Iconic Hotels

Surrounded by cliffs, mesas, and cactus-studded hillsides, this whitewashed hacienda, centerpiece of the old silver-mining village of Batopilas, takes you back to colonial Mexico with its heavy wooden doors, Moorish arches, and numerous interior patios. In the 1880s, during the town’s last silver strike, it was taken over and rebuilt by the Swiss family Biglar, which ran the general store. Five years ago, owner Skip McWilliams acquired the rambling villa from Biglar descendants and restored it with Victorian furnishings–red velvet couches in the salon, antique brass beds in the 14 guest rooms.