In the Heart of San Miguel's Most Sought After Neighborhood

• Spacious, Beautiful and Unique Refuge in San Miguel de Allende

  Spacious, Beautiful and Unique Refuge in San Miguel de Allende

  • Guest Mary, Hector, Daisy & Zena
  • Date of stay 01/31/13
  • Review Submitted 04/07/13
  Although we had reviewed all photos on line, we were awed upon our arrival to this wonderful vacation home. The artistic details are exquisite. Views of the sunset from the top patio were wonderful. There is a well-supplied tiendita across the street for daily grocery and supply needs. Each morning we experienced the town awakening as we walked down to El Centro for our morning cup of coffee. The first week of February was a great time to be in San Miguel, as we were able to go to Dia de las Candelarias, the annual blessing of plants and seeds. We plan on returning to San Miquel next year, as my memories continue to draw me there. Thank you, Adriana, for sharing your wonderful home with us!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Mansion away from home

  Mansion away from home

  • Guest 1967Volvo
  • Date of stay 02/07/13
  • Review Submitted 03/01/13
  What can I say that already hasn't been said. We loved casa Adriana and SMA as well. One of our group wrote this poem about our stay. Six good friends boarded a plane, Off to find adventure once again. Making our way to our final destination, There to begin a grand vacation. Casa Adriana in San Miguel-- A lovely place that served us well. We passed our days In a multitude of ways-- Laughing and talking, Exploring and walking Reading, painting and playing cards, Amusing ourselves was never hard. We fell in love with your wonderful city, Of smiling faces and vistas so pretty. We may return, one never can tell-- Until then, adios San Miguel!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

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• Beautiful House

  Beautiful House

  • Guest Robert B.
  • Date of stay 02/21/13
  • Review Submitted 02/28/13
  Our family of 4 stayed here for 2 nights. The house is pleasant walk to the center of town and convenient to the bus station. The house is spacious, with wonderful art and decorations, and interesting spaces, great to relaxing. The terrace has a great view of town and also very inviting just for hanging out. We didn't really cook since we were there a brief time, but kitchen seemed well equipped. Overall a wonderful property and we would absolutely return in the future.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Amazing home!

  Amazing home!

  • Guest Arena
  • Date of stay 12/26/12
  • Review Submitted 01/07/13
  The house keeper Juanita was very kind and showed us the home around. The details of the house is beautiful, it feels like a boutique hotel villa. The rooftop view is gorgeous, we sat there to see The New Year Fireworks. Basic stuff for the kitchen was all there, I brought a couple of McCormic's Recipe Inspiration Spices (it comes with 6 spices or herbs in 1 tbsp size packs) and a box of pasta/a jar of pesto, so I was ready to cook. The neighborhood store near by pretty much provides all your needs(butter/milk/eggs/veggies) except meat. We went to Aurrera store up on De La Estacion, but I saw many Carniceria/Polleria(butchers) where Mercado Ignacio (Calle Colegio) is. At the market, we met a gal who makes bohemian jewelry with rocks of our pick, she made them in 5-10 min. in front of our eyes. The downtown walk is a great way of knowing S.M. de Allende, and we took a cab when we got tired, only 30-35 pesos. Not like the cabbies in Mexico City, surprisingly they were quite honest about the fare. I thought people in the town were so nice, and they were willing to help. Lovely house in a lovely town!

  Recommended for: Families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Heaven in Mexico

  Heaven in Mexico

  • Guest Melondy
  • Date of stay 07/31/12
  • Review Submitted 08/10/12
  This house exceeded our expectations exponentially! The neighborhood is safe and secure, close to town and the bus stop(which we used frequently), and the view from the roof is breathtaking. There is no other house I would choose to stay in. Also, the housekeeper was an absolute doll. She was kind, curtious, respectful, and a joy to see. Thank you to the owners for sharing your beautiful home and giving us the opportunity to enjoy San Miguel de Allende to the fullest.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• A jewel of a house

