Mexico's Casa De Sierra Nevada Introduces Casa Palma

Just a brief stroll from El Jardin, the center of town, and located directly beside the hotel’s swimming pool, Casa Palma is an 18th century style mansion that features six distinctive elegant suites.

Hotel General Manager, Marc Rodriguez said the six new suites are a grand addition to the existing 31 rooms. “I feel Casa Palma, as do our other houses; encompass the rich culture and heritage of this wonderful city with its unique colonial touches and exceptional detail. It truly is a jewel. We are delighted that it can now be enjoyed by our guests.” said Rodriguez.

Sebastián Zavala and his company ZAGAR Contrucciones of San Miguel de Allende were responsible for the design and construction of the house. Casa Palma was originally a private residence dating back to the late 1890’s. Zavala and his team kept as much of the original house as possible, including original courtyard walls. Zavala said the original walls were preserved and reinforced in two of the suites, while the remaining four suites were built from the ground up. The stone used in the construction of Casa Palma is stone that was found on the property during excavation or stone that was used in the original house.

Each suite is distinct from the next, yet they each capture the rich history of the area, decorated with hand painted Mexican tiles, polished copper sinks, copper tubs and original arts and crafts. Local wood workers, iron workers and craftsmen were involved in the project. San Miguel cantera stone was also used to bring old-world touches to niches, columns and fireplaces.

All six suites have private patios with outdoor heated plunge pools, while the Presidential Suite boasts an outdoor living area as well as a 900 square-foot roof top terrace that has a barbeque grill, vast granite counters and a bar area, plus breath-taking views of the city center and the Parroquia. Two suites also include outdoor showers while all of them have central air conditioning and heating, underground heated bathroom floors, oversized shower area, a copper tub, flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations.

The new suites opened to the public on December 22, 2008.

Orient-Express Hotels (www.orient-express.com) has offered exceptional luxury travel experiences since 1976, when the company first purchased Hotel Cipriani in Venice and then shortly afterwards, recreated the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which weekly, links London, Paris and Venice as well as other destinations. Today, the company owns or part-owns and manages 51 businesses, 41 of which are highly acclaimed hotels that are each unique in style, from the Mount Nelson in Cape Town and Rio's Copacabana Palace, to the Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg and Maroma Resort & Spa on Mexico's Riviera Maya. There are two restaurants, including ‘21' in New York, two river cruise operations and six tourist trains. Orient-Express prides itself on providing the ultimate in luxury and service for its guests, in some of the world's most magical locations.

Orient-Express chooses to own or part-own and manage its businesses, and continues to seek out unique properties with expansion potential and to introduce new experiences, restoring romance, glamour and style to international travel.

One and a half blocks from the Parroquia and main city square of San Miguel de Allende, the boutique hotel of Casa de Sierra Nevada is a mixture of 16th to 18th century Spanish colonial buildings. Its 37rooms and suites are spread amongst six colonial mansions, including a 17th century fort, and the former residence of San Miguel de Allende's Archbishop in the 16th century. With the hotel's buildings situated around the town rather than in one location, the experience is akin to living in a beautiful, historic apartment, but with the fresh, new amenities and genuine Mexican hospitality provided by Casa de Sierra Nevada, making for a true cultural immersion. Founded in 1542, the town of San Miguel de Allende is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sitting at 6,400 feet above sea level, the cobble-stoned streets of this colonial town are lined with palasios that today are a mixture of personal residences, galleries, restaurants and boutiques.

More information: Casa De Sierra Nevada

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