5-Star Spring Breaks in Mexico

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico (TheStreet) -- If your idea of Spring Break in Mexico includes poolside water balloon fights or diving off the fourth-floor balcony of the El Cid in Mazatlan, both of which actually happen, you have a thing of two to learn about luxury south of the Border. Sure, there are inebriated college kids and beachside beer bongs to be found, but away from the boozy frenzy there is also a collection of destination hotels that could change the way you think about spring break in Mexico.

When you make your connecting flight through Mexico City onto San Miguel de Allende, for instance, there probably won't be a single college kid on the plane. A 16th century colonial Spanish settlement turned bohemian colony, San Miguel has been a refuge for writers and artists since the early 20th century. It's known for its mountainous backdrop and neoclassical architecture, some of the best-preserved in the country. The town is now a Unesco world heritage site complete with thriving tourist infrastructure and newspapers free of the crime headlines plaguing other Mexican tourist destinations.

Rosewood Hotels' San Miguel de Allende features 19th century architecture, top-floor terraces and three eateries.

Mexico's version of Santa Fe
In recent years two posh hotels operators have brought the eyes of international glitterati closer to this Mexican town. Orient-Express Hotels was the first, operating the historic Casa de Sierra Nevada -- combining historic architecture with a destination spa named after the local Laja River and a cooking school offering daylong or longer intensive gourmet instructions. Rooms are arranged along a series of interconnecting courtyards with tile floors and ornate fireplaces to cozy up to on chilly spring evenings.

Newer to the market is Rosewood Hotels' San Miguel de Allende. Its opening this year showed a new level of luxury, starting with a structure that blends in perfectly with the surrounding 19th century architecture with an impeccable crimson paint job that only a five-star hotel could muster. Smaller than most Mexican resort properties, the hotel has 67 rooms arranged in a series of multilevel haciendas surrounded by mature shade trees with top-floor rooms featuring furnished terraces and views of the historic town center. The hotel is home to three eateries: 1826, which has an indoor/outdoor dining room; a daytime pool cafe; and a rooftop tapas bar.