This “most European of Mexico’s cities” offers culture, history, charm and gourmet dining, all for a fraction of a trip to Europe. Puebla may not be on everyone’s favorite Mexican destination list, but its boutique hotels, adventurous restaurants and historic charm will soon be discovered. Introduce your clients to the next “in” spot.

Do you know Mexico pretty well? How many clients have you sent to Puebla, capital of the state of Puebla? Just 85 miles from Mexico City, this colonial city of 3.5 million was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Classic Mexican dishes such as mole poblano originated in this city, famous for its haute cuisine restaurants. Several of Mexico’s top universities are located here.

Puebla was meticulously planned in 1531 by a Spanish city designer; visitors have designated it “the most European of Mexican cities.” Despite its great charm and importance in Mexican history, Puebla has not made a name for itself in the travel world. Most North Americans clamor to Mexico’s favored destinations such as the Riviera Maya, Baja, Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta. You can offer your clients another Mexican experience, though, one that rivals a European vacation.

Offer Puebla to clients who would love a European city experience for a fraction of the cost, who want to learn Spanish at one of Puebla’s schools, who know they’ll need an urban break after a few days at the beach, who live to cook and/or eat, who enjoy places that feel “real” without hordes of tourists, or to your clients who just love Mexico—its culture, people and food.

Layers of History
History buffs can tour magnificent sites such as the Cathedral, San Francisco Acatepec and Tonanzintla, visit top-rated museums and Franciscan monasteries or wander through narrow streets lined with colonial buildings constructed in the 16th century. Seventy-six churches grace the city of Puebla. It boasts 2600 historically important buildings.

The Spanish, however, were not the first to leave their imprint on this part of Mexico. Archeologists have found evidence that the valley was first inhabited between 1500 and 2000 BC. The largest pre-Columbian pyramid in the world, Tlachihualtepetl, is a must-see attraction in nearby Cholula; though excavation is incomplete, visitors can walk through a maze of tunnels inside the mountainous edifice and climb to the top where the Spanish built the Church of our Lady of Remedies in the 16th century.

Puebla is known as the most Catholic of Mexican cities, a conservative place that has carefully preserved and protected its cultural and architectural heritage. It prides itself for its safe, clean streets and just about anyone you meet seems to know its history and folklore. Clients attracted to narrow cobbled streets and dining al fresco while people watching will thank you for introducing them to this charming colonial city.

Tesoros: Treasures of Mexico
The Mexico Treasures Quality Club (El Club de Calidad Tesoros de Mexico) is a group of properties that focuses on preserving both historic boutique hotels and the classic cuisine of Mexico. Accommodation in this group must be located in traditional buildings which have been carefully preserved; restaurants-also located in historic buildings-offer dishes recaptured from Mexico’s culinary past. Of the Tesoros group’s 44 hotels and 28 restaurants, 15 properties are located in the state of Puebla, 11 in the capital city of Puebla. Standards for authenticity and service are high; many properties that have tried to join the Tesoros group were rejected.

One member of the Tesoros group, Meson Sacrista de la Compania was the first boutique hotels in Puebla according to its General Manager. “We started as an antique store,” GM Leobardo J. Espinosa Lopez explained. “My family has always been in the antique business. My father got the idea that we could rent some rooms out, and we expanded from there. We still only have six rooms and two suites, and we are still an antique gallery!”

Indeed, staying at the Meson Sacrista de la Compania is living in an antique store. Everything is for sale; everything is beautiful—sometimes weird but always wonderful. The colorful Mexican décor inside this 18th century mansion accentuates its European and Mexican antiques perfectly.

Another attraction at the Meson Sacrista de la Compania is its traditional Mexican cooking class. National Geographic recently recommended this class in Traveler Magazine. The hotel offers special packages that include a week of 3-hour classes and accommodation as well as tours of the city and restaurants. Students need not stay at the hotel to attend classes. They can be arranged for anyone, from one class to a week or more.

With its excellent food, live music, and fun, eccentric atmosphere, the Meson Sacrista de la Compania should on any itinerary for a Puebla visit….as accommodation, restaurant, antique store, cooking class, or all of the above. Rack rates range from $100 to $125 plus tax.

Hotel Boutique Casona de la China Poblana is another Tesoros property located in the heart of the historic downtown area. It offers five rooms and five suites, ranging from around $150 to close to $300. Imagination and design permeate this 17th century mansion turned boutique hotel. It was supposedly the home of a legendary heroine in Puebla history: China Poblana, a mystical ex-slave girl from India who captured the hearts of the people. Its décor is a skillful combination of antique and modern accessories, all for sale.

All of the Tesoros properties in Puebla provide easy access to the old town with its museums, churches and restaurants. Each has a character of its own. The owner of El Sueno named each room after a famous woman poet or painter; Restaurant El Mural de los Poblanos features a mural depicting famous denizens of Puebla. Each place is indeed a treasure that will be more than just a “place to stay”; each property is a destination itself.

New Architecture Mexican Style
La Purificadora, a Habita Group hotel, is another Puebla property with its roots in the past. Deigned by Richardo Legorreta, this hotel reaches new heights in design and creatively linking the past to the future. Once a water purification and bottling plant, the hotel offers a breathtaking lobby that is open to the sky. Purple couches draped with wool blankets surround fire pits; a bubbling waterfall cuts through a mammoth staircase. Stairs, the swimming pool, even

floors are fashioned from glass-unnerving for those with vertigo. Recommend that your clients drop in for a drink in the third story bar, even if they chose to stay elsewhere. This property must be experienced. Rack rates start at $130US per night.

Tours In and Around Puebla
Special-interest travel is a natural for Puebla and its surrounding area. Monica Hernandez Garcia of Tip Tours works with travel professionals in the United States to arrange architectural tours, antique trips, cooking classes and visits with famous chefs, guided tours of ruins and churches, or any other personalized tour. Tip Tours will either pay agents a commission or will work with agents who want to price the personalized trip themselves.

Several nearby towns are worthwhile destinations: The town of Atlixco claims the “best climate in the world.” If clients stay with Armando and Gabriela, owners of Antigua Alqueria de Carrion Boutique Hotel, (and they should) they will feel that they are visiting friends. Armando Saldana Flores happily takes his guests to a gorgeous 18th century hacienda where, if they are lucky, they can meet its enchanting French owner who will regale them with stories of her long eventful life in Mexico. She and Armando work to restore 17th and 18th century paintings that have been languishing in homes and churches in the area. Armando shows his guests some of these treasures, priceless works of art that are not yet on display to the public.