This is an unsponsored review of the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. It is a top-tier resort centrally located within the vibrant historic city of San Miguel de Allende. It’s a wonderful place to spend a vacation.
At the end of February, we spent four days in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It was our first trip with our three-year-old daughter that wasn’t to visit family, and it was heavenly. We loved both the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende and the charming city. I am already plotting our next trip.
If you are not familiar with San Miguel de Allende, it is a small colonial-era city in central Mexico’s highlands. During the 16th century, the city was colonized by the Spanish and it was a stop on the Silver Trail. Today, San Miguel de Allende is known for its colorful Spanish-style Baroque architecture, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the city had been on my radar for some time, there is one key reason why we chose it as our vacation destination. The Rosewood San Miguel de Allende hotel has a kid’s club that accepts three-year-olds. That is almost unheard of! When I learned at some Rosewood Hotel’s kids club are open to three-year-olds I ran to my computer and started researching. I picked the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende since it provides the resort experience while being situated in a walkable city with a rich culture. On vacations, we like to have a balance between relaxing at the hotel and exploring new places.
How to Get to San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende doesn’t have its own airport. The two closest airports are Querétaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO) and Guanajuato International Airport (BJX). QRO is about an hour and fifteen minutes from San Miguel de Allende and BJX is about an hour and a half away. There are limited flights from the United States to these airports, and it is likely that you might have a layover in Dallas or Houston.
We flew from Chicago to Houston to Guanajuato International Airport. We encountered delays and a missed connection, which made for a cumbersome travel day. Next time, we plan to fly from Chicago to Mexico City and to hire a driver from there.
The Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is about three and a half hours away from San Miguel de Allende. Even with the longer driving time, cutting out a second flight and a layover will likely be your fastest option.
My Review of the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende
The true sign of a five-star luxury hotel is that the staff can anticipate your needs. A perfect example of this was that the staff knew we had missed a connecting flight and arrived at the hotel hours later than expected, at 9 pm. Moments after our bags were dropped off at our room, room service arrived with chips, guacamole, two beers, and cookies for Gwen to decorate. We had a snack to tide us over until we could order dinner, and Gwen had an activity and a snack to keep her happy. We were so thankful.
The Property
Although the hotel is just 13 years old, it was built to perfectly complement San Miguel de Allende’s historic Spanish-inspired architecture. It’s stunning, we loved just wandering around the hotel grounds.
The large property has lush gardens and a pool area with cabanas and four pools.
There is one small very shallow kid’s pool beside the kid’s club. In addition, there is a large pool beside the cabanas and then two smaller pools that are up to 4 feet deep.
The hotel has a rooftop bar/restaurant with views of the city, a tequila bar and restaurant on the ground level, and a poolside restaurant.
The Rosewood Residences are beside the hotel. These seem to be occupied mainly by American retirees. Some of the residences are available to hotel guests, this is great if you want a larger 3 or 4 bedroom accommodation.
The thing that makes the hotel unique is that you are getting a resort experience in the center of a city. You can explore the city in the morning and spend the afternoon lounging by the pool. It felt like we were getting two vacations in one.
Our Room
I booked a Junior Suite with two Queen-sized beds. The room was generously sized and worked so well for our three-person family. The suite had a living room with a fireplace, couch, and tv. There was a big desk tucked away in a corner. The bathroom had a giant tub and a separate shower. Our toddler really loved the tub.
For us, sleeping in the same bedroom seemed to help our daughter adjust to being somewhere new. She stayed in her own bed each night, even though at home she sometimes tries to come sleep in our bed. I think that knowing we were right there was the secret to keeping her in her own bed.
Our favorite part of the room was the large patio. We could enjoy a glass of wine there in the evening or sit and read while Gwen was resting inside the room. It was lovely having a quiet outdoor space to ourselves.
