Merida Santiago Hotel Boutique

We stayed in the hotel for several days, taking two rooms, so we really got to know the place. One of our rooms in the front had a private balcony with chairs and a hammock which was quite nice for hanging out. The rooms and the beds are very comfortable and tastefully designed -- not overbearing luxury but a warm modernist look. The restaurant is also very good and can get crowded from other tourists in the neighborhood (I assume from their AirBNBs). That said, we never had trouble getting a table and always sat down to a very good cup of coffee in the morning. There are also other restaurants nearby to try other fare (we did on a few days) but the Yucatecan-influenced food here is very very good. Aside from the tasteful decor, what really stood out was the staff. I have hardly ever had such a warm and attentive staff in any hotel and want to give a shout out to Jasmine and Jorge, the morning and afternoon/night managers respectively. They helped with everything, as did the owners of the hotel Rita and Jann. They set up an all-day taxi for us to go out to the Mayan ruins, where we hired a guide, and then went to a cenote for lunch and a swim. They also work with a rental car company that drops off and picks up the car from the hotel, which we used for a day trip to the beach. As first time visitors to Merida, they had suggestions and help for everything we wanted, making the stay so easy and stress free. I have done it myself via the web and TripAdvisor recommendations, but this was way easier and in many cases less expensive than tours available online. We also took advantage of the market tour and cooking class for lunch, which was really fun. After shopping and then cooking, we ended up having a long leisurely meal with the other people in the group and then met up with them later for drinks, so really the best kind of experience during vacation. And the food was delicious -- the chef at the hotel runs the classes with help of an interpreter. The hotel was also quiet and the neighborhood about 15 minutes walk from the central district. So we did a fair amount of walking but there are also Ubers and taxis to get around. Overall, I'd rate this hotel 10 stars if available. Truly one of the nicest hotels we have stayed in -- and really the best service I've encountered at any hotel.

The check-in was smooth. They reached out to us earlier asking when we would arrive. The room is very nice. We had tacos and empanadas by the pool at the on-site restaurant. Service and food are excellent.

The staff (Michelle and Masimo) were exceptional in answering questions, booking tours, and arranging for a pleasant stay!