Very disappointed with this hotel...room was damp (with a large dehumidifier in the room which did not help). Very basic room and tiny bathroom. Staff unfriendly and not welcoming at all. Would definitely not recommend this place, was glad to leave...

We recently spent two nights at Hacienda Chichen. The grounds and dining area are absolutely superb. Our hacienda was spacious and the only noise that woke us in the morning was the sound of the birds! The pool was cold but very refreshing after a long, hot and busy morning seeing the ruins.

The best feature of the hotel is its location. Only a 5 minute walk to the south entrance, which is far less busy than the main entrance to Chichen Itza. We got there early to beat the crowds and before the numerous souvenir vendors set up their stands, which tend to spoil the ambiance of the ruins. Our wonderful guide, Roami Akaban Mex Ek, (he's been working at Chichen Itza for several years) told us the Mexican Government is in the process of moving the vendors to a less visible location.

We had breakfast and dinner a couple of nights on the hotel terrace. Can't beat the setting and fortunately very few mosquitoes. The service was a bit uneven, but the food was good. They grow a lot of their own ingredients in their organic gardens. Staff were very helpful. A lot more atmospheric and better maintained than the Hotel Mayaland, which is a little closer to the ruins.

Hacienda Chichen is an historic hotel that housed the first archaeologists who excavated Chichen Itza. There are paths and areas all over the expansive grounds where guests can walk and observe the beautiful birds and flora of the Yucatan. There is even an in-house naturalist who will take you on a guided walk. An evening in the open-air dining room leaves you with the feeling of being transported back to another era, elegant and gracious. There is a pristine swimming pool that was too cold to use in January for swimming but the chaises offered a perfect place to soak up some morning sunshine. The rooms are simple, lovely and very clean. Each has a porch which is a perfect place to sit in the early evening and listen to night sounds. That being said, our room was not humid because of a noisy de-humidfier that we ran 24/7. (I shut it off when trying to go to sleep but quickly realized what would happen if this was not on.) You must remember you are in Mexico, in a bad economy and in the jungle. Once I got used to the noise, I slept just fine; the bed was very comfortable. There is no TV so you won't get your fix of CNN to interfere with immersing yourself in the ambience of the surroundings. Being able to walk into the ruins when Chichen Itza is almost empty is in itself worth the higher price. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

Upon arrival we saw the impressive building and gardens and thought the place looked fabulous. The reception area maintained this image, unfortunately our room did not.....

When we went into our bungalow, it immediately smelt very damp, the bathroom was very dated and the room furnishing basic. After laying on the bed for 20 mins to recover from our journey, our clothes began to feel wet due to the damp bed!

Very unhappy with this I went to reception and asked if they had an alternative room. In fairness, the manager showed me to another which smelt less damp and was both larger and less dated (although the rusty mini bar fridge would not have looked out of place in a junk shop.)

Overall, we were still very disappointed at the quality and comfort of the room given the high price. We had stayed in other haciendas during our trip which were half the price of this and faultless.

The only thing you could not fault here was the ease of getting into the ruins (10 min walk) which was the reason we stayed. This worked perfectly as at 8am before the tour groups arrived the site was deserted.

Food wise - there are few choices nearby so we ate all 3 meals on the hotel restaurant veranda which is a pleasant setting- breakfast and lunch were both good, dinner was very average.

My advice to others would be save your money, stay elsewhere and get up early to drive to the ruins (Valladolid is a beautiful town an hours drive away)