Casita Laurita
The top terrace is a great place to relax.
Featured in the New York Times, Casita Laurita is a great place to stay for people who love architecture and Mexican folk art. The house is spare and modern, but built with traditional materials (cantera stone, wrought iron). Over the years that the house has been rented, it has had consistent 5-star reviews from guests, many who have returned. They praise its lovely outdoor spaces, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, spacious office, light-filled rooms, attention to detail, and terraces filled with succulents, cacti and other plants, The top terrace has a lounging couch and a nearly 360-degree view of San Miguel de Allende.
The house has 2 bedrooms (one queen, one double), and a study with a balcony and 13-foot desk and napping couch. Well-equipped kitchen with dining table. Two full ensuite bedrooms and a powder room. A lot of stairs. This is an indoor/outdoor house; your “living room” is the terrace the top of the stairs or the ground floor atrium. A binder in the office will give you a tour of all the pieces of art and folk art Laura has collected over the years. Designed by Mexican/Norwegian architect Anja Fauske Lorenzo.
The entrance to Casita Laurita shimmers with antiqued glass (a powder room is hidden under the stairs), then opens up to an atrium and the kitchen.
The kitchen is well-equipped (the owner loves to cook). It has a sofa and a table that expands for dinner parties. Local ceramics. Sharp knives. Le Creuset. Coffeemaker, French press, etc. There is a large jug of filtered water (also in the study and bedrooms).
The house has plenty of indoor-outdoor places to lounge; this one is on the ground floor where you can have your morning coffee.
Casita Laurita is a vertical house with plenty of open spaces. It has three stories, with a terrace on the top floor. Each bedroom has its own floor and ensuite bathroom.
A really great office with a balcony and napping couch if you work remotely (or are writing a novel!).
The napping couch in the study is also a good nook for a kid to sleep; they can access the powder room downstairs without using the ensuite bathrooms in the bedrooms. That photo is by Andrew Sullivan, who took most of the photos of the house for this website.
A catwalk leads from the study to the main bedroom on the second floor.
The queen bedroom on the second floor has an ensuite bathroom with shower, and plenty of places to stash things in a dresser and closet. Frosted windows give privacy and screens keep out insects.
Up to the second bedroom.
closer look at the bathroom
Upstairs bedroom is across from the terrace and laundry room, with its own full en suite bathroom.
Top bedroom
The third floor terrace is a private place to hang out. There's a little shed for the washer-dryer and a laundryline.
Up to the top terrace
Top terrace has a great view, curtains to block neighbors, and a wet bar and fridge.
Part of the view
Here's what the house looked like when I bought it...
Top terrace is a great place to relax.
Amenities & details
WiFi
Property manager (see About Us)
Washer/dryer
Local phone
VOIP phone for free calls to Canada, US
Bluetooth speakers
CD player
Heaters
Small flat-screen TV (upper bedroom), library of videos
Ergonomic task chair in the office
Housekeeper 1x/week or 2x/week for $40/week more
Hair dryers, shampoo, soap, fluffy towels
Filtered water in jugs in kitchen, bedrooms, and study
Coffeemaker, fully-equipped kitchen
Parking nearby
Private chef, massage therapist, or salsa dance teacher available
Sparkling clean
Ask us if there’s anything you need. We don’t have a local phone because everyone uses their cell phone – be sure to get international service before you leave.
A few rules: NO SMOKING TOBACCO. If it smells like cigarettes, we will charge you the full security deposit as a cleaning fee. Also, no extra guests. There’s room for 5 people in this house if someone sleeps on the day bed in the bedroom. That’s the limit. No throwing anything but TP down the toilets (Mexico has delicate plumbing). If you like to walk barefoot, beware of scorpions — they’re rare and not fatal, but they are around sometimes and hurt. Be kind to the neighbors and don’t make a lot of noise after 10 pm. We aren’t responsible for any noise in the street– this is Mexico, and sometimes fireworks go off and dogs bark.
We require a 50% deposit to hold the reservation. If you cancel before a month ahead of the reservation, we’ll refund your money. The remainder is due a month before the reservation, at which time we won’t refund your money. In case of some emergency, we may credit you with time to stay in the future, but that’s on a case-by-case basis. Thanks for understanding.