Casa Rosa

Redesigned by Enekén Studio in Mérida's Santa Ana Neighborhood

Casa Rosa began as a house in ruins. The design challenge, as Enekén Studio described it, was how to work with what remained rather than clear it. The answer was restraint. Preserve the original pink façade, and restore the ancient stone structure rather than remove it. Elliptical arches of varying shapes divide the spaces and limit direct sunlight, acting as the house's natural cooling system alongside ventilation chimneys. A large palm tree and a red cedar tree were kept in place, their canopies becoming part of the architecture. The furniture throughout was custom-designed by the studio in tzalam, granadillo, and ciricote. The sculptures and wooden objects are by Miguel Tapia, under the name MATA.

The foyer opens the house with a half-bath for guests and sets a register of materials that continues throughout: washed concrete, tzalam wood, pasta tile floors, and chukum-finished walls (the traditional Yucatecan moisture-resistant surface made from tree resin, lime, and water). The kitchen is fully equipped with gas stove and oven, fridge, microwave, and purified tap water.

The stone ruin at the center of the courtyard is surrounded by a shallow pool, walkable around its perimeter, shaded by a red cedar, and framed by ancient walls and columns. A Mayan fountain on the terrace adds the sound of water to the afternoon. A larger swimming pool also sits among the ancient walls. Each of the two main bedrooms has its own private terrace with an outdoor soaking tub.

What we love

You walk in through a pink façade that's been there longer than the current house, and at the center of the courtyard there's a stone structure surrounded by a shallow pool. Enekén Studio built the entire house around it rather than clearing it. We love the Mayan fountain, the outdoor soaking tub, and the sound of water that you'll hear from the moment you arrive. The sculptures and wooden pieces around the house are by the architect himself. If you feel like venturing out, Huniik on Calle 60 is worth the walk. Roberto Solís has built something genuinely special around Yucatecan ingredients.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Mérida, Yucatán sleeps up to six guests. There are three bedrooms.

• The master has a king-size bed, direct pool access, a private terrace with outdoor soaking tub, desk, small living area, large closet, safe, LED TV, en-suite bathroom, and air conditioning.

• The second bedroom also has a king-size bed, private terrace with outdoor soaking tub, desk, small living area, large closet, safe, LED TV, en-suite bathroom, and air conditioning.

• The third bedroom has two double beds, large closet, safe, LED TV, en-suite bathroom, and air conditioning.

• A foyer with half-bath, spacious living room, dining room, and fully equipped kitchen complete the plan.

Experiences

The concierge can arrange introductions to Mérida's craft scene. The city's archaeological day trips (Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, Dzibilchaltun, ruins just 15 minutes from the centro) take on a different quality when you've been sleeping inside a restored ruin. Yucatecan cooking classes, cenote excursions, and the Sunday BiciRuta on Paseo Montejo are all available.

Good to know

Included in the stay: a morning courtesy basket (fresh bread, coffee & fruit), housekeeping, and concierge access. Street parking is available on Calle 62. A folding cot is available on request. A fitness kit (dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance band, jump rope, and two yoga mats) is available on request. Full breakfast can be arranged at additional cost.

Amenities & services

Pool, outdoor soaking tub on master and second bedroom terraces, air conditioning throughout, morning courtesy basket (fresh bread, coffee & fruit), daily housekeeping included, concierge service, fully equipped kitchen (gas stove, gas oven, microwave, refrigerator), purified tap water, washing machine, LED TV with cable in all bedrooms, wireless broadband internet, safe in all bedrooms, stone backgammon table, iron and steam iron, folding cot (on request), fitness kit (on request), pets welcome, children welcome, buzzer entry. Full breakfast can be arranged at additional cost.

Around

Casa Rosa sits near the southern end of Paseo Montejo, the grand henequen-era boulevard built from 1888 to 1904 and lined with the neoclassical mansions the sisal trade paid for. The Palacio Cantón (now the Museo Regional de Antropología) is a short walk north. Calle 47 and Calle 60—Mérida's two gastronomic corridors—converge nearby. Huniik, chef Roberto Solís's quietly serious tasting room ranked among Latin America's 50 best, is on Calle 60. Apoala brings Oaxacan cooking to Parque Santa Lucía. Oliva Enoteca has the best pasta in the city. Parque Santa Ana, with its galleries and Saturday night cultural events, is the neighborhood's living room. Dzibilchaltun, the Maya ruins with its cenote, is 15 minutes by car. Uxmal is an hour and a half southwest.

Location

Barrio Santa Ana, near Paseo Montejo, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Address: Calle 62, 364A. Nearest airport: Mérida Manuel Crescencio Rejón International (MID, 8km)