Querétaro’s economy is booming and the hotel sector is no exception: 69 new properties opened in the state last year, a number that was far beyond expectations.
State Tourism Secretary Hugo Burgos told the Mexico City based newspaper El Universal that the projected number of new hotel openings in 2017 was 11, meaning that the actual figure achieved exceeded that goal by 628%.
He attributed the success to investor confidence in the state as a tourism destination and highlighted that the top end of the market was doing particularly well.
“We have almost 700 extra rooms in several different areas, boutique hotels are really booming in Querétaro . . .” he said.
Burgos added that there are now 520 hotels in the state, up 15.5% from the 451 that were in business at the end of last year. In total, there are now just over 15,000 hotel rooms.
The tourism secretary broke down the locations of the state’s lodging options according to some of its most popular tourist attractions.
Querétaro’s renowned Ruta Arte, Queso y Vino (Art, Cheese and Wine Route) between the pueblo mágico of Tequisquiapan and the state capital Santiago de Querétaro has 226 hotels while the Sierra Gorda region — home to the world heritage-listed Franciscan missions — has 120.
The latter — also popular for its natural wonders — has seen significant growth in tourism infrastructure, Burgos said. A further 166 hotels are located in the capital.
The tourism secretary also explained that the amount investors spent on the new hotels varied considerably according to location.
“The investment in each hotel is very variable, because it depends a lot on the area it is in. If you’re talking about [the capital] Querétaro, the land is obviously much more expensive, it can go up to a million pesos [US $50,000] per room . . .” Burgos said.
Hotel rates are also variable, but on average hover around the 1,200-peso (US $60) mark although boutique offerings can go as high as 3,200 pesos (US $160).
Santiago de Querétaro, Jalpan, Ezequiel Montes, Tequisquiapan and Pinal de Amoles all boast boutique hotels, Burgos said.
Matching this year’s growth in 2018 will be difficult but early signs are promising. Burgos said there are more hotel projects in the pipeline, with some in the planning stage, others already under construction and yet more on the verge of opening.
“There are four hotels in Querétaro about to open, one with more than 200 rooms, another with 130. In Jalpan there is a 40-room hotel [and] in Corregidora the City Express with 116 rooms.”
Source: Mexico News Daily
