Puebla, MexicoBarrio del Alto
Hotel La Purificadora
Modernist factory conversion
Barrio del Alto Puebla, Mexico
Opened
2007
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Heritage SocialOutside the door
The house
Grupo HabitaModernist factory conversion
The former water plant runs as an austere modernist hotel, where guests gather around communal tables inside a soaring open courtyard.
“Legorreta has kept the bones of the industrial structure—soaring stone walls, hulking dark-wood beams—but excised the rest to make room for a dioramalike lobby”
What it’s good at
Notable
Ricardo Legorreta stripped the former factory back to bare volcanic stone and violet couches.
Notable
Weekend crowds gather for cocktails on the rooftop terrace overlooking San Francisco church.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Condé Nast Traveler.
This 19th-century water processing plant (hence the name) and bottling factory was redesigned by the famous Mexican modernist architect Ricardo Legorreta, the man behind Mexico City’s famous Camino Real hotel.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
The traditional sweetshops of Calle de los Dulces and the craft stalls of El Parián market are an easy walk away.
The rooms
Raw stone walls and dark wood floors define the compact bedrooms, and showers are lined in slabs of onyx.
The rooftop pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The rooftop lap pool has an above-ground glass wall, letting swimmers look out toward the Templo de San Francisco.
The spa and gym
A glass-enclosed gym sits beside the terrace, alongside a steam room and treatment cabins for massages and body wraps.
Restaurant
El Restaurante de La Purificadora
Chef Nanyely Pastrana prepares contemporary Mexican dishes with regional Poblano ingredients in the ground-floor stone courtyard.
How it began
Digs during renovation unearthed antique glass bottles from the 1884 bottling plant. Salvaged factory timbers were rebuilt into long dining tables.
Puebla
More like this
Banyan Tree Puebla
“Restored colonial arcades”
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.