Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection

Haciendas —large rural estates— were the epicenter of Mexico’s economic and social life for over three centuries during the Colonial period. They were a symbol of economic grandeur, cultural splendor and architectural worth. They operated autonomously to such an extent that they even minted their own currency and housed their own educational and health services. In Yucatán, haciendas flourished thanks to the “green gold of sisal” (so-called because it was embarked at the port of Sisal), named henequén in Spanish and kij in Mayan: the fiber of a maguey plant native to the region that became the mainstay of fabrics, cords and textiles in the whole world between the mid-19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Consequently, haciendas reached their splendor in those days, with their radiant houses, large machine rooms and majestic fields cultivated with sisal. Hacienda Xcanatun is a living testament to the historic and cultural wealth of this Mexican heritage. Built as a livestock hacienda (specialized in horse breeding and raising pack mules) in 1789, it soon became a prosperous henequén hacienda, given its strategic location outside the city limits of Mérida, on the road to the port of Sisal, where the “green gold” began its journey towards the international markets. It always preserved its original name in Mayan: Xcanatún, which means “tall stone house”. The concepts of “Historical Chic” and “Mexican Local Chic” constitute a precise synthesis of the entire architectural project that highlights the genuine classical style of Yucatán and the contemporary amenities, with the original buildings of the hacienda as the heart and soul of the recent restoration and renovation, as is evidenced by the lovely chapel, a historic monument facing the main street of the town and the archaeological zone of Dzibilchaltún. All the spaces of the hacienda respond to the harmonious authenticity of its historical legacy, but with nods to contemporary art and the comforts of modernity. Part of the furniture uses the natural fibers of sisal in harmony with the woodwork. The floor tiles are reinterpretations of the notch patterns of the Mayan archaeological centers. The rooms have cement tiles and rugs with abstract Mayan notches, in an environment of neutral colors that seeks to generate a mood of tranquility and freshness. The cushions in the lobby and restaurants are embroideries inspired by the huipiles (colorful dresses in Mayan style) with patterns of flowers and nature.