San Miguel de Allende 17th-Century property is turned into a charming Boutique Hotel

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By Lauren Jones

Photography by Pepe Molina

“We’ve always felt like the energy of the building is really warm and welcoming,” remarks Laura Kirar. The American-born designer, who has been living in Mexico full-time for the past three years, is the owner of Mesón Hidalgo, a guest house and boutique in San Miguel de Allende.

pLaura Kirars goal to open Mesn Hidalgo was always a someday kind of thing but has turned out to be quite the success.p
Laura Kirar’s goal to open Mesón Hidalgo was always a “someday kind of thing” but has turned out to be quite the success.

Built in 1693, it was rumored to once have been home to a priest who “healed people and performed miracles,” hence its aforementioned good juju, but today it’s been transformed into three distinctive guest suites and a retail spot, a model that is unlike anything else in the colorful tourist town.

“The first time I visited, I was smitten,” Laura says of San Miguel de Allende. “I fell in love with the people and how beautiful it is.” It is indeed picturesque, and Mesón Hidalgo perfectly captures that same spirit through its whimsical design schemes and hand-crafted furnishings. The best part? Everything is for sale: “Whether it be vintage lamps I have collected and put in one of the guest rooms or things made in the Yucatan, everything can be taken home or made-to-order,” says the designer.

pFrom the doorway to the stairs to the tapestries hanging on the walls the space is filled with incredible attention to...
From the doorway to the stairs to the tapestries hanging on the walls, the space is filled with incredible attention to detail.
pThe building was last renovated 30 years ago but still needed to be brought up to a luxury level which was done over a...
The building was last renovated 30 years ago but still needed to be brought up to a luxury level, which was done over a six-month period through new plumbing, doors, hardware, and paint.

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Laura, who has worked as both an interior and product designer for clients such as Baker FurnitureKallista faucets, and Sheraton Hotels, always wanted a place of her own and couldn’t deny the charms of the nearly 350-year-old building. Mesón Hidalgo opened in November 2019, around San Miguel’s Day of the Dead celebration, and interest in the hotelito has continued to rise even amid travel restrictions due to COVID-19. “We’ve been lucky to have guests from Mexico City, Merida, and even the U.S.,” she adds.

The three guest suites—Chana, Juana, and Su Hermana—come from Mexican slang and are another way to incorporate local culture for those who visit. Furthermore, each of the suites has its own personality, which is evident in the color palette and furnishings.

pThe paintings come from an antique dealer at Lauras favorite market in Mexico City. I bought them three years before...
The paintings come from an antique dealer at Laura’s favorite market in Mexico City. “I bought them three years before opening Mesón Hidalgo and just had them in storage,” she recalls.

Chana, the only guest suite on the ground floor, features colors tied to tradition. The pale blue stripes reference the blue skies, while the rusty red, typical of classic Colonial-era buildings, “pays homage to the age of the building but in a contemporary way,” she says. The massive hand-carved armor is another nod to history, as Laura worked with a local expert carver. The textiles are Laura Kirar originals, while the fireplace is Cantera stone, a local volcanic rock that can range from pale gray to rose to charcoal.

pWho wouldnt want to stay in this peaceful pink roomp
Who wouldn’t want to stay in this peaceful pink room?

Juana, one of the two upstairs rooms, includes one of Laura’s favorite colors: coral pink, the color of the sky in San Miguel during the sunset. With hand-painted detailing by a local muralist, based on the Mayan representation of Venus, the room also has a private balcony with a hammock, climbing vines, and a lemon tree, making it a “very sweet place to stay,” she says.

pThe tin mirror in the corner which is a hrefhttpsshoplaurakirar.comcollectionstabletop relnofollow targetblankavailable...
The tin mirror in the corner, which is available for purchase for $1,350, uses a local traditional technique where “thin sheets of tin are wrapped around a piece of furniture and a pattern is hammered in,” Laura says. “This piece, I believe, is from the 1940s.”

The last of the three suites, Su Hermana, also includes a colonial color—yellow ochre. “At the time, paints were generally made from calcium and natural pigments, so this olive-y yellow would’ve been a color back then,” Laura says. The black-and-white zigzag detailing on the walls also shows up in the custom headboard trimmed with sansevieria, a natural fiber found in the Yucatan and an atypical choice as a textile.

While a trip to San Miguel de Allende is already on many people’s bucket list, Mesón Hidalgo offers an exclusive taste of the town’s history—plus purposeful, intimate design and fascinating antiques.

pMesn Hidalgo includes a hrefhttpsmesonhidalgo.comourshops targetblankretail spacesa that were conceived by women...
Mesón Hidalgo includes retail spaces that were “conceived by women, handcrafted and curated with spirit, and exclusively made in the heart of Mexico,” according to the site. Those makers include Armour Jewelry, fashion from Carla Fernandez, Xinú perfumery, and Laura’s own shop, which includes a hand-painted mural and table that can be used as a dining room for guests.

Source:architecturaldigest.com

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