Hotel Matilda

Mr Smith and I arrived at Leon airport after a few days in Tulum, feeling refreshed and ready to swap the sand for the city. Having recently discovered that aside from being a Unesco world heritage site, San Miguel de Allende had also been voted the ‘best city in the world’ by Travel + Leisure readers, I had high hopes for the weekend. 

Bumbling along a cobbled lane we pulled up at Hotel Matilda and were welcomed by two friendly porters who, in their crisp tailoring and matching Converse, looked far less dishevelled than we did. A discrete sliding gate peeled back to reveal a serene patio where, at the centre, stood a huge jacaranda tree, all purple and blooming with lanterns hanging from it. So far, so beautiful. 

Beyond the patio and through glass doors we entered the lobby area, which was vast yet inviting, filled with velvet sofas and armchairs, immense bouquets of flowers, church candles, a fireplace and books...so many books. They lined the walls and peppered every coffee table. A wide selection too; from modern Taschen titles to obscure, vintage finds and niche magazines. 

Elegant yet bold, with a charming sophistication, Hotel Matilda is a refreshingly modern hideaway. Eschewing the colonial roots of its location, the 32-room boutique hotel offers a present-day take on the art scene which San Miguel has long provided a hotbed for. It houses an extensive collection of works by renowned artists including sculptures by Javier Marin and photography by Spencer Tunick. My favourite stand-out pieces were the large-scale mixed media wall hanging by Bosco Sodi which occupies the lobby-meets-library and a portrait by muralist Diego Rivera of the hotel’s namesake and owner’s mother, Matilda.

Everything feels relaxed and sophisticated and the service we encountered was unfussy, efficient and warm. Our Grand Deluxe room was modern, functional and beautiful in its simplicity, outfitted in a neutral palette of grey and beige with a concrete feature wall and yellow armchair providing a pop of colour. I loved the industrial-looking bedside lamps hanging from silver chains and small touches like iPod docks and automatic dimmer-controlled lighting made the room feel homely.

Some say it’s the bed, others say it’s the minibar; I think the true indicator of a fabulous hotel room is the bathroom. In this respect, Hotel Matilda didn’t disappoint me. Sliding wooden doors revealed a spacious double-sink bathroom, plush robes, Malin & Goetz products in full supply and full length mirrors behind the doors (I never understand a hotel room which lacks these). 

By 3pm the room became a lovely sun trap and the small balcony overlooking the courtyard and outdoor pool area was a delightful place to soak up a few rays while planning our afternoon. In terms of practicality, you couldn’t ask for a better location. While tucked away in one of the many narrow cobbled streets of the city centre, it’s still very much in the mix of it all – less than a five minute walk from the hustle and bustle of the main square, Jardin Allende. I was pleasantly surprised at just how walkable the entire centre was – there was never any need to get a taxi, except for when venturing further out of the city or if wearing heels, which were no match for the ancient cobblestones.

After spending most of the day perusing San Miguel’s endless art galleries, admiring the gothic steeples of La Parroquia, wandering through market after market and peeking in to pretty much every other nook and cranny of the city, we retired back to our hotel room for a pre-dinner siesta.

Dinner at Enrique Olvera´s Moxi restaurant boldy presented Mexico’s finest, freshest ingredients with some deliciously modern touches. While the portions were on the smaller side, the rich flavours left us feeling satisfied with just enough room for some cocktails. The hotel makes the most of the year-round warm climate with plenty of outdoor space and so we enjoyed prickly pear margaritas al fresco on the upstairs terrace of Mui. While Mui bar was well stocked and beautiful, the vibe was a little too tranquil for us, so we slipped out to explore some of the local rooftop hangouts instead. 

The next morning we tucked into breakfast back at the poolside terrace. The complimentary spread was simple but sufficient: toast, juices, coffee and yoghurt with granola. You wouldn’t want to fill up anyway, as there is far too much street food to try in San Miguel – tacos, churros, mango chilli ice-cream…  

A fleeting visit to the spa that afternoon provided the perfect way to unwind and relax after another busy day of exploring. It’s a little cocoon of subterranean serenity, with a single person hammam and steam bath and generous menu of massages, treatments and therapies. After my invigorating deep tissue massage and Natura Bissè facial I took a peek into the gym, which is compact but perfectly formed, before heading back upstairs to the lobby, which turned out to be a great little spot to get a few hours of work done before heading to the airport.

Our stay at Hotel Matilda was truly special – it was the perfect little sanctuary within the bold and beautiful San Miguel de Allende.