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Welcome

Located 20 minutes from the historic center of Merida, capital of Yucatan, and just south of some of the most beautiful Mayan sites (Chichen Itza, Uxmal, etc.) this 17th Century hacienda will reveal to you its charms from a rich historical past in an environment of luxury and peace.

Also, a gourmet restaurant serving French-Creole cuisine and located in the Casa Maquina (the old machine house) will offer you the best service and all the savoir-faire of a luxury hotel.

Hospitality, Charm and Tranquility in an Exotic Ambiance. The meeting of the French and Yucatecan culture in a place of dreams.

Descripction

The hacienda covers 15 acres with various buildings, gardens, expanses of lawn and vestiges of old buildings no longer standing. The grounds are surrounded by old stone walls and are generously shaded with large trees.

The Casa Principal

The Casa Principal or Main House consists now of 5vaulted bedrooms (suites and double) with stone walls that are five feet thick. The front corridor room, with its tall arch and stone floor, provided entrance to those on horseback. Iron rings are still embedded in the facade of the building.

The Casa de Maquinas

The largest building on the hacienda dates from the late 18th century, when Hacienda Santa Cruz was one of the first in the area to grown henequen. At that time, the Casa de Maquinas, or House of Machines, housed giant machines to convert the spiny leaves of the henequen plant into the fibers that became sisal rope. These fibers were loaded into carts and sent by train to Sisal, on the Gulf of Mexico. From there, the rope was shipped around the world and became known by the same name.

Now the Casa Maquina contains the bar, the grand sala, a library at the top of a tiled circular staircase, a patio with fountain and fish, and the dining hall. The thirty-five foot ceilings in this building offer a glimpse of the grandeur of the past era. A stone-paved colonnade runs along the back of this entire building, looking out onto a shady orchard.

Just off the terrace is the swimming pool, dwarfed by the old chimenea that stands as a monument to history and can be seen from every part of the hacienda grounds.

The Chapel

When Hurricane Gilberto struck the Merida area in 1988, many of the people in the pueblo took refuge in the chapel. Though the hurricane did great damage to the Yucatan and the hacienda, and though the roof of the chapel collapsed a few months later, no one who sought refuge in the chapel that night was hurt. A new church for the pueblo was built outside the hacienda's gates, but the pueblo still holds great affection for the old chapel, which is now restored. The massive stone altar and font remain.

The carved beam supports from the old roof were salvaged and artwork by a local artist, Alberto Castillo, was installed. The chapel was also resanctified. Weddings, baptisms and occasional mass are again celebrated at Santa Cruz.

The Grounds and the Inhabitants

The fifteen acres of the hacienda are surrounded by an old stone wall. Outside the surrounding pueblo continues to carry on with daily life. When henequen production and processing ended in the mid 1950's, the former owners moved to Merida. For three decades afterwards, the hacienda produced fruit and poultry on a small scale.

Even these efforts ceased after Hurricane Gilberto, and the hacienda was abandoned totally in 1988. The stone-carved irrigation system fell into disrepair, the land returned to its natural state and, happily for us all, the birds and wildlife moved back in.

Now the new owners encourage the wildlife. The birds are legion, with species too numerous to mention.

Facilities

The casa de Maquina is a restaurant with a terrace, a bar and a swimming pool with a nice fountain in the heart of the hacienda.

There is a tennis playground if you would like to relax for a bit.

The chapel is organized to receive your seminars.

The Casa Principale (main house) has wide and comfortable rooms (suites and double bedrooms)

Rooms

All have air conditioning, overhead fans, mini bar and hairdryers and equipped with larges beds – king size.

Suites

You will enjoy your stay in one of the Master suites built within the old rooms of the Casa Principale. There is a living room and the bedroom has a large and beautiful bathroom.

Double Bedrooms

Double bedrooms in the Casa Principale (main house). There are situated at the back of the building. You will experience a lovely time within this comfortable and charming building.