  A jewel of a house

  • Guest mp
  • Date of stay 04/13/12
  • Review Submitted 06/18/12
  This house is a little jewel and was perfect for our one week stay. It is beautifully decorated and charming. We loved the roof top terrace with its sweeping views of San Miguel de Allende. Although hot during the day, by 5 in the evening we could be found up there enjoying the breeze, relaxing with a tequila. There was plenty of sleeping room and bathrooms. We usually ate breakfast at the house and several nights we picked up food at the market and cooked at home. (Mercado de Artesanias is a wonderful arts and crafts market with a big fresh food and flower market adjacent) Every day we walked through the San Antonio district to centro and beyond, enjoying the markets and activity. Taxis were always available and we used them at night or when our feet were tired or arms full of the purchases. We brought baggies of coffee, sweetener, and travel size laundry detergent with us so we didn't have go out looking for that immediately, and we found that helpful. The house has pots, pans, dishes, coffee maker, etc. but do not expect to find a pantry of food. Salt and pepper was available, otherwise we purchased what we needed. The corner market was perfect for water, milk, eggs, beer, oranges and some canned goods, and the owners were very friendly. The house is one of three in its compound and the next door neighbors were very hospitable and friendly. The house keeper was there to greet us as arranged and she was helpful, personable and came two other times while we were there. The house is not in the center of the tourist district and this allowed us to experience the town and its residents in a lovely, more involved way. The walk to centro was 15-20 minutes depending upon our pace. It is a walking town and we walked 3 to 4 hours a day and enjoyed it all!!!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Lovely Home

  Lovely Home

  • Guest Brenda
  • Date of stay 03/01/12
  • Review Submitted 06/18/12
  We stayed at Casa Adriana for the month of March and enjoyed it very much. This home is lovely, just as the pictures show. The management company was very good whenever we had a question and everything was clean. The walk to the Jardin is fairly flat and takes about 20 minutes. It was nice to have the bus stop right outside the gate for convenience. Another wonderful stay in San Miguel.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, tourists without a car.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Beautiful Home

  Beautiful Home

  • Guest WL
  • Date of stay 02/01/12
  • Review Submitted 04/13/12
  We had a wonderful stay in Casa Adriana. Very roomy and beautifully decorated. Everything to our liking. The view from the rooftop garden is amazing and we enjoyed watching the sunset and dancing under the stars. We could easily recommend the casa to family and friends,

  Recommended for: Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• We were not dissapointed!

  We were not dissapointed!

  • Guest pamella
  • Date of stay 01/22/12
  • Review Submitted 02/07/12
  Casa Adrianna was a good 20 minute walk to the jardine; but a interesting walk with many stores, restaurants etc along the way. We benefited from the exercise. Sara ( the maid) was great and prepared 2 Mexican breakfasts for us during our stay. The casa was as presented and we enjoyed our time there as well as exploring San Miguel.

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Love it ( 3rd visit)

  Love it ( 3rd visit)

  • Guest Lee
  • Date of stay 05/26/11
  • Review Submitted 06/23/11
  Incredible!- this is a beautiful Home and a nice stroll from San Antonio street, Art galleries and El Jardin. Theyres plenty of room to park if you drive down ( which we usually do) or fly into Queretaro.All three bedrooms are beautifully adorned in classic San Miquel style and comfortably sleeps 6-8. The roof terrace is the icing on the cake to enjoy coffee in the morning hours or watch the sun go down over the town. I will return !!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Additional information about rental rates

Please check www.casaadriana.com for More Information: Security Deposit $250-$500 USD

Low Season:

April - June & August-October: $650/week

$2200/month

High Season

November - March & July: $760/week

$2400/month

Fees:

• Cleaning Fee: $75
• Refundable Damage Deposit: $250
• Taxes Included

Cancellation policy:

