“Mexico is the birthplace of
Amerindian civilization, home to astonishing art and architecture, and a
cultural wellspring unsurpassed in the Western Hemisphere. But few visitors get
the opportunity to go beyond the corporate all-inclusive beach experience.
Until now.”
So greeted are visitors
exploring the website of a new DMC-operated, U.S.-based company hoping to build
bonds with the travel agent community. Tesoros
Experiences is entering
the market with an approach that is no longer the focus of traditional Mexico-selling
tour operators. It hopes to work with agents with customers who want cultural
and wellness connections beyond the corporate all-inclusive resort.
Tesoros Experiences is a
venture launched in 2021 in conjunction with one of Mexico’s most prestigious,
non-corporate branding alliances (Tesoros Hotels). Founded over 30 years ago in
the central Mexican state of Michoacan, Tesoros Hotels started as a “club de
producto” (product club) for historic boutique hotels seeking to raise customer
service standards, establish operational protocols, impart employee training,
and launch a unified brand for marketing.
These were the days when the
all-inclusive concept was just getting started, and OTA’s were in their
infancy. These independently Mexican-owned small inns sought ways to deliver
world-class hospitality in interior regions of Mexico, often overlooked by
international vacationers.
Today, the group embraces over
40 boutique properties across 12 Mexican states. “We want travelers to
experience a rich and unique tapestry of cuisine, artistic expressions, Mexican
wine, museums, curated tours, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” says Tesoros’
President Leobardo Espinosa, a hotelier based in the storied city of Puebla.
“But we also face today the reality that most North Americans continue to favor
beach locations. We also face a sales environment where hotel rooms are sold as
‘commodities’ that blur unique features and settings that can tell fascinating
stories about Mexico,” continues Espinosa.
Looking to gain a footing with
experiential travelers seeking authentic, historic settings offering refined
accommodations, Tesoros de Mexico Hotels has partnered with Zio Media Group, a
Wyoming-based lifestyle, wellness, and technology company. Zoi founder Marco
Salazar says, “Our experiences are not just trips; they are gateways to the
heart of culture. It’s travel not just seen but felt.”
Of the 40 Tesoros properties,
over 20 have been paired with local, experiential excursions, classes,
indigenous spa treatments, tasting menus, and historic sightseeing that strive
to add depth and meaning to some of Mexico’s most magical locations. Says Salazar,
“Tesoros Experiences brings Mexico’s 3,000 years of cultural vitality to
life in settings ranging from grand world-class cities to historic villages and
off-the-path interior locations. In 2024, coastal locations are being added.”
Mural: Historic murals, Mercado Abelardo Rodriguez. (Photo Credit: Greg Custer)
Offering single-night hotel accommodation
coupled with curated experiences, the brand also features multi-city “routes”
connecting multiple states with escorting guides and van transfers. One example
is the “Route of the Volcanos.” It takes in four of Mexico’s central
states: Mexico City (CDMX), Morelos, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. The name is
appropriate – a moniker of adventure and mysticism for central Mexico’s
jaw-dropping visual landscape. The always looming (and very active) Popocatepetl
Volcano is seen from all four states, as the route essentially is a semi-circle
journey on the slopes of Popo and other volcanic monoliths.
Starting in Mexico City and
staying in the Capital’s upscale Polanco borough, Tesoros Experiences partners
with two urban oases, both situated in former private homes (mansions, really),
reimagined as luxury, art nouveau inns. The brand Pug Seal has two Polanco
inns, sophisticated and comfortable, just blocks apart in a leafy residential
setting. Staying here is comfortable, refined, and with an added energy from
young Mexican interior designers challenging stereotypes about Mexican culture.
The added-on experiences range from spa/temazcal services to dinner at an
upscale Cantina (Lat 20) and a walking tour of the city’s historic
neighborhoods.
Rooftop in swanky Polanco neighborhood, Pug Seal Anatole France. (Photo Credit: Greg Custer)
“By bundling these curated,
refined Tesoros properties with cultural and wellness-themed experiences, we
hope to elevate a new appreciation for all things Mexican,” says Salazar. The
experiences are described in a series of short and shareable videos on the
Tesoros Experiences website. “It’s easy for agents to establish a commercial
relationship,” continues Salazar.
Customers can choose how many
nights to include in each Tesoros Experiences location. A CDMX visit should
consider at least three nights, taking in the city’s four UNESCO World Heritage
sites, exceptional museums, iconic “Colonias,” world-class gastronomy,
and chaotically mesmerizing “mercados.” The Route of the Volcanos
continues south to the State of Morelos before looping around the sentinel
volcano (affectionately known locally as “Don Goyo”) toward the
northeast and into the States of Puebla (home to more Pueblos Magicos than any
State in Mexico) and little-visited Tlaxcala (the subjects of part two of this
reporting).
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1
of a two-part series from Greg Cluster. Check back with TravelPulse soon to
read the finale of the feature.
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