Hotel Matilda
When Hotel Matilda opened in 2010, the property’s decidedly contemporary design was an audacious departure from the Spanish colonial norm in central San Miguel de Allende. And the 21st-century look of the place, with its clean lines and sleek surfaces, wasn’t exactly welcomed by some local residents—at least not initially, according to U.S.-based owner Harold Stream.
“When some of the city leaders walked in, one of them said, ‘What’s all this white marble everywhere?’ and then turned around and walked out,” Stream recalls in a promotional article for the hotel.
But Hotel Matilda has staying power, and a lot of that can be attributed to its striking design, however incongruous amid the town’s surrounding cobblestone streets and baroque architecture. From the reception area, backed by a kaleidoscopic video installation, guests enter a space that looks a lot like a contemporary art gallery, right down to the rotating selection of works by Mexican artists adorning the Library Lounge and other public spaces. The ground-floor lounge is also where you’ll find a reproduction of Diego Rivera’s portrait of Stream’s mother—and the hotel’s namesake—Matilda.
Out back, a sunny, whitewashed courtyard centers on a pool flanked by flowering trees and colorful wall murals. The hotel’s food and drink venues are adjacent to this area as well. Options include the poolside Monkey Bar, which serves a “Caviartini” made with vodka and caviar-stuffed olives, and the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Moxi. Also worth noting is the spa, which has a hammam facility and treatments that incorporate Mexican ingredients such as copal and mezcal.
The hotel’s 32 guest rooms are spacious and stylish, with minimalist décor brightened by pops of color in floor coverings and original artwork. The bedding is plush, the windows huge, and the bathrooms marble (with Malin + Goetz products). Best of all are the units with private terraces overlooking the pool.
When Hotel Matilda opened in 2010, the property’s decidedly contemporary design was an audacious departure from the Spanish colonial norm in central San Miguel de Allende. And the 21st-century look of the place, with its clean lines and sleek surfaces, wasn’t exactly welcomed by some local residents—at least not initially, according to U.S.-based owner Harold Stream.
“When some of the city leaders walked in, one of them said, ‘What’s all this white marble everywhere?’ and then turned around and walked out,” Stream recalls in a promotional article for the hotel.
But Hotel Matilda has staying power, and a lot of that can be attributed to its striking design, however incongruous amid the town’s surrounding cobblestone streets and baroque architecture. From the reception area, backed by a kaleidoscopic video installation, guests enter a space that looks a lot like a contemporary art gallery, right down to the rotating selection of works by Mexican artists adorning the Library Lounge and other public spaces. The ground-floor lounge is also where you’ll find a reproduction of Diego Rivera’s portrait of Stream’s mother—and the hotel’s namesake—Matilda.
Out back, a sunny, whitewashed courtyard centers on a pool flanked by flowering trees and colorful wall murals. The hotel’s food and drink venues are adjacent to this area as well. Options include the poolside Monkey Bar, which serves a “Caviartini” made with vodka and caviar-stuffed olives, and the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Moxi. Also worth noting is the spa, which has a hammam facility and treatments that incorporate Mexican ingredients such as copal and mezcal.
The hotel’s 32 guest rooms are spacious and stylish, with minimalist décor brightened by pops of color in floor coverings and original artwork. The bedding is plush, the windows huge, and the bathrooms marble (with Malin + Goetz products). Best of all are the units with private terraces overlooking the pool.