Welcome to Our Home: We, like many before us and many to come, fell in love with San Miguel the moment we arrived. That was a short visit in the spring of 2006. We immediately planned a return visit for 3 weeks in the fall and before we knew it we had seen this house and bought it. Everything seemed so perfect, the house, the neighbourhood, the views. And luckily for you we can't spend as much time here yet as we would like, so you get to enjoy it too! Please, make yourselves at home, settle in and enjoy your stay in San Miguel! Security: San Miguel is a quiet, beautiful and safe place both day and night. Most women feel quite safe strolling around by themselves even at night. Reasonable precautions are still very much called for. Don't leave money, passports or other valuables lying around in sight; lock all doors and windows when you leave; don't leave perimeter gates open and unattended. There are two entrances to Casa Adriana, first being Calle Orizaba (metal door) and other is Calle San Felipe (wooden door). We suggest when entering and leaving the property to use the metal gate directly opposite the house on Calle Orizaba. Transportation: The walk in to the Centro is about 15 minutes, but in fact will take so much longer even if you want to hurry. There are just too many shops and doorways, vistas and other distractions to waylay you. Give in to the distractions!! You're in Mexico and it won't mean a thing to be a bit late. When you are in a hurry or just plain tired and can't walk another block, Taxis are plentiful and cheap, usually 25 to 30 Pesos in Town (small tips are always appreciated). It's normally very easy even to hail a Taxi when leaving the house. Just go out to Calle Orizaba and be patient. The bus stop at the corner right outside the metal gate also goes to the Centro and is only 5 Pesos. Remember where you get off and then take it back for another 5 Pesos. You'll get to know the town best by walking, walking and more walking. Things to know about the house: Things will tend to get put away in the oddest places, so it's to your advantage to case the place out, look in drawers and cupboards and discover what’s there. We've tried to outfit the place as well as possible, and hope you find everything you need. You will also notice that there are a dizzying number of lights and light switches and will take a little experimentation to find out which switches control which lights. Please be very careful with the dimmer switches; they are somewhat delicate and break easily if you twist them too hard. The switch for the fountain is to the left of the french doors in the courtyard. Washer and Dryer: The stackable unit is located on the first floor in the utility room and is available for your use. The Housekeeper only washes towels and sheets with house detergent. Guest must provide their own detergent for their personal items. Housekeeper is not responsible to wash guest’s personal items, although you may make arrangements with Housekeeper/Juanita for additional fee between you and her. Stove: The stove has a propane gas cook top which has an igniter switch located on the bottom left front panel. Lift glass cover before igniting. Oven must be lit with match or lighter to start, please ask Juanita (housekeeper) for assistance if necessary. If you smell gas, do not light Stove, wait until the gas has aired out and has dissipated. If the gas smell remains, please call the management for assistance. Dishwasher: There isn't one which makes one less thing to fix. The housekeeper will do the dishes when she comes on Mon, Wed and Fri, and otherwise it's up to you. We do find it's best to dry things rather than let them air dry, due to the spotting from the minerals in the water. TV, DVD and VHS player: There is a TV, DVD and VHS player in the armoire in living room, the remotes are in the drawers and there is an extensive library of videos. Take one out and enjoy a movie. You will need to change the TV to AV1 or AV2 for each component being used. Keys: You will be given two sets of keys for your use by Juanita upon arrival. These sets must be accounted for and returned when you leave. When keys are lost or not returned it is a major hassle as it requires the re-keying of all the locks. If you don't return all keys given to you, that re-keying expense will be taken from your security deposit. Water: Please don't waste water…. The water in the house is potable. It does still have a mild mineral flavour, which is because the water is a bit hard. We recommend using bottled water for drinking. Water consumption in the house is metered and as you can imagine is costly. This is a very dry area most of the year and water is a precious commodity, so please be aware of what you are using. One large Jug of Purified H20 is provided with the lease of the house, additional H20 can be purchased at the tienda (Corner Store) on Calle Orizaba. All showers in the bedrooms take a long time to get warm. A suggestion: First turn on the Hot H20 knob until H2O is hot and then adjusts with Cold H2O to your preference. The knobs in the shower are as follow: Top Knob is Hot and Bottom knob is Cold EXCEPT upstairs bedroom with balcony is reversed -Top Knob is cold and Bottom Knob is Hot. Fireplaces: The fireplace in the living room is propane and is fairly easy to light. • Turn the gas valve that is located on the extreme left side of the fireplace so that it is pointing horizontally • put the dial switch to the pilot position • push in the dial for several seconds and push the infighter button until pilot light is lit and continue to hold for approximately 20 to 60 seconds until pilot light remains on. • release the pilot knob and adjust flame to the 1, 2 or 3 position • to shut the flame off turn the pilot knob to off The Two fireplaces upstairs are also propane. (Instructions located on side of fireplace) • Turn the gas valve that is located on the extreme right side of wall to the fireplace so that it is pointing horizontally. • put the rocker switch in the on position (not auto) • push in the knob that is marked off, on and pilot and turn it to pilot aligning with the little arrow on the right while pushing the igniters • once the pilot is lit keep pushing in the knob for about 20 to 60 seconds (until the pilot glows red hot) • release the pilot knob and turn it to the on position • adjust the flame with the hi/lo knob • to shut the flame off turn the pilot knob to off, the rocker switch to off and the gas valve down to the off position. Power: Another expensive commodity! Included in the rental is $100 USD per month prorated free of charge. But please again, conserve! Turn lights, fans, computers etc