Villa Maria is a wonderful choice, especially for those who like charm,atmosphere, and tranquility. The architecture is so romantic, and our room is quiet and beautiful-with very good a/c. We stayed for 7 nites. My husband and I were very pleased with Villa Maria. We loved that it is not a noisy hotel.
The food is very good, and the dining room very charming.
Those on the forum who think it is too pricey must not be very savvy travelers, we booked our airfare and hotel together , so our nightly rate at this place was very,very good for a beautiful boutique hotel.

We recently spent one week over the New Year's Day holiday in Merida. We had dinner at several different places and our favorite, by far, was the Villa Maria restaurant. We didn't stay at the hotel but might try to do that in the future. The food was superb and is prepared by an Austrian chef who is also part owner. The cuisine is both European continental and Yucatecan. The pollo en mole was my favorite entree, and the poached pear was the best I've ever had (we are a family of 5 and we liked it so much that we went back for a second night, so we got to sample many dishes). The other owner stops at the different tables to chat with the diners, and since he recognized us from our prior visit, he was specially gracious and treated us to after-dinner cordials. The price of the food is extremely reasonable, and we felt it was the best value of all the restaurants we dined at (including the also superb but more expensive Hacienda Xcanatun).

This place is ok, but way overpriced for what it is. Our room - a junior suite - was quoted without tax while most places included tax. At $140 without breakfast we ended up paying about $180 for a room without a window and with a door onto the restaurant patio with the resulting noise and lack of privacy :( ). Also the bathroom was sub-standard for the price. Cheap plastic toilet open towards the rest of the room behind thin plaster wall and a general smell of recently added cement in room.

You could tell they tried to do something nice, but given the price and the lack of breakfast I felt ripped off, especially given the great hotel offerings in town.

We first dined at Villa Maria in November, 2005. After seeing the hotel, we booked there for the next trip to Merida for a week in May, 2006.
Villa Maria is a spectacular alternative to run of the mill hotels. It is truly a cultural experience. Architecturally magnificent, with beautifully appointed rooms, and conveniently located a short walk to the main square, Villa Maria is superior to almost every hotel I have stayed at in the U.S., Italy, and the UK over 25 years of travel.
Chef Johann is a master, with a diverse and wonderful menu.
Host Octavio is congenial, available and most helpful. Staff members Eduardo, Rodrigo, Pablo, and Jose provided excellent, friendly service at the bar or in the restaurant.
Mil gracias!! Nosotros volverimos!!!
J.M. Ellison