Closest Thing to Heaven!

Dear TripAdvisor:

I am not one to write letters, but I was stunned by Mr. Bordia's account of his experience at Hacienda Xcanatun. I strongly disagree with his closing admonition. Recommend Hacienda Xcanatun to everyone you know: It's the closest thing to heaven I have found.

My husband and I have stayed at the hacienda 3 times in the past two years. We have nothing but praise for the staff, the restaurant and the comfortable accommodations. The huge suites are beautiful and very romantic. I feel like a queen with all that space. As I am very particular about privacy, I book a Deluxe Suite with an outdoor tub and soak in it for hours. I can't imagine a hotel that tries harder to meet, actually to exceed expectations.

By the way, Josefina is not the owner of Hacienda Xcanatun. She is the obliging front desk person, a real problem-solver who knows the best place to find whatever it is you want. The owner is Cristina Baker. She is so helpful and knows everything that goes on in the Yucatan. Nothing escapes her attention. She's at the hotel every day to make sure things run perfectly. And, from my experiences, they do!

Sincerely,

Dr. M. Staloff

staloff@aol.com

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Lousy service

I had heard great reviews about this place and decided to stay there for 3 nights on my recent visit to Mexico inspte at $375 per night. Unfortunatley, soon after I checked in on the very first day, as I entered the jacuzzi and put it on, hundreds (and believe I am not exaggarating!) of large ants & insects came out with the gush of water all over my body. I had to almost pluck many of those off my body, and with several rashes later, I'll admit that it was the most horrible experience I have had in a long time.

Once I complained, they cleaned the stuff, but I had wanted to move out. They suggested that I could check out the next day but will refund my stay charges for the night. It has been several months and several emails and phone calls (even to their owner Josephina), and I am still waiting even to hear back from them, forget about the refund.

They may have a good property but is maintened lousily and they did not keep their committment for an issue for which most hotels in the world would have bent backwords. I stay in hotels about 100 nights every year as part of my job and this experience would easily qualify as one of the worst I have ever had.

Definitely do NOT NOT NOT recommend -- be there at your own risk!

One of the most special places we have ever stayed

Our room was exquisite. The renovation of this Hacienda is second to none. We had a wonderful stay and our two little ones enjoyed the swimming pool. The vegetation, nocturnal jungle noises and the classy ambiance of this Hacienda, all enjoyed in a hammock or in the hydrotherapy tub on the terrace will never be forgotten. The owners were extremely nice, the service outstanding and the breakfasts delicious. Definitely worth a night or two. You will not regret it! And only 15 minutes away from the center of Merida.

Decadent Hacienda Experience

Rooms/Grounds - It was such a treat to stay at the Hacienda Xcanatun. My room (Jr. Suite) was large and impeccably furnished sporting high-high ceilings, faux paint, two sets of 14-16-foot (est.) double doors, marble floors and spacious patios. The bathroom had marble tops, slate floors and a jetted tub. There were several details that made my room even more delightful: gauze curtains on the four poster beds, movable shades covering the skylight in the bathroom (the ceiling is a skylight), and window panels in the large double doors. The gardens have well-developed trees interspersed with exotic plants and flowers. There are surprising landscape touches at every turn.

Food - You can eat on the patio or in the restaurant. Both places provide just the right decadent yet relaxed ambience you need to enjoy the variety of fusion themed menu offerings. The food is excellent! There was live piano music when I was there. I enjoyed breakfast in bed to avoid walking in the rain. Many thanks to the reviewer who recommended the french toast. I have no clue how they achieved that fluffiness.

Spa - I tried the Mayan stone massage and the honey flower treatment. I highly recommend them both. Carolina performed both treatments. She truly has the magic touch. The stone massage is not a hot stone massage. Rather, you are massaged with smooth, flat stones. This was one of the best massages I have ever had. The honey flower treatment is a skin treatment performed on Mayan girls/women on special occassions. It was, in short, delicious. Compared to U.S. and Cancun/Riviera Maya prices, the spa treatments are very, very well priced. Actually, they are a bargain. The spa menu offers a good variety of treatments and packages.

