Antigua, GT would be a good choice depending on flights to GUA.

Malinalco, 2 hours drive SW of Mexico City, is a lovely small town, with Aztec ruins, lots of old churches, a lively plaza and good restaurants. I live in Mexico City (originally from New York City) and think it's one of the great places on earth.

P.S. Ollinyotl spa in Malinalco is great.
http://www.ollinyotl.com/malinalco.html

Hi, I think you should visit Puebla city, it´s a beautiful colonial city, only 1:40hrs from Mexico city; home of the iconic dish of Mexican cuisine "Mole", the famous Chile en Nogada, and also lots of traditional candies "dulces típicos" (downtown you can find a whole street selling them); beside the delicious food there's also the traditional Talavera, and beautiful churches like capilla del rosario and Puebla's cathedral. If you want some adventure there's Africam Safari,the most important zoo in Latin America, here the animal are semi-free, it´s very exiting.
You could also visit Cholula 15 minutes from Puebla city, there you can find the pyramid with the biggest base in the world.
If you prefer a relax vacations you could go to Atlixco, a town with a warmer weather and beautiful hotels, with a lot of green areas and good spa´s.

And all of this in the safest state in Mexico, so this makes of Puebla a place you shouldn't miss.

Enjoy your time in Mexico

I totally agree re Puebla, with a half day in Cholula. (But I'd skip Atlixco; I've been there also and IMO Puebla is a much better destintion.

There is good small spa at the Hotel El Sueno in Puebla. And reasonablu priced. I've had several massages there. Hotel is too pricey for me but it is very nice.

Puebla is a wonderful place to wander, esp. on Sundays when there are multiple street markets set up in different areas around town. It is a lovely, happy place. The food is great. There is also an artist area where artists have little workshps that open tot he outdoors and you can storrl by and watch them work.

It is my favorite coloninal city, the one I return to again and again after 35 yrs of travel in MX.

Puebla is a fine choice, as is Oaxaca, though it is about six hours by bus from Mexico City.

If I am reading your post correctly you wish to split a week?
MC can easily fill a full week & you will have barely scratched the surface. Just my dos pesos.

thanks for the replies and your dos pesos Stewbear. you are correct... we would be splitting time between two place. I originally wanted to spend the entire week in MC but my wife would like something slower paced. I don't have much of a choice

San Miguel, Guanajuato, or Queretaro. Although SMA and GTO are smaller and would fit the ore of quaint part of the equation. SMA is probably quieter and has more of the spa type stuff.

As a married guy I understand Tailsock. LOL
I also wouldrecommendd Guanajuato IMO the most lovely city in all of Mexico.
If it's Beach she`wants you might check Interjet flights to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. If you book early as little as $60 dollars or less each way. Great beaches, swimming & top notch cafés, but very relaxed.

we ended up deciding to do 7 days in Puebla. thanks for the feedback

7 days solely in Puebla is a realy long time in Puebla, IMO. And I love the city. But a week is too long there.

i think so too but we'll make a couple day trips to get out and check out the Africam Safari. i gotta meet my wife in the middle for a "slow pace".. she'll be pregnant. hustle and bustle of Mexico City would be too hectic for her. needed something a bit more relaxing

Oh, I understand pregnant and traveling! Your hotel looks very nice. You'll have a relaxing time, and going at a pregnant woman's pace, you can stroll and take your time and rest, and fill up the week nicely.

Don't forget to see the National Railway Museum in Puebla. It is very cool, a sort of living museum for the great old Mexican train cars and engines that are a sort of lost art.

ditto to suggestions above: San Miguel or Guanajuato