Hotel Dining
We are still talking about how wonderful the food at the hotel is. The Sunday brunch was the most glorious hotel brunch that I have ever experienced. There were food stations set up throughout the courtyard serving omelets, chilaquiles, birria, bao, ramen, grilled meats, quesadillas, and tacos to order. There was a large table of beautiful desserts. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel for brunch, you should consider dining here for Sunday brunch.
I am struggling to find the words to express how wonderful the croissants at the Rosewood are. They were on par with the ones that my husband and I have had in France. We asked if the pastry chef is French (they are not). If you go to the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, just promise me that you will try the delightful croissants.
The other food that I still dream about is the chilaquiles. They were perfect. The homemade tortilla chips were smaller and square – making them easier to eat. They soaked up the pureed tomato and serrano chile sauce while remaining crispy. The chilaquiles came topped with a touch of cheese, and I opted for eggs over easy. If you have an American Express Platinum Card, book the hotel through their Fine Hotels and Resorts booking platform to receive free breakfast with your hotel stay.
What to Do in San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende has excellent dining and shopping. I loved walking around the historic downtown area, stopping into coffee shops and boutiques. I was impressed by the quality of the shopping and restaurants, they felt high-end and not touristy.
What we Did in San Miguel de Allende
We just scratched the surface when it comes to exploring the city. This was our first true vacation with our toddler, and we wanted to relax. The kids club did give us the opportunity to explore the city on our own while Gwen participated in activities with other children at the hotel.
My husband and I went to the market where we bought some dresses, a doll, and a hat for Gwen. The market had a wide variety of handcrafted items included ceramics, metalwork, and clothing.
One evening we got a babysitter through the hotel and we went to dinner at Los Milagros, a casual Mexican restaurant recommended by hotel staff. The city has some very beautiful, more upscale restaurants, but since we live in Chicago and have access to fine dining, we wanted something that felt more authentically Mexican. Charles ordered molcajetes which was essentially a steaming volcano of Mexican delicacies.
After dinner, we stopped at a rooftop bar called Quince. We loved the views of the La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel church lit up at night. Live entertainment at the bar included a violinist and a man who did a tightrope walking routine. While we didn’t experience much of the city’s nightlife, it was clear that there is a bustling nightlife and lots of rooftop bars.
More Activities in San Miguel de Allende
Other activities in the area include hot air balloon rides, visiting wineries, tequila tastings, cooking classes, horseback riding, visiting galleries, and enjoying the spa. The Rosewood has an Art Concierge and offers art classes and experiences.
More Things to Know about San Miguel de Allende
The Weather
I want to quickly point out that the temperatures were in the high 60s and low 70s when we visited in late February. While that might now sound hot, it was clear and sunny and we were happily lounging in the sun when it was 65 degrees.
At nighttime, the temperatures dipped into the 40s, and we did need to pack jackets. But, by 11 am, it was warm enough to be at the pool.
Shoes
The cobblestone streets are uneven. You will want to wear shoes with nice solid bottoms. Sneakers are a good idea. Leave your heels at home
Drinking Water
Hotels and restaurants serve filtered water and ice that is safe to drink. We drank iced drinks throughout the trip both at the hotel and at restaurants in the city without any issue.
Visiting San Miguel de Allende with Kids
The city felt very safe, and in the evenings there were kids playing in the squares. The Rosewood was extremely kid-friendly, and there is a wonderful playground located just beside the hotel.
One night, we dined at Hecho en Mexico, a very affordable casual local restaurant about a block from the hotel. Their kid’s menu has classics like butter noodles and costs about $4.15.
If you are visiting San Miguel de Allende with a very young child, I want to point out that the city itself isn’t the most stroller-friendly since the sidewalks are incredibly narrow and made with cobblestones.
Final Thoughts
We loved both the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende and the city itself. While we know that there are plenty of vacation rentals available in San Miguel de Allende, the hospitality of the staff and the quality of the accommodations and amenities will keep us going back to the Rosewood.