In the know

Our favourite rooms: For that inimitable ‘villainous-landowner-in-a-Mexican-telenovela’ feel, go for the Casa del Patron next to the chapel and relish the private garden, terrace and pool. For something a bit more romantic and intimate, the Mayan Villas are the top option. These round thatched casitas are set apart from the main hacienda building in their own private patch of jungle, have private plunge-pools for midnight skinny dipping, and are fitted with hanging beds that rock you gently to sleep.
Packing tips: Boots made for walking, books made for reading (and to cover your face with as you’re dozing in a hammock).
Also: The spa’s Mayan masseuses are all from the local towns and have been expertly trained by the Haciendas Foundation to deliver firm-handed stress-evicting massages.

Mexico hotels: Hacienda San Jose, need to know

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Smith card offer: 10 per cent off spa treatments

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Hacienda San Jose

Yucatán, Mexico[view map]

Style: Secret garden estate
Setting: Jungly heart of Yucatan

Ensconced in a gorgeously gardened pocket of jungle, Hacienda San Jose is one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s best-kept secrets. Rescued from ruin and rebuilt with relaxation in mind, its 15 cream-and-terracotta coloured rooms are ideal rest-stops for expeditions to the capital city of Mérida, the ‘yellow city’ of Izamal, and ancient city and new wonder of the world, Chichen Itza.

Need to know

Rooms: 15, including four villas.
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: Mayan spa treatments, library, free WiFi in the main building. In rooms: open fireplace, minibar. DVD players are available for a fee.
Poolside: Cosy cushioned loungers line one side of the Hacienda’s huge pool. On the other side, colourful fronds of foliage stretch out over the water. A thatched palapa frames one end, offering a shaded space for hammock-snoozing.
Eco-friendly: Hacienda San Jose 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: You can smoke anywhere in the Hacienda.

Food & drink

Hotel restaurant: Located in what was once the old factory and is now a stunning colonnaded terrace, San Jose’s restaurant serves a flavoursome combination of Mexican and European dishes, using organic ingredients grown either here or at the other haciendas.
Dress code: Jungle casuals will do for the day, but something smarter for the evening.
Top table: The hacienda’s staff will be happy to prepare a private table in the gardens, where you can enjoy candlelit dining à deux, with music on request.
Last orders: The kitchen closes at 9.30pm.
Room service: Between 7am and 10.30pm you can have meals, snacks and drinks delivered directly to you.
Hotel bar: There is a lounge bar that’s open on special occasions, but for most of the time, you can sip cocktails or sup wine anywhere you wish.

Also worth knowing

Children: Up to two under-12s can stay free in their parents’ room; babysitting can be provided with 24 hours’ notice.
Weddings: This hotel is suitable for weddings. More…

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