Hotel of the week: The Oasis

last updated 8 January 2015

The Oasis

San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende, “the quintessential colonial town” in the highlands about 160 miles north of Mexico City, will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, said Douglas Cooper in Travel + Leisure. Anticipating this honor, the city has begun “sprucing up its look.” Setting the gold standard for visitors who want the very best in luxury accommodations is the four-bedroom Oasis. Until recently, the hotel was an abandoned 17th-century ruin near the town square. Two years ago, American expatriate Nancy Lane Hooper began remodeling the “glorious mansion hidden under the debris” into a sophisticated retreat. The four East-meet-West suites are named the Nomad, the Bedouin, the Berber, and the Sahara. All contain massive four-poster beds with 1,000-thread-count sheets, “towels as thick as Berber carpets,” and other thoughtful touches. The rooftop terrace overlooking the city’s domes and spires is an “otherworldly setting” where guests can dine on chilaquilas for breakfast or linger after a late supper admiring the skyline.