Review of Hacienda Santa Rosa, by Josie van der Schaaf

There is some effort involved in finding the Hacienda Santa Rosa when you drive down from Merida. It is well hidden, and seems as far from the realities of everyday life as it does from the well-worn tourist pathways of the Mayan Riviera.

The effort, though, is brilliantly rewarded. The journey leads you through a tiny village, where local people go about their business and children play. You reach an old gateway where a man with strong Mayan features welcomes you. The driveway, lit at night, leads straight up to the ochre-red walls of the hotel.

The Santa Rosa is a former hacienda, restored into an amazing hotel of just 11 rooms. It is very beautiful and has a slightly unreal, very special air, as though you have stepped back into the time of the conquistadors.

The main building has a large veranda where rocking chairs are waiting for you. During the day, it provides a cool tiled retreat from the heat, overlooking the sun-dazzled pool. By night this veranda is turned into a restaurant in ‘aire libre’ and a big bonfire is lit. It is an extremely romantic place to dine.

The hotel has airy standard rooms in the main building with very high ceilings and the old painted walls kept intact. The floors are the original tiles that shine like in the old days. However, comfort has been added and the hotel provides all the modern amenities. In fact, you will find it hard to drag yourself away to go sightseeing, even though the ruins of the Mayan citadel of Uxmal are nearby.

Some of the junior suites and suites have their own private gardens complete with petal-strewn plunge pools. The best suite at this Hotel is ‘La Casita Maya’, a copy of the typical Mayan houses. It consists of two parts, the bedroom area and a lounge/bathroom part. They are linked by a little open-air area complete with a luxuriously huge round private bathtub, for romantic star-gazing while you bath.

Another truly fantastic extra are the hotel’s two horses. You can book them in advance and they will be brought up to the hotel when you are ready. They are perfectly quiet and safe and you can just take off and ride around the lovely area. It does add to the feeling of being someone else in some other time…