Anticavilla Hotel

Style

Futurist fiesta

Setting

Former cupola’d convent

Adults-only boutique hotel Anticavilla Hotel has given a new lease of life to a former convent in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Gone are the habits and bibles, and in their place are more sinful treats: indulge in the spa, be a glutton for the Mexican cuisine in the restaurant and spend slothful days by the pool in the sun-kissed gardens. We’ll leave ‘lust’ up to you… Interiors include 16 unique suites, each inspired by an Italian Modernist artist: We approve, but with works such as Modigliani’s Nudo Rosso in full flush on the wall the nuns may disagree….

Facilities

Rooms

16, all of which are suites.

Checkout

Noon, flexibility depends on occupancy and availability. Check-in, 3pm; early check-in can be arranged from 10am. Guests can use hotel facilities and store luggage at reception if leaving late or arriving early.

More Details

Rates usually exclude breakfast, but include a welcome cocktail and non-alcoholic drinks from the minibar. Suites also include a fruit basket, coffee and tea delivered each morning and access to L'arte di Vivere activities.

Also

Two of the ground-floor suites have been specifically designed for guests with limited mobility; the toilets in the restaurant are all wheelchair accessible.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV with Netflix, Nespresso machine, air-conditioning, minibar, Bvlgari amenities, bathrobes, a safe and plug adaptors.

Our Favourite Rooms

Each suite is inspired by a different Italian artist, so pick a suite to suit your artistic taste. Junior Suite Aligi Sassù has the best views of the garden and pool but we’re also rather taken with the Presidential Suite’s secluded terrace, which has an open fire pit and Jacuzzi.

Poolside

The enormous heated swimming pool is set in the hotel’s lush tropical gardens. Guests can settle on sunloungers beneath palm trees and parasols.

Spa

Overlooking the lush gardens, two of the four treatment rooms are designed for couples so you can unwind together. The therapists’ healing hands will work away any knots or tension: rejuvenate with a Forever Young facial, energise with an essential-oil-boosted aromatherapy ritual or relax with a four-handed massage.

Packing Tips

Pack your sketchpads and draw inspiration from your suite’s feature wall or the hotel’s flower-filled tropical garden.

Children

This is an over-18s only hotel – sorry kids.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

By day, take a table on the lawn and for a special occasion, organise a private dinner in the wine cellar, which uniquely isn’t subterranean, but set in its own tranquil garden.

Dress Code

There's a formal dress code – understandably, as this setting deserves only the suavest of linen suits and most elegant dresses.

Hotel Restaurant

The restaurant embodies the hotel’s blend of contemporary and classic: overlooking the original building and lush gardens, the open-air restaurant is a modernist masterpiece. Its high ceiling – strung with chandeliers – is supported by pillars that look like tree trunks polished marble, and guests dine on sleek white and perspex tables and chairs. Take your pick of Italian fare, start with arancini and prosciutto before dipping into a truffled mushroom risotto, specially prepared by Chef Jorge Salas.

Hotel Bar

Nothing beats a pre-dinner Margarita Anticavilla (made with Mezcal, lemon, tamarind, strawberry and mango) by the bar’s roaring fire, as you cosy up with your loved one and gaze over the illuminated lawns. If you can’t wait for dinner, the bar offers lights snacks, including cheese and meat platters, salmon and beef carpaccio, and shrimp, tuna and octopus ceviches to share. The hotel has a large wine cellar so your glass is unlikely to run dry.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served from 7am to noon, lunch runs till 6pm, and dinner is between 7pm and 11pm. The bar is open from 12pm to 10pm.

Room Service

Room service is available from 7am to 10pm every day.

Planes

Fly direct to Mexico City International from London and cities across the US. Call our Smith24 team of travel experts to book your flights and arrange private transfers to and from the airport (around US$150 each way).

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Founded in the 16th century, Cuernavaca has a rich cultural history. Start your deep dive into the past at the Palace of Hernán Cortés. Built between 1523 and 1528, it was originally the winter palace of a Spanish conquistador, but now houses the Museo Cuauhnáhuac, where you can view archaeological artefacts from the local area and famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera’s murals which depict the history of Cuernavaca. Just down the road is the Robert Brady Museum. Like a giant travel journal of Robert Brady, every surface of the house is bedecked with paintings, textiles, sculptures, antiques and other assorted art forms from all corners of the world. Among the treasures to be discovered are works by well-known Mexican artists, including Rivera, Tamayo, Kahlo and Covarrubias, as well as Brady’s own paintings (look out for his portrait of Peggy Guggenheim). Pack a picnic and take a leisurely lunch in the tranquil Garden Borda; be sure to pop into the Cathedral of Cuernavaca on your way – it’s a monumental Baroque building, so you can’t miss it. If you want to go further back in time the ancient Aztec archaeological site of Teopanzolco is less than a 15-minute walk from the hotel; older still are the ruins of Xochicalco, which date back to the seventh century. Tequesquitengo lagoon is less than an hour’s drive from the city; the hotspot is beloved by daredevils for its water skiing, scuba diving, hang gliding and parachuting.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .