Themed hotels can feel gimmicky, but this sweet and stylish boutique hotel on Mérida’s main boulevard gets it just right.
There’s an eye-catching pool in the bright pink courtyard, 100 per cent cacao treatments in the spa, roses on the table at breakfast and chocolates delivered to your room on arrival.
Rosas & Xocolate sits right on the main artery of Mérida – the Paseo de Montejo – which was built in the 19th century and modelled on the wide boulevards of Europe.
There’s plenty to look at as you walk along it, from ornate mansions to monuments. Just a few streets away is where the historical centre begins, with its lively plazas, historical buildings and a plethora of restaurants.
You can also easily make a daytrip from here to Chichen-Itza; the drive is a couple of hours, with cenotes for swimming in along the way.
Staff are friendly and happy to help book excursions and the like. A spa next to reception is very on theme, with ‘xocolatherapies’ that make use of 100 per cent cacao.
Upstairs, there’s an outdoor bar with live jazz nights, while the main restaurant resides downstairs.
The bijou pool is better suited to lounging and toe dipping than swimming proper lengths, but there’s also a compact gym and bicycles (pink, of course) to borrow.
