Patzcuaro is a lovely Spanish Colonial small city in the state of Michoacan, to the west of Mexico City and south of Guanajuato state. Michoacan is best known for its monarch butterfly sanctuaries and Patzcuaro is best known as a big Day of the Dead destination. It’s worth visiting any time of year, however, because of nearby Janitzio Island in a lake and the nearby craft villages, so here are the best Patzcuaro Mexico hotels to choose from if you make it there.
Surprisingly, for a city that gets so many international tourists every October, there are no true luxury hotels in the area. Most of the hotels aren’t great at catering to those who don’t speak Spanish either: most of the city’s hotel websites don’t have any information in English and when I met with multiple hotel representatives at an Adventure Travel Mexico conference hosted there, I needed to do most of those meetings in Spanish.
The first hotel below is the only real large, full-service place where you can expect a range of facilities, room service, and a large staff. Most of the others are better classified as family inns or bed and breakfasts. There are probably 50 of those scattered around, including some on the outskirts, but here are our picks for the ones to check out first.
Posada de Don Vasco Best Western Plus
Posada de Don Vasco is the largest hotel in Patzcuaro and can claim a lot of other superlatives too. It’s the only international chain hotel in town that I know of, so if you belong to Best Western’s loyalty program, this is a Best Western Plus that you can earn or use points with. It’s also one of the few with full facilities, like a swimming pool and tennis courts. It has the most meeting space too.
If none of that matters, it’s still worth staying here because of the beautiful gardens and courtyards that are well-tended by an experienced staff. There’s a full restaurant that spills into the courtyard above and a bar that sometimes hosts live entertainment. The only drawback here is that you’re not really walking distance to the historic center. You do have free parking though, so it’s a good place for those coming in their own car.
See more details at the official website or check rates online here.
Hotel Casa Encantada
This expat-owned inn has a website in English, which is not easy to find here, and has a hospitality-focused outlook that ensures you’ll have a comfortable stay and be taken care of. It’s in a great location for strolling too, in a prime spot in the historic center.
The hotel is in a building that dates back to 1784, so you’ll have the pleasure of sleeping in a place that’s probably older than any building in your own city if you are American or Canadian. It is billed as “affordable luxury” and it has a strong sense of place, with plenty of Mexican handicrafts.
See more at the official website or check rates at Booking.com
Hotel Casa del Refugio
The Casa del Refugio Hotel in Patzcuaro is located just one block from the main plaza, in a great area in the heart of it all for restaurants and sightseeing. It has a restaurant, bar, outdoor terrace, and meeting rooms. They also have a fireplace in the lobby, a welcome sight in cool winter evenings in the highlands.
The guest rooms aren’t fancy, but they are well-maintained with tile floors, Mexican fabrics, and plenty of color. They have family rooms here, a big plus if you have kids with you. The rates do include parking, but be advised that the lot is a couple of blocks away.
See their website to view rooms and make a booking, in English even, or check rates online at Hotels.com. They also have a sister hotel called Refugio del Angel if this one is full, also with an English version of the website.
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Hosteria San Felipe
Located two blocks closer to the center from the Don Vasco, Hosteria San Felipe still has some historic gravitas with its carved wood columns and red tile roofs. Rooms have thick red tiles on the floors and the whole place is overflowing with trees and plants.
The inviting restaurant is a cozy place with exposed stone walls and beamed ceiling, serving local cuisine with a bit of flair in the presentation. On-site parking is free. See more at the official website or check rates here in other languages.
Casa del Naranjo Hotel Boutique
Photo by Casa del Naranjo
If you’re looking for a nice room in a historic building, Casa del Naranjo is a great choice, with plenty of Spanish Colonial touches in Patzcuaro style, but with some lovely suites like the one pictured above.
Located on Plaza Vasco de Quiroga in the historic area, the main plaza of the city, a stay here means being right in the heart of the action and steps away from everything. The hotel also has its own restaurant when you’re ready to stay put and rest your feet, with original stone walls and columns.
See more information in English at the official website or compare rates here.
Casa Colorada
Photo by Casa Colorado
This upscale boutique hotel is located a bit outside of the center, but because of that you get plenty of room to spread out. It has a terrace that’s as large as some town squares and some landscaped gardens as well. This upscale hotel is on the way up to the city’s main lookout point too, so you can easily get some exercise walking up there to get a view of the town and lake.
The restaurant on site here is one of the most elegant in town and the attention to detail throughout the property is a big step up from the norm. Casa Colorado also gets rave reviews about its attentive service. There are some beautiful spots to sit and have a drink, there’s a pool table you can use, and parking is included.
See the official website here or check prices at Booking.com, where this is the highest-rated hotel in the city of Patzcuaro.
Eco Hotel Ixhi Patzcuaro
If you’re looking for a hotel with a view instead of one in the flat center, Hotel Ixhi is the best choice. Located on the edge of the city, it looks out at the lake and Janitzio Island, with a more natural feel than you’ll get at any of the other properties.
Several guests attending the conference I was at in Patzcuaro stayed at this property and raved about it, including giving high marks to their comfortable rooms and mattresses.
Even though you feel far removed from the bustle, you can walk to the main plaza in Patzcuaro in 20 minutes. Get more info at their website in English or check rates online.
Mansion de los Sueños
Until Casa Colorado opened up, this was the top place to stay in the city and commanded the highest rates. In most respects it is still tops in the center. The original expatriate owner who applied her creative vision to the renovations moved on, however, and there are some signs it is not living up to its original promise in terms of service.
The bones of Casa de los Suenos (House of the Dreams) are still wonderful though, from the huge original mural in the courtyard to the beautiful dining room facing the street a block away from the central plaza. Mexican art and handicrafts are in every room, appropriate for a region where one of the most popular excursions is to visit artisan villages nearby.
See a full review of Mansion de los Sueños here.
What did we miss? If you stayed at a great hotel in Patzcuaro that you loved, tell us about it in the comments!
Article by editor Tim Leffel who was hosted at the Best Western in Patzcuaro as a media attendee of the Adventure Travel Mexico conference. Photos by Leffel except where indicated.
