Hacienda San Jose

The adventures of Katy and Memo continued last weekend with a trip to Hacienda San Jose, one of five Starwood luxury hotels in Mexico. The idea for the trip came a few months ago when Jenny and I decided we needed to plan the annual birthday trip for our guys. As I’ve mentioned before, Billy and Alex have the same birthday. What a great excuse to celebrate! Just like last year, between crazy schedules and traveling, time got away from us, and here we are over a month past their July birthday and still celebrating. :) 

Upon arrival at the hacienda, you are transported into another time, a time of a working hacienda when the Yucatan was prosperous with “green gold.” The restored, brightly colored buildings with loggias and palm trees abound take your breath away. The grounds of this hacienda were truly impressive.

Greeted with a cold, lavender towel and a specialty drink, “Agua de San Jose,” we checked into our rooms and took a few minutes to get settled. Billy and I opted for the Junior Suite with a plunge pool while Alex and Jenny headed off to their romantic, remote Mayan Villa tucked away in the jungle. The Junior Suite was spacious and well located, close to the onsite restaurant and main pool. Our plunge pool surrounded by greenery had just enough privacy to relax as a couple under the stars or in the morning sun. We had the staff fill it for us complete with candles and flowers which was a nice touch. Our room also had a hammock both inside and outside on our terrace. After almost getting clotheslined a few times in our room, we had to take the inside one down for the evening. :p

The atmosphere of the onsite restaurant was great, set under one of the grand loggias with bright yellow and blue tones surrounding us. It was an open air restaurant but plenty cool with high ceilings and fans. I will say that I was glad that we only stayed for one night, as we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. Everything we ordered was tasty, and the guys really enjoyed their steaks with parmesan risotto. After filling up on regional cuisine, we headed to the pool for a swim.

The pool is gorgeous, but I don’t have to tell you that. Check out the pictures! There were hammocks hanging in the shade if we needed to get out of the sun and a waiter bringing us both virgin and alcoholic beverages to our liking. We passed the evening listening to music and enjoying the beautiful weather. 

The only thing at the hacienda that would be considered as a negative in my book were the creepy crawlers! Jenny and Alex mentioned a few critters trying to join them on their babymoon which was surprising because we had not yet come across any. The sun set, and we saw our first cute little worm outside of our room, no big deal. However, upon returning from dinner I turned the flashlight on my phone on to help Billy unlock the door. As Billy stepped into our room, I screamed. Right at our entrance, up close and personal, was a real life tarantula in his black, hairy glory. Words left me as Billy asked what was wrong. I finally managed to say, “uhhh.. tarantula?!” Needless to say, my sleep that night was complete with nightmares of tarantulas getting me. Now, let me take the drama down a notch and say that this “little” guy was outside of our room, and we never did see any bugs in our room. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Jenny and Alex who found two tarantulas in their villa!

Jenny and Alex's visitor

On Sunday we took a stroll around the grounds to explore parts we hadn’t yet visited. We found a second, smaller pool and a nifty room with tree roots growing into it. We also visited the inside of the onsite chapel and saw some photos of the hacienda before it was restored. Overall, Hacienda San Jose exceeded expectations. The staff was very helpful throughout our stay and our bed extra cozy. There was also a spa at the hacienda, but we did not have a chance to check it out. I’d definitely recommend a visit to my expat friends looking for a relaxing weekend away. Hacienda San Jose is a beautiful hotel where history meets luxury.

Hasta Pronto :)