Hacienda Chichen Resort and Yaxkin Spa, RíO Lagartos

My husband & I were married on Jan. 1, 2011 at this wonderful Hacienda, & so we decided to go back to celebrate our 1 year anniversary this past January. We had such an amazing experience during our wedding, but I must say it was nice to visit by ourselves recently. We were welcomed by the staff, many of whom recognized us as they were there for our wedding. The chef also sent us a special dessert as a courtesy on our final night. They had new menus since we were here last, & it was delicious as always. We stayed 2 nights in order to relax and still gets chance to do some of the wonderful activities they have available at the resort as well as nearby. We took the sunrise big-watching tour at the Hacienda & not only saw over 40 bird species, but also got to practice some bird calls the guide taught us! I had a much deserved spa treatment at Yaxkin Spa, thanks to my husband. We throughly enjoyed the pool and listened to a chorus of birds during the late afternoon. Of course we took advantage of the Hacienda's location to visit Chichen Itza before the hoards from Cancun arrived. The park is completely different in the early morning. We also got a chance to visit the caves of Balankache & a co-op run "cenote" nearby. We will definitely be returning in the near future!

Pretty lush gardens but that was about all the positives I can think of. I honestly don't understand what the fuss was about. The day we got there we decided to have lunch and my wifes salad had 5 pieces of lettuce and my "sandwich" had 1 slice of cheese, 1 slice of ham and 1 small slice of bacon all for 120 pesos each. The next day we ate buffet at Mayaland down the street for 145 pesos. (actually we ate all of the rest of our meals at Mayaland including getting a club which was 10x better than Hacienda Chichen). If this is "world class cooking" then I'd have been highly disappointed taking the Mayan cooking class. They couldn't even master a salad and ham sandwich. None of the staff seemed to speak much English and when I asked about the bird sanctuary they looked at us like were crazy. We finally found it but it looked like it hadn't been kept up, it was overgrown. The pro's: very beautiful, lush jungle settings. Con's: rooms were small. Had a scorpion crawling up the wall next to the bed on our last day and a monstrous spider in the TV room scared the crap out of us. Staff didnt seem real friendly where as every other place we went in Mexico they seemed extremely friendly and even willing to try thier English out. Overall we just seemed really disappointed and didn't get our money's worth.

We loved this boutique hotel and found that the three star rating given in Yahoo hotel information is outdated compare with what we experience during our four day stay in this unique Colonial hotel. The decor is elegant and with perfect taste, the food a delightful gourmet blend of Maya and Mexican cuisine with a few international classic entrees; this hotel grows its own organic natural fruits and veggies so for vegans and health concious guests like us, well... you could not ask for greater quality. Service was friendly and polite yet with a touch of warmth that made it feel like home. Then the additional token of luxury was their Mayan Spa called Yaxkin which we were told in Maya means "life energy and renewal" what an elegant and fabulous Spa, dedicated to natural healing that start with a Mayan blessing ritual and goes on to indulge all your senses, body, mind and soul. We loved the Kakaw ritual and highly recommend you do not miss the opportunity to book it. Our room, Catherwood master suite was a charming historic cottage, with a great private garden and patio where we relaxed each afternoon enjoying the songs of birds and lovely sunsets. Clean, clean, clean, bathroom and lovely charming home decor T.V. seating room, king bed and great comfortable reading lamps. If you go, take time to enjoy the pool and visit their museum with artwork from Merle Greene, truly amazing. We bought many Mayan fine gifts to bring home at the hotel boutique and then learned the profits help feed many Mayan children due to malnutrition in the small villages near the hotel. We enjoy this place so much, I have wanted to write this review for others to know this hotel deserves a five star rating not three.

We just came back from our friends wedding at Hacienda Chichen, what a wonderful romantic and elegant place to get marry! Our friends reserved the entire hotel for their wedding, what a great idea. The wedding was memorable and so romantic. Breathtaking decor, excellent service and so much care was given to all the details of the wedding program. The hotel has even its own private Colonial Church with old fashion bells! The altar was full of flower arrangements and candles in such an elegant style. Music filled the air with soft melodies as the bride walked in. The walk path was filled with candle lights all the way to the Dinner Party as we walk out. DJ Mauricio did a great job to keep the dancing mood up all night long.

I just returned from an amazing stay at the Hacienda & all I can think of is when am I going to get more vacation time so I can stay more nights! I went over a long weekend, bypassing the overly "touristy" Cancun region in lieu of some relaxation in the Yucatecan jungle. I flew into Cancun, but promptly jumped into my rental car and headed towards Chichen Itza. While at the Hacienda, I could not get over the serenity in this place. The gardens, all of the birds, & ridiculously light pollution free night sky really took me out of my work-sleep-work-sleep mode, helping me refresh & recharge. I lucked out, thanks to a friend's recommendation, & took advantage of the Hacienda's proximity to the archaeological park to go visit during off-peak hours. This meant I avoided the hottest part of the day along with all the day tour buses from Cancun. Made a world of difference to me. Don't miss a spa treatment at Yaxkin Spa, on the Hacienda's premises. I had the Cacao treatment & just about melted on the massage table. I am a chocoholic & was taken in by the smell of fresh cacao being heated by my body. I am definitely going to try to arrange a spa treatment for my mother, hopefully for Mother's Day. Definitely recommend & will return soon.

Staying at Hacienda Chichen is like getting a big gulp of Mother Nature with none of the brain freeze. We loved the gardens, the trees, the birds, the quiet, the night, the stars, even the bugs. But we also loved the air conditioning, the good beds, the jacuzzi tub, the swimming pool and the cold beers. A nice walk to the ruins at Chichen Itza. Lovely gift shop. Good food at the restaurant. Just an all around great experience.

We happened to be offered a timeshare in Cancun for free by some friends. Since we already knew Cancun would not be our scene I started to look on the internet for other places to go. We had both wanted to see Chichen Itza at least once in our lives, and this seemed to be a great opportunity to do so. I started looking for hotels near Chichen Itza and came across Hacienda Chichen. The hotel seemed nice enough, it was close to Chichen Itza so I sent them an email inquiring about a room, their services etc. I received a very friendly email back and decided to book a room with them directly. When we arrived at the hotel, we were all incredibly amazed at the beauty of the hotel, it's location, and the tropical surroundings. The rooms were beautifully decorated in old Spanish style. The large bathroom was completely made out of marble and gorgeous. We had cocktails on the front veranda, an excellent dinner on the back veranda and cocktails by the pool which was in the middle of the luscious garden. The service was excellent, the staff accomodating and overall it was the best couple of days of our entire Mexican vacation. We will be returning soon.

If you desire the feeling of being in the tropical forest, the Hacienda is the place to be. Everything about the Hacienda focuses on the traveler. The food is excellent, the cottages are cosy, the natural landscaping is superb. Who could not like a veranda with your own rocking chair. The staff truly seemed to care about your every need. If you had to describe it in just one word; it would be intimate! The only draw back is the increasing price. But prices are going up all over Mexico. If this was in the U.S. we would consider it a bargan.