In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- The balcony-endowed Superior Bedrooms are the cosiest; the views of colonial Puebla are worth paying more for. P and Z have the most impressive outlooks. The Royal Suite at the top of the hotel has a long terrace leading down to a private heated pool, where you can bask with a bird's eye view of La Purificadora's stunning lobby.
- Packing tips
- Puebla’s cobbled streets can be unforgiving on the heels, so pack some flats for city strolls. For drinking, dining and at La Purificadora, however, only Choos will do.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- A bottle of wine and 50 per cent off your fourth night (if it doesn't fall on a Friday or Saturday)
More photos
La Purificadora
Puebla, Mexico[view map]
- Style
- Industrial revolution
- Setting
- Colonial old town
If another architect had had their way with the former water-purifying factory of La Purificadora, the end result might be a slap in the face for the baroque buildings of Puebla, but Ricardo Legorreta’s sensitive reinvention is more a pat on the back. Combining the weathered woods, peeling paintwork and other original elements of industry with vast black-granite staircases, glass panels, and rich purple couches arranged around open coal fires, this boutique hotel in Mexico is an inspiring shrine to industrial chic.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 26.
- Rates
- Midweek, $155–295; weekend, $205–$395, including breakfast; excludes 17 per cent tax.
- Check-out
- Midday, although later check-out may be arranged on request, subject to availability.
- Facilities
- Spa with two steam rooms and Jacuzzi, gym, library, free WiFi throughout, valet parking ($3 a day). In rooms: plasma TV, iPod sound system, Kiehl’s toiletries.
- Poolside
- Open to the elements, the slender rooftop pool has a glass wall, allowing margarita-supping bar guests to engage in a spot of subaquatic voyeurism. The square Jacuzzi nearby, thankfully, is opaque
- Also
- Pets are welcome, for $40 a night. Cancellations must be received 48 hours before arrival.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The Modern Mexican menu breathes new life into classic dishes like mole and ceviche. There’s a DIY element to dining: you can ‘build’ your own menu by combining meat, fish, sauces and side dishes to suit your taste.
- Dress code
- Grand designer.
- Top table
- Despite the canteen-style timber tables, restaurant staff ensure seating still feels private – try to sit close to the reclaimed wooden pillars where you can see out into the open-air living area and the city skies beyond.
- Last orders
- The kitchen closes at 11p,m Monday to Thursday, midnight Thursday to Saturday, and 5pm on Sunday. The bar burns the midnight oil (and then some) until 2am.
- Room service
- Mexican meals and snacks are available 24 hours a day.
- Hotel bar
- Decorated in dark granite and onyx, the smart and sultry rooftop bar inspires Friday night queues as Puebla’s great and good come in search of the perfect cocktail. The signature concoction of mandarin, pineapple and Curaçao is certainly a contender.
Also worth knowing
- Children
- This hotel is better suited to couples - leave the children at home!
- Weddings
- This hotel is suitable for weddings. More…
Smith Members offer
A bottle of wine and 50 per cent off your fourth night (if it doesn't fall on a Friday or Saturday)
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Smith travel team
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
La Purificadora
802 Callejón de la 10 Norte
Paseo San Francisco
Barrio el Alto
72000
