While visiting the Mayan countryside during the 1990s, I happened across the Gran Hotel while exploring Merida. The elegant woodwork and marble staircase struck me, and I promised myself to stay at the Gran Hotel de Merida someday.

That someday arrived during January 2011, when my wife and I were guests at the Gran for three nights.

The Gran’s location is ideal, about a block and a half from the central square with all its history, people watching, architecture and dining venues.

Photos of the Gran are indeed Grand. The woodwork, the marble, and the statues are impressive. It reminds one of a romantic movie. Close your eyes and imagine the lovely Adelita awaiting her handsome revolutionary in the courtyard just outside the hotel entrance. Don’t know how much of the revolution touched Merida, but the courtyard image of the lovers in passionate embrace is nice.

The Gran is not quite like the photos. The wear of over 100 years is apparent. It is not bad, decrepit wear but wear nonetheless. Adjust your expectations and remind yourself that you are staying at the Gran for an experience as well as an accommodation. If you want an intercontinental hotel, where you won’t be able to determine if you are in Toronto, Amsterdam, Tokyo or Minneapolis, then head up the Paseo de Montejo.

There are no elevators at the Gran. If you are tired or want to save your back, ask one of the staff to haul your luggage up the stairs.

Our room was large and had an elegant feel. We enjoyed sitting, reading and at times working on our laptop in the large hallways next to our room. The wireless was first rate.

As is the case in many Mexican hotels, you do not flush your toilet paper. Rather, you place it in the wastebasket located next to the toilet tank. The air conditioning was loud but had lots of cooling power.

If you are looking for a good experience that the Holiday Inn and Marriot will never, never provide, stay at the Gran.

Rooms renovated, clean with very comfy beds. Toiletriesmprovided and the hotel has an ellegantnfeeling.Staff quite indifferent. Didn't seem to care much about guests.

This hotel is great. As soon as you walk in you feel you go back in time. The stairs are magnificent, the tiled floors so shiny! Oh well, what i loved the most were those huge old wooden doors. When we got there we got upgraded to a Jr. Suite with 2 bedrooms and balcony with view to the little square where the hotel is nicely located. We asked for this because my mother stayed here before and the bathroom in the double room he stayed at last time, didnt have a complete wall separating it from the rest of the room, a little bit awkward if you are sharing the room! Although the rooms are very spacious i have to say the bathroom was a little bit cramped, but clean. Definetely, if you are up to modern and minimalistic hotels, this place is not your for you. You have to love history and feel part of it. Too bad the only restaurant in the hotel is from a different owner i think, and well, it is a little too small. But, the hotel is so well located that you just go for a little walk and choose whatever food you want to eat. The hotel is well located just a block away from the main plaza so charming on sundays, it can be a little bit too noisy on the weekends, but nothing you cant handle. If you want to avoid this just make sure to request one of the rooms in the back, although i feel like those are dark even though they have a huge window facing the interior.
They have a lot of antiques you can even buy! And of course, some of these antiques are the main decoration of the building and rooms. The service is very nice as well. The only minus i would give to the hotel, is that the parking lot is 2 blocks away from it and it is a completely different management. The guy in the parking asked for money even though the hotel clearly says is for free. We talked to the reception guy about this and he nicely told us he would take care of the problem, and he did.
A funny story is, a soon as i got to my room i saw this very old sepia picture hanging from the wall, a very creepy woman posing, you know those old style pictures all dressed in black, and i couldnt help to tell the bellboy i didnt like it, and without hesitating he just took it off and hid it inside a closet! Anyway, i would definetely go back there!

This kind of hotels are usually either closed (because too old and shabby) or five star and really expensive. But in Merida everything is different, time seems to have come to a stop in the 1960s (1960s rugs and furniture in the rooms) and in the lobby you feel propelled back to 1901 when the hotel was built: beautiful furniture, but horrible "feliz navidad"-decoration, hope they won't repeat that sin for Xmas in 2011! The rooms without windows are a little smelly, but quiet and the price is ok.