San Miguel De Allende - A Magical Gem, "SITE Midwest Forum 2026"

San Miguel de Allende is a picturesque colonial city in Central Mexico, known for its cobblestone streets, colorful facades and beautiful Spanish Baroque architecture.  But really, it is a gem that is truly magical.  The city has an inviting atmosphere with art galleries, rooftop restaurants, artisan markets and festivals. In June of 2026, SITE Midwest had the opportunity to bring together hosted buyers and sponsors to this wonderful city for 3 amazing nights for the annual forum.  During this time, the ins and the outs of the city were explored. In this blog, I am going to share some of the highlights of San Miguel and the 2026 Forum.

Live Aqua, only steps away from the hub of the city became our core location for coming and going and many attendees stayed at this beautiful property.  Offering a perfect spot for large functions and a variety of room categories, there was plenty of space for group breakfasts, educational sessions, evening gatherings, relaxation by the pool and departures for activities.  The sleeping rooms are authentic Mexican and offer a peaceful and serene setting. We enjoyed an incredible welcome dinner complete with music and lively conversation in the comfortable cool air.  (yes – really was very comfortable!) The Mojigangas (I will share on these later 😊) and Mariachi band marched us to dinner.  It was the perfect setting to become re-acquainted with long time friends.

On the first full day, the group did a complete walking tour of the city, being able to understand the history and everything that makes it so special. (Thank you, Tropical Incentives!!) As we walked the Cobblestone streets, we passed the many restaurants only to find out that there are over 400 restaurants alone in the historic center!  We also passed by many art galleries. Believe it or not there are over 100 art galleries in the historic center! Along our walking tour we made it to the beautiful Rosewood where we were greeted with very kind hospitality.  Everyone was assigned a group as we would be taking part in a Mexican Culinary Class.  From Sopas to tapas to salads, pizzas and desserts, our entire group took part in this fun class while wearing our personalized aprons and chef hats provided by Rosewood.  After preparing these culinary delights we had the opportunity to enjoy with our fellow colleagues.  Definitely give a “hats off” to the chefs who led our groups because the meal at Rosewood was delicious!  A tour of the Rosewood property was next.  All I can say is “STUNNING”!  And Wow!!  The sleeping rooms are out of this world, the property is beautiful and perfectly situated to have views of San Miguel.  This property is considered a luxury boutique and only has about 67 rooms but for the right group, it would be such a memorable experience! After a very busy day, we had a little time to decompress prior to our evening with Belmond!  Around 6:00 PM we departed for the Belmond San Miguel de Allende, officially known as Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel,  All I can say is “UNIQUE”!  Well, and Wow! This property is only 37 rooms so it is really boutique, but what makes it unique is that the hotel is more like a luxury village.  It is made up of historic multi bedroom residences, and each offers a different experience. We finished the night at the Belmond for a beautiful dinner on the lawn under the stars listening to authentic Spanish music and enjoying the very talented dancing.  It was a very special evening of connections with colleagues in a beautiful city.

                On the second full day, it was time to experience possibly activities that we could offer groups.  There were two activities to choose from: Wine Tour or Mojiganga Making.  Both included lunch.  I can tell you both activities were very well received.  The Wine Tour included everything from tasting to the barrel tour, pairings and a delicious lunch.  The Mojiganga Making provided and introduction to the world of making these very culturally significant crafts to San Miguel de Allende.  Basically, they are ENORMOUS (10-15 ft tall) made of paper mache head, a wire frame, and flowing fabric costumes.  A person steps into it and moves and sways to interact with the crowd.  It is such a neat experience.  This activity was followed by a delicious rooftop lunch at Quince.  After a very full day and a refresh back at Live Aqua, our group made it to Instituto Allende for our final night.  It was truly magical.  (Thank you Maritur DMC).  From the mariachi band to the shining stars touches and the very talented saxophonist/ clarinetist/ other instruments and the beautiful décor, it was a truly special evening to top off and incredible time in San Miguel de Allende. And, we can’t forget the absolutely sensational auction! 

                I would like to say Thank you to every single sponsor that provided amazing support of Forum 2026.  I could not list everything you did to show your incredible support but want to know how much you are very much appreciated! 2026 Forum will was definitely a fairy tale for all who could attend. I also would like to say Thank you to the Board for pulling together this remarkable Forum.  Finally, I would like to say Thank you to every single attendee.  It was great to have everyone in San Miquel de Allende learning and networking.  This small magical city came to life for us! We look forward to coming back and recommending it for groups in the future.