Set on a narrow cobblestone street and fronted by a classic colonial facade, the restored 200-year-old hacienda offers a level of luxury one might not expect to encounter in the tiny tourist stop that's a bit ragged around its edges. The boutique hotel is the meticulously-cared-for baby of co-owners Joaquin, a Salvadorean native, and Pascal, a French ex-fashionista. The two have well-honed hosting skills and understand ambiance, which seems to be lost on even some of the town's better properties. All guests are equal to the hotel's namesake Boston Terrier Lorenzo, who is featured in a few paintings on the grounds and given to offer his hind quarters to get some scratching on his sweet spots.
Lush greenery abounds inside, with stone walls throughout that are maintained in a carefully crumbled style reflecting the colonial decay that's spread across the city. Two spacious open areas are the hotel's focal points and guest-gathering centers, with a garden courtyard that's centered by a gurgling fountain and flanked by loads of original art. The collection of works is largely religious in nature, but eschews the formal style found in typically rigid devotional art for more modern vibe. A glass-walled French restaurant looks onto a stone figure-eight pool in the second communal space, with tranquil music floating through both areas that are filled with memorabilia and antiques collected from across the globe.
Rooms maintain a mix of modern and antique, with furnishings like gently worn wicker chairs and creatively weathered doors that serve as side tables, placed against contemporary window coverings, gleaming fixtures and updated amenities like glass-wall showers. The rustic-chic motif carries throuhout the hotel, which is impressive enough to serve as a stop on a guided tour that winds through town. Poolside suites include a two-story apartment with a large patio that has a not-to-be-missed view of Suchitlan Lake, a big jetted tub and a fountain.
The hotel has spread to space across the street, with an art gallery that bears Pascal's name featuring the creations of local artists, connected to the lounge El Chucho Aquacatero. Named after a term for street dogs, the watering hole oozes chill-out ambiance that one is more likely to find in the cozy haunts of New York or Paris. The main bar has sleek black furnishings set against deep-purple walls, and natural-cloth tapestries slung from bamboo poles fixed to high ceilings. An arched doorway leads to a outside area that's carefully cluttered with art and awash in mood lighting, with clusters of seating areas that range from fine furnishings to junkyard revamps.
Originally posted on vagabuzz.com
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