Mansion del Bosque

I waited three hours in the patio after arriving early because they said my room wasn’t ready. Then I finally got in and found a dead roach in the shower. Clearly the room hadn’t been cleaned in a while, and it seems it had been available the whole time I was waiting. Absolutely disgusting and appalling. The customer service was horrible. I’ll never return to this dump.

Right next door to the fancy, and pretty expensive, Hotel Matilda, this is a very local, low key breakfast spot with basic surroundings and really good value. For 100 Pesos, you get fresh fruit and delicious eggs cooked the way you ask. Waiters Gerardo & Sarah and chef Sophia make for a nice, inexpensive experience. Well worth a try.

It’s a charming hotel with that typical SMA (San Miguel de Allende) atmosphere, right in the old town center, with the sights all close by. We stayed two nights. The room was perfect and very clean, the service was great, and the shower worked properly. As elsewhere in Mexico, you need to wait about two minutes for hot water. I was surprised that the receptionist didn’t speak a word of English, but we managed with googletranslate. She was helpful, though. There’s a restaurant at the hotel, but we didn’t try it. I’d definitely come again.

The main draw is being within walking distance of EVERYTHING. The rooms are small and simple, but clean, and the staff is great. The building and amenities are old, so don’t expect too much. I came away positive, though at first the price felt high for what you get. Then I understood the neighborhood rates and context.