off when they aren't needed. Your consideration will be much appreciated, by us and the planet. Telephone and Long Distance calling: Casa Adriana local ph # 044-415-152-0234 The land line in the house is there for your local landline calling convenience only. Charges are by the call to mobile phones so please don't abuse the use. Long distance calls are VERY expensive, so please refrain from calling out of town on the land line. Any toll or long distance call charges will be deducted from your security deposit. Phone bills can take a bit of time in Mexico so please allow some time for the return of your deposit. Casa Adriana local ph # 210-390-5302 Calling from Mexico to the USA: AREA CODE + TEL # When call international, we suggest using our USA (Magic Jack) line, buying a calling card or using your cellular phone.) Calls made to the US and Canada are free of charge. In addition, if you have a lap top computer, skype or magic Jack is a reliable and inexpensive way to call the U.S. and Canada. Internet: Wireless internet is provided. The WiFi Network is Motorola and is open to the public and does not require a network key. The back up wireless network is caterpillar and the network key is 2323232723232327 Housekeeping: Juanita will come on Mon, Wed and Fri from 9am till 3pm. Juanita will wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen, clean and tidy the bathrooms, sweep the floors and do the house laundry. If you would like her to iron she will do so for an extra charge; check with her. She'll also change the bedding once a week unless instructed otherwise. Juanita waters the potted plants, but if you notice any of them drying out and you're inclined, please feel free to water too. I've tried to do the planting as dry tolerant as possible, but the plants are always up for a quick drink. It is customary to tip the staff and a rough rule of thumb is 50 Pesos ($5 USD) a week per guest in the house. Emergencies and info: We are reachable by phone or e-mail quite readily, but obviously can't get over there very quickly. San Miguel Home Care is the house manager and is the one to call if you have any problems that you can't solve on your own. Our contact info: Casa Adriana USA 210-390-5302 info@casaadriana Adriana Bickerstaff USA 210-909-5678 soldbyadriana@yahoo.com Greg Bickerstaff USA 210-849-4091 gregb@rebarsatx.com San Miguel Home Care: SMA (415) 150 7380 arqtorresgn@sanmiguelhousecare.com US (949) 698-7650 We have left the house with a supply of essentials, ie. toilet paper, paper towels, Saran Wrap etc. As well as salt pepper and other kitchen basics. Please help yourself to what’s on hand and then before you leave replace the stocked items for the next people. It's nice to arrive and not have to rush out for all these things. When you leave please either dispose of all the perishable foods or feel free to give them to the housekeeper. Any non perishables you'd like to leave for the house please make sure they are sealed well and if you could, just write a date on them. The tienda (little grocery store) on the corner is really great for the essentials and they have great popsicles when it's hot and you need a treat to cool off with. On Tuesdays if you go out the metal door and turn left, the first or second house down sells fresh produce from their car port, the door will be open. We like to support the neighbourhood stores as much as possible. Make sure you buy lots of oranges and squeeze fresh juice for yourself, it's worth the effort. The juice squeezer in the pantry works really well and is great for the lime juice for your Marguerites as well! Be sure you disinfect all the fruits and veggies you buy with the iodine solution in the blue bottle in the kitchen under the sink; the directions are on the bottle. It's also available at all the big grocery stores. There are 3 big stores in town, Bodega Aurora which is owned by Wal-Mart, and is a short walk away just past the Bus Station; Soriana, which is in the shopping mall at the top of the hill as you enter town; and the MEGA (owned by Costco) which is at the Glorietta (roundabout) at the end of Ancha de San Antonio. We like the Mega the best. There are taxis waiting at all 3 stores for you when you leave so you don't have to lug all your purchases back to the house. The Tuesday Market, which is not to be missed, is behind the old Gigantes Mall across the street from the Soriana. The Tuesday market is a travelling market which sets up in different towns each day of the week. You can buy almost anything there, is great for produce, chicken and fish. It's all very fresh!! They have great honey there too but it's very natural, as in tiny bee wings legs etc. in the honey. It really is delicious though. Be sure to go and leave lots of time to wonder around. The barbecued rotisserie chickens you can buy almost anywhere are great if you're tired and want a cheap easy dinner. They usually come with potatoes, chilies and tortillas. There are two little very simple restaurants close to the house. One is a little pizza and pasta place called Juanita which is on Orizaba just before Calle 28 de Abril on the left hand side going from the house in the direction of the Instituto. The servers can be a bit surly, but mama is sweet and a very good cook. The other place is El Rinconcito turn right on Refugio and up the hill and on the left at No.7. The owners speak English and make great marqueritas and food and are very nice. It has odd hours which are posted on the front, so wonder up and find out when they're open and go. You won't be disappointed and it's very inexpensive, but great and spotlessly clean. There are enough restaurants in Centro to keep anyone busy for months. When you go to Aurora, the old cloth mill which is now artists studios and very trendy shops, there is a cafe in the centre of it which serves lovely lunches, coffees and cold drinks. There is a fancier restaurant as well at the entrance which is very nice. We have put some business cards of restaurants that we have visited that we enjoyed. Please feel free to take a card but kindly either replace or pick up a new one from the restaurant to replace it with. There is lots of reading material on San Miguel, as well as other books. Please feel free to use it all, but please leave it for the next guests too. When you find little treasures of places around town feel free to pass it on in the blank pages of this booklet. Go have fun and enjoy yourselves!!!!! Additional information may be found on our website: www.casaadriana.com or visit us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Casa-Adriana/390518047655641

If you have any questions please contact the owner.