4 Best Hotels in San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland, Mexico

Located in the geographical and emotional heart of San Miguel de Allende, the intimate L'Otel features just four suites set in a charming home on a quiet side street. The courtyard patio is an ideal place to relax and catch up with friends, and the rooftop terrace features beautiful views of the town and its stunning cathedral. In the living room, an honor bar, fireplace, and movie selection await. Guest rooms are individually decorated with stylish antiques, colorful artwork, and bold themes, and feature delightfully comfortable beds with Italian linens, silk coverlets, and goose-down duvets. Plush robes and towels and Cote Bastide bath amenities add a spa-like feel to the en suite bathrooms. A hearty breakfast is included in the rate.

This is one of the world's more curious hotels: it's built around Mexico's first plaza de toros (bullring), which is the second-oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Pastel fabrics complement dark, traditional furniture in the large, bright, and plush rooms. Some of the former bull pens are part of the bar, which is a great place to unwind; candles supply the lighting, and there are cozy corners. Two levels of the spectator area make up an outdoor café. The formal restaurant ($$$) offers Mexican and international cuisine and, from the upper level, an awesome view of the bullring and the aqueduct beyond.

This luxurious, three-story palace of graceful limestone arches and beautiful, locally crafted furnishings opened in 2011 and is especially popular with wedding parties. The vast majority (80%) of the clientele is Mexican, though the rooftop bar draws an international mix. Luxurious rooms and suites have fireplaces, ample bathtubs, and sumptuous beds and bedding. Tasteful furnishings include wool rugs from Guadalajara, velveteen couches, and plump leather armchairs. Amenities include a large gym and full-service—albeit pricey—spa; a beautiful pool area with cabanas and exquisite landscaping; and a kids' club.

If you're looking for a real getaway far from the madding crowd, book yourself into a real hacienda—once a stop along the Camino Real, the main road for transporting gold, silver, and supplies from the mining towns to Spanish coffers—under an hour's drive north of San Miguel. Here you can turn back the clock and relax in vast rooms whose walls are 3 feet thick, lounge in the shade of colonnaded porticos, or roam the countryside on a pony or mountain bike, all included in the room rate.