Hotel Hacienda Mérida

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Two Mansions, One History

How eight rooms on a quiet colonial lot became two historical restored monuments in the heart of Mérida, Yucatán.

Our story

Long before Parque Santa Lucía filled with music and the Centro Histórico woke back up, there was a long, narrow lot on Calle 62 — and a small hotel with eight rooms.

What follows is the story of two neighbouring mansions, a careful remodelling, and a city that came alive again around them. It is, above all, the story of a small family hotel that learned the names of its guests — and never forgot them.

The colonial façade of Hotel Hacienda Mérida2004
The beginning

Eight rooms, and a clever piece of land

The hotel began modestly, with just eight rooms. In 2004 the property was remodelled — new buildings and rooms were added, and the pool was dug — and the whole place was reimagined with unusual care.

The secret is in the shape of the land: a slender lot just nine metres wide and one hundred metres deep. The architect read it perfectly, placing the service rooms close to the busy street and pushing the guest rooms far toward the back. The result is the rarest thing in a city centre — silence. You sleep a hundred metres from the noise.

It was a quiet bet on a quiet street. Back then Parque Santa Lucía was not the lively square it is today, and only a handful of façades downtown had been restored. It would take another ten years for the centre to truly come alive again.

Condé Nast Traveler, 2008 Hot List2008
Recognition

The doors open — and the world notices

Hotel Hacienda Mérida opened its doors in 2006. Barely eighteen months later, with only the original mansion and a handful of rooms, an unexpected honour arrived: Condé Nast Traveler named it among the Best New Hotels in the World on its 2008 Hot List.

For a long while it was the only hotel in Yucatán to hold the distinction — and to this day it remains one of very few. Word had travelled further than anyone expected from a small house on Calle 62.

The VIP mansion, Hotel Hacienda VIP2009
The second mansion

The VIP mansion, and a cast of visitors

In 2009 the family opened the VIP mansion next door — an intimate, premium house that became one of the first luxury boutique hotels in the city. With it came a new kind of guest.

Over the years the two mansions have quietly hosted Hollywood stars, national celebrities and television faces — drawn by the privacy of a place that knows how to keep a confidence. The arches and the pool have learned to play host to anyone who needs the world to look away for a few days.

On both sides of the camera

A favourite set for the world's magazines

Through our friends at Yucatán Productions, the haciendas have welcomed some of the finest photographers and models in fashion — arriving from the great capitals of style to shoot beneath our colonnades and beside the still water of the pool.

An evening lounge at Hotel Hacienda MéridaToday
Our philosophy

Small enough to know your name

Through every chapter, one idea has held: that a guest should feel at home. We have stayed deliberately small — small enough to greet you by name, to remember how you take your coffee, and to share the tips we'd give a friend.

Two restored monuments, one family, the same dedicated team. That is the whole of it, and it is everything.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Hotel Hacienda Mérida is a family of two adjacent historical monuments in the heart of Mérida, Yucatán — the 1890 original (14 rooms) and the premium 1850 VIP mansion (5 rooms), run by the same small, attentive team. Both mansions are officially protected historic monuments: their colonial façades, courtyards and original details are safeguarded for the city and may not be altered, so each has been carefully restored rather than rebuilt. To stay here is to sleep inside a living piece of Mérida's heritage, preserved for the generations to come.
Both hotels sit a few doors apart on Calle 62 in the Centro Histórico — the original at #439 and the VIP mansion at #441-A. You're within a short walk of Plaza Grande, the Cathedral of San Ildefonso and Paseo de Montejo.
The original Hotel Hacienda Mérida is an 1890 colonial mansion with 14 individually designed rooms, from $89 a night — lively and warm. Hotel Hacienda VIP is a step above: an intimate 1850 Porfirian mansion of just 5 rooms and suites (up to 50 m²), poolside balconies and personalised service, from $199 a night.
Yes. Between the two hotels there are three swimming pools — two at Hotel Hacienda Mérida and one at the VIP mansion — and a spa for treatments and quiet downtime.
At the original: Small Double from $89, Standard from $129, Executive from $149 and Suite from $179. At the VIP mansion: White Deluxe and Yellow Deluxe from $199, and the VIP Suite from $249. All rates are in USD and subject to 20.5% tax at both hotels (16% IVA + 4.5% local stay tax). See the Rooms page for details.
Breakfast isn't included in the room rate — it's served à la carte each morning, a mix of international breakfast favourites and Yucatecan specialities. Expect dishes such as avocado toast, an omelet with longaniza, huevos motuleños, yogurt with fresh fruit and cochinita pibil tacos. Our bread and viennoiseries come from the renowned bakery BOCU, and our organic eggs, fruit and vegetables are sourced from local farms.
Yes, parking is available. Let us know your travel plans and arrival time and we'll advise on the best option for your stay.
Both. The quiet colonial setting and boutique scale make for a romantic, private stay for couples — and they're wonderful for kids, too. With three pools across the two hotels, little ones have plenty of room to splash and play while parents relax poolside nearby.
You're steps from Plaza Grande, the Cathedral, Paseo de Montejo and the cafés of Parque Santa Lucía, with the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, Palacio Cantón, Casa de Montejo and the Mercado Lucas de Gálvez all close by. Mérida is also the ideal base for day trips — Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, the Ruta Puuc, cenotes, the flamingos of Celestún, the beach at Progreso, the golden city of Izamal, and Valladolid with the pink lakes of Las Coloradas. Our team is happy to help arrange tours and transport.
Cancellations must be made at least 7 days before arrival. Later cancellations are charged one night's stay.
Use our Reservations page to check live availability across both mansions in a single search — or write to us and we'll help you choose the right hotel.
Some of the best restaurants in Mérida are a short walk away, many lining Parque Santa Lucía. For classic Yucatecan food, try cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, panuchos and salbutes at local favourites such as La Chaya Maya — and end the night with a marquesita from a street cart. Tell us what you love and we'll point you to where to eat, from street food to fine dining.
There's plenty to do right outside the door. Wander the Centro Histórico and Paseo de Montejo, sit in the Tú y Yo "kissing chairs" on Parque Santa Lucía, and enjoy Mérida's free events — the Serenata Yucateca with folk music and dancers every Thursday, Noche Mexicana on Saturday evenings and the Mérida en Domingo festival each Sunday. We'll happily tailor a plan to your stay.
Mérida is consistently ranked among the safest cities in Mexico, which makes it a relaxed choice for a vacation or a weekend getaway. The best time to visit is the cooler, drier months from November to March; summers are hotter but quieter and better value. Either way, the Centro Histórico comes alive in the evenings.
For a first visit, the Centro Histórico is the best area to stay — and the Santa Lucía and Santa Ana pockets within it are the calmest and most walkable, lined with boutique hotels in restored colonial mansions. That's exactly where both of our hotels sit. If you'd rather have culture, food and colonial charm than the beach resorts of Cancún or Tulum, Mérida makes the perfect base.