We are a Belgian-Mexican couple who after living abroad for some years decided to bet on a dream in the beautiful city of Queretaro.

Our hotel is the fruit of that dream

Why Mama Carlota?

As you know, when Mexico became independent from Spain, there was a first empire, (1821-1823) and after the French intervention, there was a second empire (1863-1867).

The emperor of the second was Maximilian of Habsburg, archduke of Austria, the younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef. His wife was Charlotte de Belgique, daughter of King Leopold, king of Belgium.

The rule of Emperor Maximilian was blemished by constant conflict. On his arrival in 1864, he found himself in the middle of a political struggle between the Conservatives who backed him and the opposing Liberals, headed by Benito Juárez. The two factions had set up parallel governments: the Conservatives in Mexico City controlling central Mexico and the Liberals in Veracruz.

 

After a couple of years things got ugly in Mexico and France withdrew military support for Maximilian worried about the conflicts in Europe. The United States government viewed Emperor Maximilian as a French puppet, and did not regard his reign as the will of most Mexicans or see him as the legitimate leader of Mexico. They demanded the withdrawal of French forces, and France acceded. Maximiliano refused to abdicate and moved to Queretaro to defend himself against the Republicans and, after holding out for a while, he is said to have been betrayed, although there is also a story which says he negotiated the square, whatever it was, he was finally apprehended. May 15, the date of the fall of the empire.

 

Maximilian proved to be too liberal for the conservatives, and too conservative for the liberals.

 

The street where the hotel is located is called May 15. Carlota Maximiliano's wife was known as Mama Carlota in Mexico, and of Belgian origin as our little family.