Service - The staff was acommodating and courteous. The concierge patiently addressed all my needs. Carolina drove in from home at the last minute specifically to perform the stone treatment. The owner, Christina, gave me valuable travel information before I left. All in all, I had a lovely, relaxing time. I plan to return soon.

Best long weekend in 40 years.

As a continuation of celebrating 40 years of marriage, my wife and I spent a long weekend at Hacienda Xcanatun.

The quiet setting, excellent service, before, during and departing was beyond all we hoped for.

We have stayed at a number of hotels in Merida and on the peninsula and none can compare.

Best Hotel We Have Ever Stayed In!

Hotel Xcanatun is wonderful in every way. I would go back tomorrow if I could.

My husband and I used the hotel as our touring base of the Merida area for 4 days. It is in an exellent location, just north of the city, a few miles from the beach, and a short drive to Mayan ruins, colonial sites, and charming towns.

The service at the hotel could not have been nicer. They were attentive to our every need, and went the "extra mile". For example, I ran out of some medicine while there, and the concierge immediately dispatched her driver to the local pharmacy to pick up a refill. The restaurant service, room service, and all the staff are friendly and gentle.

The owner of the hacienda knew our names and inquired about our stay when we saw her. She was charming and knowlegeable about the area, the hacienda, and great at recommendations.

The physical beauty of the hacienda is outstanding! Every square inch of the hacienda, a former sisal factory, has been lovingly restored with modern amenities that blended in with its colonial style. Even the smallest detail has been attended to. The rooms are private, spacious, and lovely. There are lounging chairs on the veranda, with fans, and some of the rooms had hammocks to take a siesta in.

The gardens are manicured, lush, and full of blooming flowers. A little walk in the gardens alone is enough to restore one's soul.

As if that were not enough, the restaurant served an interesting and tasty variety of food, including native Yucatan dishes. There was a carefully thought out international wine list as well.

It is worth a trip to the Yucatan just to stay here. You will not find a more lovely hotel anywhere!

Tropical Heaven

I´d been to Mérida before on business, and stayed at one of the large hotels. Upon asking the concierge for the best restaurant, I was inmediately told:Hacienda Xcanatun. Dinner was wonderful, on a lovely terrace lit by candles overlooking the impresive gardens. I was graciously offered a tour, and upon seeing the room (Master Suite Anna), made a reservation and spent my remaining two nights there. I can´t recommend it highly enough, the service is impeccable, everybody smiles, the Spa offers a wonderful anti-stress massage using Swiss "Just" products I was not familiar with, but promptly purchased. One of my best business trips...

Hacienda Xcanatun

If you are on a budget, you may not be able to stay at Hacienda Xcanatun - but do go out there at least for breakfast. I ordered their French Toast and was transported to Heaven.

WOW!!

It's hard to do justice to this beautifully restored hacienda hotel. I visited the other haciendas in the area and none can compare to Hacienda Xcanatun. The very private suites are surrounded by beautiful gardens, there are two pools and a spa specializing in holistic treatments. The suites are huge - soaring 20 foot ceilings, beautiful custom designed furnishings - fit for Architectural Digest! And the bathrooms, the bathrooms!!!The restaurant is hands down the best in Merida.The service was exceptional.I've stayed at a lot of hotels in my time, and this is one of the best!

Beautiful hacienda

Great service and beautiful facilities. This hacienda is fairly expensive for the Merida area, but not so expensive by U.S. standards. Location is pretty good. US$10 taxi ride to downtown Merida and US$15 to airport. 2 hour drive to Chichen Itza. 2.5 hours to Celestun. 20 minute drive to Progreso. 10 minute drive to Dzibilchaltun. There is very limited occupancy, so the hacienda has a very exclusive feel. Even though they were booked solid when I stayed there in 2/03 (the busy season), I rarely noticed the other guests. Restaurant on the premises was very good. As good as any restaurant I went to in Merida. Two swimming pool areas on the grounds were great for lounging around. Rooms were spacious and clean. Be advised that there are no televisions in the room, but this just added to the experience of getting away from the real world. All in all, a terrific vacation spot!