Mérida’s hotel boom is becoming more and more noticeable

Mattresses are moved into the long-empty hotel on Calle 60 and 57. Photo: Diario de Yucatan

Mérida, Yucatán —   It’s hard to miss the hotel boom here.

The seven projects either recently completed or still being constructed are conspicuous to anyone passing by.

One project on Calle 60 North by the U.S. Consulate, rumored to be a JW Marriott franchise, has already hit a snag. The city has shut it down for demolishing an existing building without permission, reports Diario de Yucatán.

No floor plans or renderings of the future hotel have been made public and the site today is marked with red tape.

Hotel Wayam by Xixim, coming to Mérida.

Among the other ongoing projects:

  • On Avenida Colon near the bullring, the Wayam by Xixim is due to be open in December. Its access to the new Samsung convention center makes it a natural for business travelers.
  • And behind the Hyatt Regency, the city’s tallest hotel, twin hotels with 150 rooms each are planned for a complex called Paseo 60. They will be connected with an underground commercial square. It also is within easy reach of the new convention center.
  • The boutique hotel Delfina recently opened across from the Dante building on the Prolongación Paseo de Montejo. Already they are booking groups.
  • The Hilton Garden Inn near the of the Monumento a la Patria toward Altabrisa is already in operation and will be inaugurated in the middle of this month by Gov. Rolando Zapata Bello. The City Express Junior’s 100 rooms is also new, in Altabrisa by the periférico.
  • The Misol Há, Calle 60 North a few meters from the Salvador Alvarado Stadium opened quietly. It has 36 rooms.
Paseo 60, behind the Hyatt Regency, has generated much public interest.

The most conspicuous renovation of all is in the Centro, on Calle 60, across from the UADY central building. The former Hotel Mérida which has been closed for several years, although it situated on a busy stretch between the Plaza Grande and Santa Lucia park. Workmen toiled throughout the complex, but very little has been said publicly about the project.

Some levels are now totally renovated, and walls have been repainted, but there is a lot still to be done, reports Diario. The hotel is comprised of a historic casona at its base and a mid-century hotel tower.

Construction workers reported that perhaps at the end of the year, a section of the complex will open for business.

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