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I n Spanish, the word for shelter is amparo. For Mariana Bar- ran Goodall, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico, the word is much more personal. "My full name is Amparo Mariana Barran de Goodall," she says. "Amparo is also the name of my mother and my grandmother." So when Goodall decided to open a hotel in San Miguel de Allende, she knew exactly what to call it. Located in the heart of the town's historic district, Hotel Amparo is a charming early 19th-century building along the cobblestone Calle Mesones, and near the bustling mercado. Like most struc- tures in San Miguel, it is built around a central courtyard and fountain. Origi- nally a respite for travelers headed to Mexico City, the building later became a private home. Goodall looked for two years for the right property in San Mi- guel to turn into a hotel — her life's dream. "I've always liked to serve oth- ers and make them happy," she says. "The plan was to create a beautiful place where people can come through the doors and feel like they are at home." Goodall was born entertaining. Her parents always had guests in their Mon- terrey home, and served them fragrant Hibiscus tea. Goodall launched Hibis- cus Linens several years ago, named after her mother's special tea. She is enraptured with traditional needlework and passionate about preserving old world stitching methods; the linens at Hibiscus are entirely made by hand. This proclivity for the artisan touch shows through at Amparo. Goodall teamed with designer Aaron Rambo to supervise the hotel's reno- vations and interior design. The two had previously worked together on Goodall's own home. Because San Mi- guel is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, very little about the building's original early 1800s Mexi- can Baroque design could be altered. The bathrooms were gutted and redone, but the hotel retains most of its original elements including beautiful tile and wood floors. The reception and lounge areas have original plaster detailing, and there are carved stone fireplaces in every room. The former library now serves as a coffee shop, its rich wood shelves holding bags of Mexican-grown Buna coffee and handmade mugs. Artisans in San Miguel fabricated the ornate iron gate in the entry, custom encaustic tiles in the bathrooms, the marble reception desk, and several beds BY REBECCA SHERMAN VIVA LA HISTORIA SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE'S LUSH 19TH-CENTURY HOTEL AMPARO HAS HOUSTON TIES WITH OWNER MARIANA BARRAN GOODALL AND DESIGNER AARON RAMBO. WANDERINGS Amparo suite bath