Sun-drenched streets, pastel-colored houses with their white trim, boutique shopping, and a slow, sultry pace give Valladolid, Mexico a tropical chic you won’t find elsewhere on the Yucatan except maybe in Merida. But Merida’s heyday was the mid-1800s and Valladolid’s was the years following the conquest (it was founded in 1543). The town has several ancient mansions converted into grandiose, nostalgic hotels, but if you want to find true luxury you have to head out of town to Hotel Oriundo, a collection of deluxe villas beside the Selva Maya Eco-park about 15 minutes from Valladolid’s main plaza.
Connected by winding white gravel paths, the current eight villas are each an expansive 1,377 square feet, with 19-foot high ceilings. Seven of the eight have a single king-sized bed and the final villa has two queens. Four more villas are currently in the works as well as a spa and a meditation center – the hotel only just opened in 2023. The décor of their striking villas incorporates many local artisanal techniques and materials – 6-foot long woven lamp shades and hammocks are a particular craft in the Yucatan peninsula, as well as chairs woven with local reeds called bejuco, and hand-knit blankets and pillows on the beds. But the addition of craft doesn’t make the villas feel folksy, they are the epitome of warm modern comfort.
The juxtaposition of the indoor and outdoor elements provides a feeling of being of the surroundings and yet tucked away in your own little bubble from the jungle outside – skylights that pop and crack under the seeds that fall from the jungle trees above, broad-leafed plants growing out of the ground in one part of the bathroom floor and a massive wall of windows that looks out onto not one, but two back porches with a personal plunge pool to one side, a built-in cushioned bench on the other, and plenty of tables and chairs in between for a comfortable tête-à-tête under the canopy.
Amenities that one might expect in a luxury villa – iron and ironing board, lockbox, robes, slippers, high-quality bath products, a locally-made candle for the jacuzzi tub, and hairdryer – are in addition to a welcome fruit basket, a selection of traditional Mexican snacks, a picnic basket, Bluetooth speaker, and an essential oil vaporizer that steams out the scent of your choice during your stay. The villas are so lovely that they would almost be enough for the experience, but Oriundo also has a complex of swimming pools of different depths and sizes that undulate below the open-air dining room with its thatched roof. The same dining area that turns romantic in the evenings, lit by tiny twinkling lights in the evening.
There is also the private swim in their Saamal cenote from 8am to 9am, before the next door eco-park opens to the public at 9 (the hotel and eco-park have the same owner). It’s truly a spiritual experience swimming alone early in the morning in what the Mayans consider the entrance to the underworld, watching the Toh birds glide above, their iridescent blue tails glinting in the sunlight. The eco-park is also home to the hotel’s garden which grows much of its produce and herbs, and an apiary of Mayan Melipona stingless bees, a visit to which is only available to hotel guests.
The hotel’s food is good, the menu replete with items made or grown on-site, but at the price point you can probably find meals just as good in town – the convenience of not having to leave the property and the delightful jungle ambiance being the major draws to eating there. Staff is extremely respectful to guests and all speak excellent English, as well as are invaluable for all kinds of information both about the property and the surrounding area.
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If you want to explore Valladolid but require some pampering and solitude, Oriundo is the best choice. With lots of activities on the property, you can easily spend a few days close to your villa and a few more wandering around in town or exploring nearby attractions like the Las Coloradas salt flats or Rio Lagarto to see the flamingos and dolphins. Unlike some more saturated destinations on the Yucatan peninsula like Cancun and Tulum, prices here for food, transportation, and shopping are much more reasonable, and you will find the vibe of the city relaxed and accommodating.
Villas are US$916 a night and include breakfast and morning coffee service as well as free entrance into the Selva Maya Eco-park. You can also check rates at Booking.com to see if you can get a better price, especially if you have genius status on the platform.
