My wife needed to do some research for an upcomming book in Gto. And as this coincided with her birthday I decided to treat her to a couple of days in this hotel after having read the very positive reviews.

I called the front desk directly and arranged to get one of the Jacuzzi suites for the price of a regular attic room.

The hotel is located in a posh suburb right outside Gto (Guanajuato) center, the area is beautiful and if you like a good walk I highly recommend walking the first 10 minutes or so before grabbing a cab to go to the center (forget driving in the center of town).

Some observations:
1. The hotel is a small, pretty and very friendly boutique hotel, meaning that the service will be highly personalized and attentive, if you are looking for multiple eating and drinking options, a gym or business center this is not it. As an earlier reviewer aptly described it really feels just like visiting a (very wealthy…) Mexican friends home more than a hotel.
2. The Jacuzzi suite, is actually not a “suite” (or jr. suite) by definition as it does not have a separate sitting area but a decent size room with a huge bathroom with… a Jacuzzi.
The toiletries are ample, first rate and in three areas; twin sink, shower, Jacuzzi and including things like a basic medicine kit, separate shampoo and conditioner and folding the sanitary paper shows excellent attention to detail.
3. The hotel is well managed and housekeeping is very efficient and discrete making sure that your room and general areas are spotless at all times.
4. Even though children are not recommended, there is no problem at all in bringing them (a cot was promptly arranged for my baby daughter without me having to even ask for it), just try to keep the noise under control to not bother other guests and be aware that there are stairs everywhere so strollers are useless and you’ll have to do a lot of carrying.
5. The restaurant is very good and the prices are low given the quality of the hotel, you can order anything on the menu with room service if you wish.
6. The new “suite” area is in a private court yard which is in pristine condition, romantic (see pictures), quiet and new. The main building rooms actually looked larger (with small bathrooms), but should be a bit older and much noisier as they face the street.

Personal Gripes:
As this hotel is by far the most expensive in the city at 230 to 430 dollars (many hotels have local advertised prices around 100 dollars max, so call them don’t be blinded by internet rates) you expect a truly premium experience. In my own case all was great and only marred in the very end by two details.
1. My daughter had apparently broken a drinking glass and this was added to my final invoice, no big deal but the fact of charging me 4 dollars for a plain $0.50 glass was in my own opinion exceptionally petty and taste-less (first time in my life in any place, any where!) when paying 600 dollars for a 2 night stay and this minor detail made me start considering how good value for money I had actually received.
2. Also at check-out my credit card slip had a “gratuity” space and when I asked whether I was expected to pay a tip I was told that it was optional. This would have been fine, except for the fact that I always tip; in every meal, room service bill and in cash to bell boys and paying a tip on top of the tips doesn’t make much sense and again made me re-consider the value proposition offered (I would have let this slide had it not been for the point mentioned above).

Due to the 2 minor slip-ups (I assume that the manager was absent at the time, as they are kinder garden hospitality mistakes) and my personal perceived value proposition (if I had actually paid the 325 dollars a night rack rate my review would have been far more critical…), I will probably try a different hotel next time we go to Guanajuato.

Also check these possible alternatives:
Villa Maria Cristina at $219 dollars is right next door and looked very luxurious, the Holiday Inn by the entrance looks brand new and is a bargain at $81 dollars ($107 for a suite with sitting area!) internet rate and finally the large Camino Real (refurbished) at $189 dollars offered large chain hotel conveniences, I’d skip actually living in the very center of town all together though unless your purpose is to party all night long =)….

However, if $325 dollars (Jacuzzi suite) is comfortably within your budget and you want a home-style, friendly and luxurious boutique hotel, Las Acacias is a very safe bet you will not be disappointed with!

TIPS
1. Leave your car (if you bring one) at the hotel and move around by taxi as the center is a maze with walking only and one way streets and virtually no public parking at all.
2. Try the ice cream at Hotel Luna’s restaurant, the best in town!
3. If given the chance, do go along in a “callejoneada” absolutely priceless experience walking after a group of musicians with a drink in your hand =)!