Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Mexico / San Miguel de Allende / Villa Santa Monica
Villa Santa Monica
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico · Independent · Accessible Luxury
José Mojica, the Mexican tenor Hollywood knew before he took Franciscan vows, rebuilt this house beside Parque Juárez for his mother, and the street outside now carries his name. María Félix, Dolores del Río, and John Wayne were among the guests in these rooms before the villa opened as a hotel in the mid-1940s, after his mother died. You still eat in the courtyard at El Patio, with the park just past the door.
- Neighborhood: Zona Centro
About Villa Santa Monica
- The house began in the seventeenth century on silver money from the surrounding hills, stood empty after the Revolution, and was bought by Mojica in 1933, when he rebuilt it for his mother.
- Some trees in the garden still wear nameplates for the guests who planted them, including Gary Cooper, Pedro Infante, and Agustín Lara.
- Mojica invited two young Chicago friends, Stirling Dickinson and Heath Bowman, to come see the town. Dickinson bought a house and stayed, and the American art colony grew up around that decision.
History
José Mojica, born in San Gabriel, Jalisco, in 1895, sang at the Chicago Civic Opera and made Hollywood musicals before he rebuilt a ruined house beside Parque Juárez for his mother. He bought the estate in 1933. It had started in the seventeenth century on silver money and stood empty after the Revolution. His mother died in 1942. He endowed an orphanage in San Miguel, joined the Franciscans, and was ordained in Lima on 13 July 1947. The house opened as a hotel in the mid-1940s. The city later named him a distinguished citizen, and the street out front carries his name.
The setting
The villa stands at Fray José Guadalupe Mojica 22, beside Parque Juárez, in the center of San Miguel de Allende. The Jardín and the Parroquia are a short walk farther into town. The restaurant El Patio serves in the courtyard.
Amenities
- Private bathroom in each guest room, junior suite and suite
- Gardens, courtyards and city views
- Hosting of weddings and special events
Open Villa Santa Monica in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in San Miguel de Allende
- Casa 1810 Parque Hotel Boutique — Casa 1810 · Accessible Luxury
- Casa 63 Hotel Boutique & Spa — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Casa Delphine — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Casa Mision de San Miguel — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Casa No Name — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Casa Quebrada Hotel Boutique — Independent · Accessible Luxury