We stayed at the Hotel Villa Merida for two nights and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The great experience started with the making of our reservation and the the prompt and friendly service we received--the response and follow up were immediate. Luis, who is the manager, really does a nice job.

The hotel is walk of 10 minutes or so to the main square, which we viewed as an advantage because the walk took us through a delightful "local" neighborhood which gave us a true sense for the city.

This boutique inn --actually a bona fide city hacienda-- is in excellent condition for its age and really has an air of romance about it. The common areas are well kept. The first morning of our stay, the pool area seemed a little rough around the edges but then a crew appeared that day to do the gardening and other clean-up that made the area very appealing--we had not taken into account that maintaining grounds in a lush tropical environment is a continuous work in progress. Our room had beautiful high beamed ceilings and the walls were so thick that it was naturally cool without the need for air conditioning. The bed was firm but comfortable and the bathroom nicely kept. There were a couple little housekeeping odds and ends that needed tended to such as a lamp wire covered in electrical tape but all in all, we really enjoyed the room. VERY IMPORTANTLY, the room comes with a large handpainted water cooler that contains plenty of purified water--this is so nice to have in contrast to hotels that try to make the sale of bottled water a profit center. Breakfast by the pool was very nice and Alan provided us wonderful service--the scrambled eggs Mexican style are not to be missed and the bakery and freash fruit were great. I noticed Alan keeping a watchful eye on us to make sure we had everthing we needed.

The inn has a small bar room that was not open--possibly since my wife and I were the only two residents the first night but it looked like a neat little room. There was also an area in the backyard that appeared to still need renovation beyond the view of residents unless you walk to the back of the yard. The only reason I am not giving the Villa Merida 5 stars is the combinaton of the need for further renovation of the back area ( again, really out of view), the fact that the bar room was closed ( we were offered drinks though!) , and the fact that I saw the electrical tape on one of the electrical cords. I would still recommend the Villa without hestitation and give it strong very good rating. Real travelers will enjoy this inn since they will get a sense for what it was like to live in Merida in earlier times.

Okay, when booking this reservation, we so wanted to believe all the raves we read here on Trip Advisor that we just breezed over the not-so-good reviews. BIG MISTAKE!

We really felt mislead by positive reviews and I really even suspect many of them are fake positives by some advertising agency or friends of the management. First of all, my friend and I were the ONLY guests, even though the staff claimed there were others and even went so far as to make up names for them! We were there for 5 nights and never saw another soul except for a skeleton staff. We were told at the time of booking that this was the hotels "high-season," another flat-out lie!

Why were we so alone? Well, we soon figured out that the cost of this hotel, which is so much farther away from the center that the site claims, is totally out of whack with the price of lodging in Merida. We walked (a lot!) and poked our heads into many other very high-end hotels and were shocked to find they cost LESS than half of what the Villa Merida was charging. They are so much closer and just as nice, charming, etc. Don't be fooled!

That said, our room was very nice, the a/c and fans worked well and the bathroom was spacious. We did have to insist that we get the room we were originally promised, however, on the second level overlooking the pool, as they were going to put us in a dark interior courtyard room with just one bed although we had originally been promised the room with two beds. When they showed us the room we were supposed to have, the beds were unmade and they claimed the people had had a late check out but we soon figured out that the staff was actually staying there while they tended to the hotels biggest suckers: us! By the time we returned from dinner, they were out and the room was ours but I really hope they changed the sheets.

Luckily we had nice uncharacteristically cool weather in Merida but the time comes when a girl wants a nice hot shower. Well, big surprise: no hot water! They claimed it was some problem with the tank on the roof, and went to the elaborate production of draining it off. When there was still no hot water an hour later, they allowed us to shower in a different room. But guess what! Still no hot water. After much shivering and waiting for the water temp to exceed 65 degrees, we finally realized that as a cost cutting measure it was probably likely that they were just economizing but not turning the hot water on. I did finagle a slight discount for this major deficiency, but I believe it wasn't more than $50 off our total tab and we would have much rather had at least one nice steamy shower during our entire stay!

Oh, and if you book your tours (ruins, cenotes) through this hotel, they will put a major surcharge on your rates that will almost double what other passengers are paying (which you soon find out by comparing notes in the tour van). You are much better booking through a little tour office just next to the Plaza Lucia.

One guy on the staff–and I wish I could remember his name–was really sweet and attentive. The breakfasts were quite good, fruit and coffee and some toast but nothing out of the ordinary.

Villa Merida is a beautiful house restored by a European family and now run by a local family, Although there is only a small staff, the service of the staff was great and the owner was always very helpful. Rooms were very clean, bottled water was provided along with other items in the mini bar, great breakfast and while we never ate meals there, we were told we can always let them know and they were willing to cook up just about anything. We traveled with our 2 year old and 4 year old. The house is in more remote area and is very quiet which we appreciated. The gardens and pool are beautiful and better up keep would make them spectacular. With only 8 rooms the house is quiet and the service is very personal. As a family we very much appreciated this. As travelers we loved staying in a more authentic colonial home and appreciate Villa Merida as a great little find.

I promised I would write a review upon my return home, so here it is.

Have been planning on going to the Yucatan for several years to go and see the Myan ruins. Finally got round to doing it, so glad I did. I found the Villa Merida's website while researching my trip and took advantage of their explorer package.

Arrived in Merida, was met at the airport by Luis and Rudolfo who took me to the hotel. What a place! It's a mansion in the middle of the city, incredible rooms and grounds (look at their website.)

Had a fantastic meal that evening and sat around with Rudolfo planning our explorations for the next few days. Spent the following three days going from one amazing set of ruins (Chichen Itza, Uxmal) to beautiful haciendas in the jungles, to swimming in cenotes (caves) in the middle of no where! This guide is amazing, so knowledgeable - and when he breaks into Mayan in some of the really off the road villages we visited! Quite incredible.

Every night we would return to the Villa Merida and I would relax over a tequila and a beer while the staff prepared a dinner of local yucatecan food. Every meal was fantastic.

I cannot say enough good things about my trip to Merida and The Villa Merida. It's a must go. I'm sending all my friends!