Hotel Hacienda Merida

A peaceful hacienda in the heart of Mérida with contemporary flair, colonial courtyards and inviting pools

French owner Alexandre Degoute runs his first hotel with fantastic customer service, very fair prices - and great success: this charming 1840s hacienda is often fully booked, so you’ll need to get in there early. Just a few blocks from Mérida's central plaza, it offers a tranquil respite in the energetic ‘white city’, which is crammed with vibrancy and culture but continuously buzzing with people and traffic.

As you step off the busy road into the hotel’s reception, you’re immediately struck by the calm - the interior is cool and dark, with high ceilings and whirring fans. With only 12 rooms, there’s an intimate and welcoming vibe; staff are always smiling, always helpful. Out back, the courtyard and pool areas are sublime, with tall palm trees, billowing cotton curtains and Doric columns. And at dusk, lanterns and candles are sprinkled around, lending a romantic ambiance for couples to sip zesty margaritas.

Most rooms are housed in a separate wing well away from the road, so they're super quiet; 4 of them, including the only suite, lie in a discreet 'VIP block' with its own pool, restaurant, bar and terraces, tucked away next to the main hotel. All are unexpectedly contemporary, with four-poster beds draped in bright silks, yet they nonetheless preserve distinctive colonial features, including heavy wooden doors topped by hatch windows.

Highs

• This is a great location - it's 2 blocks from the centre and a short walk from Plaza Mayor, so it’s easy to pop back for a siesta or a cool drink
• Staff can arrange car hire and guides to help you explore Chichen Itza or Mérida’s churches, plazas and pretty streets
• The elegant pool areas, with their cool, chlorine-free water, are a perfect refresher after a day’s sightseeing
• The rates are very reasonable, as are the prices for breakfast, cocktails and car hire
• The squeaky clean rooms have comfy beds

Lows

• Some might find the ambient music played around the 2 pools a bit irritating
• The main hotel doesn't serve lunch or dinner (though the restaurant in the VIP block does). Staff can order in food from nearby eateries if required
• In the rainy season, Mérida’s streets are like mini rivers
• There's little acoustic insulation between rooms, and some noise can be heard e.g. neighbours talking or walking up the stairs