Hacienda Uayamon

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico [view map]

Style: Luxe romantic ruins
Setting: Concealed Campeche gardens

Ruined arches, crumbling stone walls, and pillars topped solely with sky lend a fairy-tale air to this boutique hotel in Campeche, a collection of former hacienda workers’ quarters turned luxury jungle hideaways.

Need to know

Rooms: 12.
Rates: Low season, $359–$689; high season, $424–$754, excluding breakfast and 22 per cent service charge and tax.
Check-out: Midday, but flexible depending on occupancy and subject to a $40 charge.
Facilities: Spa, WiFi in main building. In rooms: TV, CD player (DVD players are available for a charge), open fireplace, hammock; minibar; private terrace.
Poolside: Situated in a ruined part of the building, the pool is one of the most beautiful Mr & Mrs Smith have ever splashed in. The walls and pillars of the original structure are still standing – you feel as though you’re bathing in an archaeological site.
Children: Up to two under-12s can stay free in their parents’ room – cots and extra beds are available free; babysitting can be provided with 24 hours’ notice.
Eco-friendly: Hacienda Uayamon uses waste water to irrigate its gardens, grows its own fruit and vegetables and its owners are behind the World Haciendas Foundation, which supports henequen rope-making communities in the Mexican southeast.
Also: Smoking allowed throughout.

In the know

Our favourite rooms: Apart from the two high-ceilinged Colonial Suites in what used to be the hacienda’s hospital, all of Uayamon’s villas are detached mustard-coloured casitas nestled in the jungly grounds. Each one features black-and-white tile floors, oversized mahogany beds, glass walkways between bedroom and bathroom, and a private terrace with a cosy day-bed. The Colonial Suites have outdoor hot tubs, so you can bubble away under the stars to a soundtrack of birdsong and monkey chatter.
Packing tips: A torch – the partially lit walk back to your villa at night can be tricky after few tequilas.
Also: Horses and bikes are available for expeditions into the undergrowth, and the hotel will organise hiking trips for jungle explorers.

Food & drink

Mexico hotels: Hacienda Uayamon, food and drink

Hotel restaurant: Up an impressive set of stone steps in the main hacienda building, the restaurant is split over two terraces and a small indoor area. Cuisine is typically Yucatecan, featuring fresh fish, chicken, pork, turkey, and lots of lime.
Dress code: Casual for lunch, add an aristocratic flourish at night. Closed-toed shoes will keep biting insects at bay.
Top table: Sit at the edge the front terrace overlooking the finely manicured gardens and the enormous century-old ceiba tree (sacred to the Mayans), or ask for a table to be set up anywhere in the grounds, lit by hundreds of candles.
Last orders: The restaurant closes at 10.30pm.
Room service: Restaurant meals can be enjoyed in your room, or anywhere in the hacienda’s grounds, from 7am–10.30pm.
Hotel bar: Although there’s no bar as such, you’re free to enjoy a drink anywhere in Uayamon you wish.

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