Casa de Sierra Nevada, Allende

For weeks I read about how Sierra Nevada was the absolute best hotel in San Miguel de Allende. Unfortunately, this was not my experience. We checked into the hotel only to get an outdated, musty room that looked NOTHING like the glossy brochures that touted a five-star rating. The floor was Pepto Bismol pink tile with dirt-encrusted corners and dried mosquitoes. The furniture looked like it was recovered from a garage sale held by a family desperate to rid themselves of furniture from the 1970's. (Maybe that's where they got their rusty iron and crusty ironing board too.) Worst of all, I came home from a night on the town and found an unexpected guest in my room: a fat brown cockroach. After I stepped on the roach, I could not get the crunch out of my head long enough to get some decent sleep. The next morning, I went to complain. The management was unapologetic and unsurprised. The room and service definitely did not deserve the $250 a night rate. We had dinner at the hotel. Big mistake. Every item I ordered: soup, lobster, and creme brulee left me disappointed and unsatisfied. The bisque was a blend of discordant spices, the lobster was drenched in mayonnaise, and the creme brulee was runny. Between the two of us, our bill totaled $160 (US) and we barely ate any of the food. Quite frankly, the hole-in-the-wall taqueria around the corner provided more delicious, lip-smacking food at a tenth of the cost. My advice for those of you planning to visit San Miguel de Allende? The town is charming, but the accommodations and food at Casa de Sierra Nevada are not. Pictures and video posted on separate Web site.