Hacienda Temozón

Overview

Description

During the 1920s in southeastern Mexico, the sisal industry was flourishing. Exports of this fiber produced the main economic income for the region. In the heart of this economy were the plantations and haciendas with mansions that offered employment, housing, schools, and in some cases, even hospitals for inhabitants. Their architecture was magnificent, designed by famous European architects and investments were made in the communities under a vision of never-ending prosperity. However, in the early 1990s the sisal haciendas were abandoned and the communities nearby were reduced to extreme poverty.

With a goal to develop a successful sustainable tourism project, we sought to rescue the fabulous sisal haciendas of the Yucatan Peninsula and share their architectural magnificence with the most demanding travelers, through an invitation to share in their impassioned history and the cultural value of the region. This gave rise to our commitment to the region, and we became agents of economic and social development for the rural Maya communities of Yucatán and Campeche.

In 1994, the Plan Grupo company acquired Hacienda Temozón – one of the most prosperous sisal haciendas in the Yucatan Peninsula. Its original building has been completely restored and adapted to the hotel’s current needs.

The hotel has many details, including room amenities that are hand-made by artisans of the Fundación de Haciendas del Mundo Maya, and body lotion, hair conditioner, and shampoo that contain natural ingredients like aloe and cucumber. The interior decor is influenced by the 19th century, when the haciendas were prosperous and luxurious.

The cenotes, grottos, colonial cities, and archeological sites like Uxmal and Kabah are some of the main attractions for travelers that stay at the hacienda.

Rooms

28 rooms and suites restored as part of the original building. All bear names that reflect their earlier functions such as the pharmacy, the school, and the kitchen.

We have rooms for non-smokers.

Our rooms are approximately 484 ft² and the suites 592 ft². They have king-size beds or two queen-size beds with Egyptian cotton linens and goose down pillows. All have hammocks to let you rest in the best Maya style.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 85

Percentage of local employees: 83%

We strive to preserve the link between the present and the past Mayan world, looking to create new opportunities for individual and social development for members of the local communities that surround our hotels and contributing to the balance between the environment, economy, cultural values, and opportunities in today’s world for social well-being and the sustainable economic development of the region.

In 2002, stemming from the desolate panorama that hurricane Isidoro left in its wake over the Yucatan Peninsula, we reinforced the social commitment taken on by Plan Grupo entrepreneurs and investors and created the Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, A.C., a non-profit organization that aims to generate regional sustainable development in rural Mayan communities of high cultural heritage value in the Yucatan Peninsula and improve their quality of life through cultural and tourism development with the active participation of locals.

The Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya team promotes the participation of community members in the design and execution of sustainable development projects in the following areas:

• Health: we support the community of Temozón by providing a health center that promotes the use of traditional Mayan medicine and encourages the prevention and early detection of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. It has a general physician who gives weekly consultations and a promoter who supports the physician all week.
• Education: we adapted a space as a community library that complements and improves the quality of educational services. It has computers and internet access that provides current tools. Training workshops and summer courses are given here and there is mentoring available for students.
• Rehabilitation of housing with local participation: we designed a program to improve the housing where families, organized into groups, are in charge of executing the program (they provide the labor and oversee and evaluate the work done). The Fundación contributes the materials and engineers supervise and provide follow-up (organization, design, and revision of the work) so that each one of the houses complies with structural requirements and standards.
• Environmental and productive projects: we promote sustainable development in the community to motivate conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. We are trying to consolidate agro-apiculture community businesses, promote the conservation and use of regional biodiversity, and encourage public environmental values. We work with community groups by helping to promote and create micro-businesses; helping with the paperwork for financing and contributing some resources for training, tools, equipment, and certifications (WFTO-World Fair Trade Organization); and we help find markets where they will obtain a fair price for their work.

Since Hacienda Temozón is a destination with a sustainable vision, we have the ongoing challenge of strengthening actions that minimize our ecological footprint. The main actions are:

• Conserving and recording plant species on the property.
• Measurement and minimization of:
  • Energy consumption.
  • Potable water consumption.
  • Waste water.
  • Solid (inorganic and organic) wastes.
• Proper handling of hazardous wastes and substances.

Rates

$150 and up

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1378&EM=VTY_LC_1378_TEMOZON_PROP_OVERVIEW (available in English, French, German, Spanish and other languages).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Mérida (MID)

Travel time to nearest airport: 45 minutes

Additional Information

Awards or Recognitions

• "World Saver's Award" in 2009 from Conde Nast Traveler.
• "Tourism for Tomorrow Awards: Investor in People" award from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
• To Do! Award given at the World Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany. 2007.
• “Global Vision 2010” from Travel + Leisure magazine in the artisanal rescue category.

Files

• Hacienda Temozón, un destino sostenible - Detailed information about Hacienda Temozón and its commitment to sustainability. In Spanish.

Date This Information Was Provided

March 2011.

Photos courtesy of Hacienda Temozón, Mexico, for SustainableTrip.org.