Hotel Boutique Corazón Mexicano

The spa massage was one of the best I’ve ever had, though the price was a little steep. Housekeeping kept the room tidy, and the lovely L’Occitane products were a nice touch. The hotel and rooms are beautifully designed, and the restaurant was nice. The steaks were good, but both arrived very well done without anyone asking how we wanted them. There are a few things close by, and it’s an easy walk into town. Our room was right by reception, almost in the lobby, and the insulation was awful. We could hear everything and it felt like there was no door at all. At 8am, loud music from the restaurant in the courtyard next to us woke us up, measuring 70db in the room. The door lock seemed questionable, as if one push might open it. Security was around sometimes, but not always. Staff spoke limited English, which was a struggle. The kettle was kept in the lobby, which suited us, though it might be inconvenient from the upper floors. Knowing it was there gave me some reassurance, given what some people do with hotel kettles. The small travel hair dryer was disappointing for such a grand hotel. The building has a lot of potential, but these details need work.

We liked the hotel and its staff, but our six-night stay was a mixed bag: we had to switch rooms three times. The first room was amazing, except the shower only ran scalding hot and couldn’t be adjusted cooler, so they moved us. In the next room, we found hairs in the bed under the comforter, almost as if the linens hadn’t been changed, and rainwater started flooding the room. They moved us again, and we went from a great room to their least expensive one. We visited during rainy season, and experiencing the torrential rain was pretty neat. Better luck next time.

The view was nice, and the walk to the reservoir was pretty, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here. There were far too many stairs. The original room had no natural light and felt like a dungeon. We asked to move and got a luxury room for twice the price, but the shower only offered scalding or freezing water and made a loud vibration when set to scalding. The jacuzzi tub also only gave scalding water and stank of sewer while running. The safe didn’t work, or the instructions were wrong. The nuts were stale, and the wine wasn’t worth drinking. Lovely hotel in appearance, but the stay was disappointing.

The adjoining restaurant served good food, and breakfast was worth the optional extra charge. The hotel is beautifully designed, generally clean, and in a great location, though I found two strands of black hair on the sheets. My room, 302, faced the stairs and had just one tiny window, also facing the stairs to the upper level. That kept outside noise away and made it very quiet, but the air barely circulated, and the room smelled of moldy wet paint. I couldn’t leave the window or curtains open without giving up my privacy. It felt like sitting in my mom’s basement, or in a room meant for storage. The bathroom was ridiculously tiny, which reinforced that impression, especially for the hefty price. The hotel keeps its lights on 24/7, and the curtains don’t block light, so bring an eye mask. I wouldn’t choose a suite either. They’re right beside the courtyard and reception, with lots of foot traffic and people playing things on speakerphone. Some employees speak English, while others don’t but seem to pretend they do. At 9 AM there was no one around who could speak English, which really annoyed me. With the nightly rate and all the international guests, someone should be able to speak English at all times. I wouldn’t stay here again if I returned to Guanajuato. The larger rooms have real windows and fresh air, but they’re in places where outside noise would be a big problem.