Rosas y Xocolate, Merida - hotel review

Kate Lough experiences old Yucatan charm at this contemporary hacienda hotel
Kate Lough16 September 2017

Where is it? Bang in the centre of colonial Merida, the capital city in the Mexican state of Yucatan. You'll find it on the sweeping Paseo de Montejo with lots of other grand palaces, a 10 minute stroll from the main square and cathedral.

Style: An old Hacienda developed by owner Carol Kolozs in 2008, it takes its name from his mother Rosa and Xocolate, which was so central to Mayan civilisation and culture. This 17-room boutique hotel combines the charm of an old world Yucatan mansion, with modern amenities and a cosmopolitan spirit that characterises Merida. The hot pink facade of the hotel clashes wonderfully with its tiny aquamarine courtyard pool, that really does feel like an oasis of cool in an often sweltering city.

Facilities: there’s an ace rooftop bar with live jazz and killer mescal cocktails - but be warned, it only opens Thursday to Saturday. There's top notch spa that's open to the public, which specialises in Mayan-inspired chocolate treatment and has a jacuzzi on the roof deck. The hotel also has a fleet of bright pink bicycles you can tour multi-coloured Merida on.

(Design hotels)

Which room? All 17 rooms are edible – pink swathes of fabric, floral patterned armchairs and contemporary wooden four poster beds. There are three suites, the biggest of which is the Rosas x Xocolate Master Suite, which has its own private terrace. All the rooms have outdoor bathtubs, handmade chocolate soaps and Bose audio systems.

The Rosas y Xocolate suite (Design Hotels)

Food and drink: As well as the rooftop bar, there's a tequila library and a restaurant that draws a hip crowd from the city with its fusion fare - our favourite tables were on the interior terraces among the water gardens. Breakfast follows the usual format of luxe hotels in Mexico with pasties, fresh fruit and juices and Mexican-style cooked breakfasts. On Sundays, it holds a brunch club on the front terrace.

A bathroom (Design Hotels)

Extra-curricular: stay for a few days to explore lively Merida - its streetfood districts, its mescal bars and its art galleries. The city also acts as a handy launch pad for visiting cenotes - natural sinkholes found all over the Yucatan peninsula - old-school haciendas and Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza, which is an hour and a half away.

Best for: couples – it’s a romantic place made for balmy, mescal-fuelled evenings.

(Design Hotels)

Any downsides: It probably makes a difference if you stay at the weekends. We visited on a Tuesday when there was no rooftop fun to be had - although the staff did kindly bring our margaritas up to the roof so we could get a taster. If you’re expecting a pool to actually swim in or lounge around, then you might be disappointed – it’s more of an ornamental plunge pool. But it looks the part.

When should you go? It was sweltering - mid-30s - when we visited in in March, so avoid the summer months (when it could be very rainy too).

Price: rooms start from £185 per night

Details: designhotels.com. Virgin Atlantic flies to Cancun from London Gatwick from £480; virgin-atlantic.com

Follow Kate on Twitter @kate_lough and Instagram @kateloughtravel

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