"Between tastes there are no dislikes" and "in the variety is pleasure", are known popular adages that in the hospitality industry seem to gain more space every day. New and striking lodging offers surprise daily those who travel for pleasure or business. And they are not only novelties in the service, also the interior design and hotel architecture seek to capture the attention of the visiting public.
by Natalia Ospina Vélez
Taking advantage of the architectural advantages to encourage the development of the sector, John and Florence Youden (Canadian and French), arrived in Mexico two decades ago to transform the concept of luxury hospitality in the Mexican country. They did so through hotels that become tourist destinations on their own, thanks to their location in historic haciendas, for their rustic facilities on the beach and for being built in luxurious hideaways away from civilization.
Some are restored mansions with great exquisiteness, others, authentic Mexican architectural jewels. Under this original aesthetic concept, the HBM brand, Hoteles Boutique de México, was born in 1999, a collection of member hotels that have been chosen to be part of the chain for their intimate spaces, high level of service and particularity in the construction and decoration.
HBM hotels, usually with less than 30 rooms, offer a unique theme that differentiates them from other properties and allows the guest to get in touch with authentic Mexican culture.
HBM is a network of 45 luxury hotels in which none can buy membership, it can only be earned. Each of them is carefully checked before becoming part of the brand and then regularly examined by HBM staff.
A well-defined concept
What sets them apart from other boutique hotels? That is the question that both guests and experts in the sector could ask themselves when opting for any of HBM's properties. Faced with a concept that is today so used within the lodging market and that the big luxury chains have used to name themselves, HMB, has based its definition of boutique on the French meaning of the word. "Our definition is really very simple, and it's based on the French word that gives meaning to its name: boutique, a small business place where an expert will offer you attentive and detailed service, whether you're looking for the freshest fruit, the most delicious perfume or the perfect place to spend the night." This was explained by HBM, on its website www.hotelesboutique.com
In hotel terms and in accordance with the philosophy of the Mexican brand, the hotels that are chosen and certified by Boutique Hotels of Mexico, must be intimate in size, be tastefully decorated, have impeccable service, well organized, and most importantly, have an added value to offer to your guests.
The ten most visited
With the help of guests and the frequency of their reservations, Hoteles Boutique de México released the list of "The Ten Most Requested Boutique Hotels of 2007". This is an option to publicize which are the most requested hotels and a list for those looking for the best in hospitality. From the first to the tenth position these are the most visited properties.
House of Mita
Located in Puerto Vallarta, 36 kilometers from the international airport of that city, this hotel qualified by HBM as simple elegance, secluded and with gourmet cuisine is located. Decorated in the typical Vallartense style with white stucco walls and mosaic floors, the hotel has eight rooms in total, each with a private balcony that offers a beautiful view of the sea. The interior spaces are simple and elegant, with cabinets, headboards and doors of carved wood from Michoacán giving the touch of rustic elegance.
Its coastal location allows the visitor to practice on the beaches near the hotel different water sports, mountaineering, marine excursions and horseback riding."Guests have made excellent comments full of enthusiasm about their stay. This may be the only place where you really want to live the experience of an all inclusive, it is really exquisite and very far from the traditional buffet lines. In this little gem located on a hidden beach, the guest will find impeccable service and will have no reason to want to leave Casa de Mita," the chain said in a press release.
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Meson Sacristy of the Company
Located in Puebla, a city full of history and with a great colonial architectural heritage, the Mesón Sacristía de la Compañía hotel occupies the second place of the most visited boutique hotels. In the Callejón de Los Sapos two blocks from the Zócalo, close to the tianguis of El Parian and Los Sapos and 30 minutes from the airport of Huejotzingo, this rustic, exquisite and central hotel, looks from the outside as a simple colonial building, with typical terraces of the nineteenth century and wooden doors. However, its interior decoration that combines rustic furniture, antique objects, talavera poblana tiles and gold leaf details to frame the doors, transport the guest to the Mexico of two centuries ago.
Each of its eight rooms has been individually decorated with antiques. In case guests find any object especially attractive, they can acquire it. Inside the hotel there is also a gallery where everything from pieces of furniture to religious art are sold. On the other hand, the El Santuario restaurant offers exclusive dishes of Mexican cuisine that are served in the courtyard where guests enjoy live music.
"With an award-winning sample of haute cuisine specializing in Puebla cuisine, guests can purchase all kinds of antiques and take home the memory of an unforgettable experience by learning how to prepare the perfect mole," HBM said.
The Alamandas
Luxurious, secluded, spacious, this third hotel is aimed at those seeking privacy. Located on the Mexican waterfront, south of Puerto Vallarta and north of Manzanillo, Las Alamandas boasts a kilometer of private beach and its architecture resembles an elegant mansion. With 14 rooms and four private beaches, the guest can enjoy a holiday in peace and under anonymity. In addition to its spa service in the room and on the beach, the hotel has different options to activate the palate and enjoy a good rest.
El Oasis is one of the restaurants that offers a variety of Mexican dishes as well as organic juices and quality wines. For its part, La Palapa is a beach club where the guest can enjoy a breakfast and a meal overlooking the sea and finally, La Pergola is a corner for private dinners located next to the beach.
Villa Ganz
The fourth place on the list is occupied by this hotel that with simple elegance, central and exquisite is located in Guadalajara ten minutes from the historic center of that city and close to Expoguadalajara in the heart of the commercial and financial area of the city. Turning this twentieth-century mansion into an intimate hotel that combines the traditional and the modern was the purpose of its owner who managed to make each of the ten rooms unique and interesting. With a collection of antiques, gourmet dinners and historical sculptures, the guest can enjoy a good rest in the middle of Mexican history.
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La Casona
Mexico City ranks fifth in boutique hotels. 40 minutes from the airport, in a strategic area close to museums, theaters, concert halls and the main financial centers of the city. A few blocks from the central Paseo de la Reforma, is this mansion of the Porfirian era, which with pink facades and colorful period balconies, rescues the urban elegance of the early twentieth century. Completely restored, this 29-room building has been listed as an artistic monument by the National Institute of Fine Arts.
Central, sophisticated and exquisite, this is this hotel that on the façade preserves the aesthetics of the time and the interior offers modernity in its spaces and services. In the style of the best European hotel industry, La Casona, is characterized by defining a new concept of small hotel in the big city. There is no doubt, then, that each of the first five hotels on the list reflect the true essence of Mexico, its heritage, folklore and warmth of its people. There different environments mix classic architecture with modern design and elegant decoration.
The same characteristics accompany the hotels that go from the sixth position to the tenth. In their order they are:
6. Hacienda San Ángel. Located in Puerto Vallarta, it is rated by HBM as luxurious, sophisticated, centrally located
7. The Tamarind. Settled is Costalegre, it is sophisticated, isolated, spacious
8. Xaloc. On Holbox Island, it is isolated, casual, primitive
9. Quinta Las Acacias. In Guanajuato, combine simple elegance with the central and the casual
10. Majahuitas. Located in Puerto Vallarta, it is isolated, casual and primitive according to HBM.
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