We brought 15 of our friends from all over Europe to the Villa Rivera for three nights. They are all international travelers, very demanding, and accustomed to a very high standard of accommodation and service. We hoped they'd like it; but in fact they LOVED it! Indeed, it blew them away! The hotel, once a private home, is tucked behind San Miguel's Parroqioa. A block from the Jardin, its location couldn't be better, and both the guest rooms and common areas are very tastefully decorated. The bar and restaurant open on to a terrace and tiny lawn complete with a swimming pool -- also tiny. The views from some of the suites are simply breathtaking. But the best thing about the hotel is its incredible staff: In particular, Rebecca and Francesca who manage the front desk and Victor, who is in charge of food and beverage services went out of their way to make us feel totally welcome and at home in a multitude of ways. For example: when some of our party arrived at odd hours, this was no problem for Victor, who insisted on carrying their baggage. When we came in one night after the bar had closed, Rebecca herself opened the bar for us. When I commented on their graciousness to Victor, he simply replied, "We want you to feel that this is your home" That said it all! No matter what we asked them for, their response was 'no problema' -- and they meant it! My friends could not have had a better introduction to Mexico than the Villa Rivera.
Alex B.

This is a beautiful hotel in a nice location, with views of the valley and easy access to the Jardin. By all accounts, this should be a highly rated hotel and it would be if the nightly rate was half what it is. Unfortunately it does not live up to its price. We are not usually picky about hotels in middle-income countries; cleanliness and a decent bed are usually enough. But for nearly $200 a night one expects much more than this hotel gives. Our second floor room was average size, with a comfortable bed, small refrigerator and TV. The glass door to the balcony has a gap at the bottom which explains the mosquitoes and ants in the room. The large balcony was a highlight, almost as large as the room and with beautiful views. The sink and tub drain poorly. The ceiling leaked during a heavy rainstorm. A man skims the pool surface each morning to clean it, but the bottom was heavy with leaves, dead insects and fruit fallen from a nearby tree. The hotel staff are polite and friendly but provided no assistance when we enquired about local cooking classes, which we found ourselves on the internet [-]. Wireless internet is available (though the front desk staff don’t know anything about it – ask the manager for the network key) by the pool. A “continental” breakfast is included in the price, but the staff don’t mention it when you check in – you need to call every morning for it to be brought to the room. The restaurant food was mediocre and overpriced, compared to what you can get at a variety of good restaurants within several blocks of the hotel. Overall, we found the hotel to be quite nice but not worth the four star price. Definitely stay here if you can bargain the price way down, probably possible during low season, but look elsewhere if they’re asking the rack rate.

We had a lovely long weekend stay in the San Miguel suite of the Hotel Villa Rivera in San Miguel de Allende. Charming is the word for both the town and this quaint little boutique hotel, seemingly borrowed from Provence or Tuscany. Standing on our balcony looking down on the pool and courtyard full of flowers or gazing over the wall at the top of the grand cathedral with its spires and domes or watching the sunset over the distant purple hills, we could not have been happier with our choice of a hotel or this particular room. One cannot beat the location of the hotel for exploring the city or the atmosphere throughout the hotel itself. All was immaculate and the service was very responsive. We marveled at how the lobby, the halls, and the rooms were all so tastefully and artfully decorated. The continental breakfasts that came with the price of the room were perfect for us with a basket full of fresh rolls and a plate full of slice fresh fruits. Our room was airy and bright with French doors out to the private porch and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on in Mexico. And the beautiful bathroom with its huge tub below its own dramatic cupola was the piece de resistance. We look forward to our next visit.

This small charming 10 room hotel is definetely a very good option.
This was our second trip to San Miguel and having learned a few things after our first trip we decided to stay at this great spot.
We negotiated the rate and were able to lowered it from US 180 to US 120 by booking a month in advance.
Breakfasts are great and the restaurant is very good in terms of quality of food and service, something you will not find everywhere in this town.

Temperatures in San Miguel get to 95 after midday therefore a pool is esencial so you can go back to the hotel refresh yourself and wait after 5pm under the shade in the garden.

It is also esencial that your hotel is not located in front of the main square as you will have to bear with Mariachis until 2am. This hotel is 2 blocks fro the main square which reduces noise considerably.

Overall service is very good and personalized.

I would definitely recommend this hotel for its price/quality relation.