We would like to spend a week in Mexico in Nov, possibly attending a language school. Any suggestions as to which town would be the most beautiful, have the best hotel/restaurants and best language school? This is a special occasion and we're willing to spend more $$ than usual.

The Spanish accents/idiomas in the state of Guanajuato are perhaps the most "neutral", like USA English in Nebraska.
I would recommend you seriously study the www.warrenhardy.com free on line games, and visit the many Trip Advisor forums for San Miguel de Allende, Gto.
Perhaps the most intense immersion is @AHA - www.ahaspeakspanish.com
All your local hotel and restaurant questions may be answered on the pretty active SMdA Trip Advisor forums.
We are finally going to L'Escargot tonight.
Buen viaje.
M (SMdA,Gto.)

thanks for the web site tips. I am not sure however, what you mean by the trip advisor forums..where are they? Where is the SMdA Trip Advisor forum to be found?

Cuernavaca has lots of good langauge schools. In a cultural sense, it has gone downhill. It is a big place, lots of traffic and not that great anymore, at least in my opinion, going for the first time in ten years last year. The upside is you can go to Taxco easily and it is an easy day trip to Mexico City. I am not familiar with SMA, but expect it would be a better experience. If the politcal unrest in Oaxaca gets resolved, that is my recommendation. It will be cheaper and, in a cultural sense (again in my opinion) be the most interesting.

We actually liked Cuernavaca when we visited last March. I have to say that I was disappointed when we first arrived - it certainly didn't look very charming, but we ended up enjoying our 3 days there. SMA is more beautiful, but there's so many more Americans there. A lot of people also go to Guanajuato to study Spanish. It's about an hour from SMA and really a nice place.

I personally would prefer Patzcuaro for a much more "Mexican" Experience but hurry as more & more of us Gringos are discovering it! Great culture, prices & a couple of language schools.

I must admit that the charm of Cuernavaca completely alluded me. In other words, I wasn't a big fan. I, personally, would never go back.

Kleroux-

I believe that the SMA trip advisor forums means www.tripadvisor.com and typing in San Miguel de Allende. There you can see reviews of hotels, restaurants, etc. I have never been to Cuernavaca, but SMA is WONDERFUL! There are a lot of ex-pats there, so you may be tempted to speak English some, though. SMA is very European with great weather and great food--don't think it could be a bad choice.

Que te vaya bien-
Jordan