Former Hotel Mérida on Calle 60 appears ready to open

The old Hotel Mérida, then and now.
An undated photo of the Hotel Merida in the 20th Century. Photo: Fotos En Mexico

Mérida, Yucatán — Its tower is no longer pink, but the building is just as grand, if not more stately, than ever before.

The former Hotel Mérida on Calle 60 and 57, for years an abandoned hulk on the path between the bustling Plaza Grande and Parque Santa Lucia, reopens this week, according to unconfirmed reports.

The hotel tower will be a Holiday Inn, with the original mansion operating as a separate boutique hotel, restaurant and “Bar subterráneo,” according to reports.

Holiday Inn’s website for now only lists its three other local properties on its website. As of Sunday, the only signage visible on the site says “Hotel Mérida.”

The courtyard lobby in 2007. Photo: Lee Steele/Imagine Mérida
The hotel foyer, before and after. Left: Lee Steele, Right: Roland Seeman

The hotel was most recently run by the Misión chain. It is on ground zero of the Centro Histórico, occupying an intersection that includes the public university home campus, the Peón Contreras theater where the symphony is in season, and the Casa del Balam hotel.

The renovated hotel’s pool area, at the base of the tower. Photo: Antonella PA and Roland Seeman

Closed for about nine years, the hotel’s base is an old casona with a 1940s tower that once dominated the Centro in festive pink, on Calle 60 and 57. Now the completely gutted high rise is a tasteful taupe.

The renovated hotel’s restaurant appears ready for customers. Photo: Antonella PA and Roland Seeman

Today, years of renovations have paid off. Modernized, while still adhering to its original architecture, the hotel’s lobby and restaurant appear ready for guests.

{ Previously: Mayan artifact removed from former Hotel Mérida }

A general announcement this week is expected to announce the hotel’s details, including the name of its operator.

Lee Steele
Lee Steele
Lee Steele is the founding director of Roof Cat Media and has published Yucatán Magazine and other titles since 2012.
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