero image: L’Ôtel Chiquitos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
