Owners Jorge Ruz and Cristina Baker, advertising executives from Mexico City, spent eight years transforming Hacienda Xcanatun, a former 18th century sisal estate, into a magnificent small boutique hotel with acres of gardens and manicured jungle on the outskirts of Merida.

Opened in 2000, Xcanatun, translated as Tall Stone House in Maya, welcomes guests into the warm hacienda ambience of colonial Mexico blended with the contemporary luxury and amenities of an intimate boutique property. The lifestyle echoes that of the wealthy famed land barons – when grace, hospitality, fine living and exemplary service were expected.

Xcanatun offers an ideal jumping off point for discovering the Yucatan’s ancient ceremonial cities at Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Dzibilchaltun: flamingo eco-preserves; deep freshwater cenotes, deserted Gulf of Mexico beaches, and the fun of colonial Merida with its weekly street fairs, outdoor concerts and colorful markets.

Guests have a choice among 13 spacious suites and 5 superior rooms, gleaming with polished stone and marble floors, 18-foot beamed ceilings, thick walls, soaring skylights and huge marble-wrapped bathrooms. All have a terrace or patio containing a finely woven hammock – additional hammocks are dotted throughout the gardens. The air-conditioned accommodations also have ceiling fans and are individually decorated. Common elements include hand-crafted Caribbean colonial furnishings, antiques, alabaster amenities, his/her bathrobes and original Peruvian oil paintings.  Deluxe Suites come with deep soaking tubs on their patios, well hidden by greenery. Two Master Suite bathrooms have a carved stone tub filled by a waterfall – big enough for two. Superior rooms and Deluxe Suite bath have an indoor hydrotherapy tub with a three-way shower or glass enclosed shower.

Casa de Piedra, the Hacienda’s award-winning restaurant, open from morning to evening, offers an elegant indoor dining room plus two romantic verandas. A private dining room hosts special parties. The restaurant has become a culinary landmark for savvy travelers and well-to-do Meridanos, with a menu highlighting fusion Yucatecan cuisine. The dishes designed by Hacienda Xcanatun combine French cooking technique with the finest local and Caribbean ingredients, and are complemented by an extensive wine list from around the world.

Following the Maya precept of living in harmony with nature and the universe, the intimate, full-service spa, staffed by a team of highly trained therapists, offers a wide choice of holistic Mayan and beauty/wellness treatments. Traditional Mayan healings are in the hands of a Mayan therapist, trained by her shaman (healer) grandfather, who mixes her own creams and oils from natural local ingredients.  The formulas she uses have been passed down through generations of Maya healers. The house special for women is the Maya Honey & Flower massage, while men seem to lean towards the energizing and rejuvenating effects of the Ancient Maya Rocks massage. Additional facilities include two freshwater swimming pools created from the original water reservoir. The Hacienda has its own water purification system.

Hacienda Xcanatún is a beautifully restored 18th-century owner-operated sisal hacienda. Conveniently situated near Mérida, this hideaway features spacious and unique accommodations with handcarved furnishings and antiques, as well as marble bathrooms with either a hydrotherapy tub and shower or a handcarved coral stone bathtub. At the pampering spa, traditional Mayan treatments utilize the restorative powers of local plants, herbs and flowers. One of the top 50 restaurants in Mexico, Casa de Piedra, Hacienda Xcanatún’s gourmet restaurant, showcases fusion Yucatecan cuisine with Mayan, European and Caribbean influences.