At some point during our misspent youth, most of us found a spiritual and “life-changing” (read: drunken pass-out) experience inside a tequila bottle. But, what about literally crashing inside a giant tequila barrel? One unabashedly kitschy Mexican distillery hotel allows guests to do just that with a series of tequila-barrel-shaped suites situated on a working agave plantation.
Matices Hotel de Barricas — literally “expression of barrels” — is located just 45 minutes from Guadalajara in the town of Tequila. The Jalisco, Mexico, town is the official birthplace of tequila and the only place in the world allowed to produce the protected liquor. For booze-loving travelers, it’s a bucket list destination in its own right. So, it seems only fitting that the hotel’s host distillery, Casa Cofradia, would incorporate every aspect of tequila-making into the design of its rooms.
Amenities in each barrel-shaped suite include king-sized beds, glass rain showers, air-conditioning, iPod docks, and (of course) minibars. Plus, private decks and large curved windows look out across the sprawling agave fields and mountains beyond. Nearly every detail, from the keyrings to the trash cans to the wall art, is inspired in some way by tequila or agave.
But the big get for boozy travelers is that this is the world’s only hotel situated on a legit agave plantation and tequila distillery. For tequila lovers, it doesn’t get much better. A long list of kitschy, tequila-themed entertainment is located steps from each room. Guests can harvest agave, ride a tequila-themed train, take a distillery tour, try their hand at authentic tequila distilling, and hand paint their own souvenir tequila bottles. Plus, there’s the opportunity to sample fresh tequila at the source. Casa Cofradia is ground zero for the spicy, chili-infused Agave Loco tequila, Casa Noble, and Astral.
In recent years, tequila and its many relatives have made a comeback through a series of agave-related releases. We’ve previously covered sotol (tequila’s northern cousin), the return of mezcals, Sauza’s sparkling tequila water, and delicious novelties like this volcanic ash tequila from Moët Hennessy. We’re on board with all of them. So, is a tequila-barrel hotel hokey? Sure. Do we care? Not even a little.
Book your stay at Matices Hotel de Barricas now via the hotel’s official website. Rates start around USD $170 per night (double occupancy).
