6 Best Hotels in Side Trips from Mexico City, Mexico

Set in an imaginatively updated 19th-century building with stone walls, high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows, this posh and peaceful urban oasis on the edge of Centro Históric abounds with pleasing amenities, including three excellent restaurants, two bars, and a sublime spa offering Thai-style massages and body treatments. Even the standard rooms are spacious and have deep soaking tubs. The rooftop bar is a wonderful spot for cocktails at sunset, with views of Puebla's historic skyline. Some larger rooms can sleep four and are a great option for families. Valet parking is included in the rate.

Fragrant gardens, mature shade trees, and a small pond dot the tranquil grounds of this small, sustainably designed eco-resort with six contemporary suites and a quiet location a few kilometers south of Malinalco's village center. The individually decorated rooms have tall windows, wood paneling, and high ceilings. The hotel offers a variety of packages that include up to three meals a day in the excellent restaurant, in-suite massage and body treatments, or excursions to nearby attractions and outdoor recreation sites. 

Occupying a magnificently transformed pair of 17th-century buildings, one of which formerly held a ceramic-tile factory, this plush urban oasis with a rooftop pool and a soothing spa is part of Puebla's new wave of chic—and surprisingly affordable—boutique hotels. The hotel is on a beautiful street in Centro Histórico, just a block from the craft shops of colorful Sapos Alley. Artfully outfitted rooms contain plenty of modern perks, including minibars stocked with complementary beverages. There are two fantastic restaurants in the hotel, including the celebrated Salón Mezcalli. This is a sister property to the exclusive Chablé Resort & Spa, near Mérida in the Yucatan. 

Part of the trendy Grupo Habita brand, this striking hotel set in a former 19th-century water-purification plant helped put Puebla on the map with fans of design and architecture when it opened in 2008, and although it's been somewhat overshadowed by even newer and swankier properties in recent years, it's still a memorable place to spend the night without spending a fortune. Ultramodern materials were used for the building's transformation by famed architect Ricardo Legorreta; rough-hewn stone walls are paired with brushed metal and polished glass. The place has a whimsical attitude, with wonderful touches like the glass-sided rooftop pool, which you can view from the hip bar. The restaurant on the ground floor serves very good contemporary cuisine.

Located in the small city of San Juan Teotihuacán, just a few minutes’ drive (or half-hour walk) from the nearest entrance gate to the pyramids, this charming inn is set in a walled 18th-century hacienda with a pool, a small candlelit spa, a restaurant, and beautifully landscaped grounds. Rooms are clean and simply furnished—they're not fancy but they are comfortable and have stone walls, wood-beam ceilings, and other rustic accents.

This sophisticated country inn, which has both a pool and an inviting restaurant, is just a few blocks from Malinalco's main plaza and is filled with contemporary artwork and interesting decorative pieces collected by the well-traveled owner. The thoughtful staff is happy to provide recommendations of local attractions and restaurants, and massage treatments can be arranged in-room or in the garden.