We discovered the Retiro Mejorada Boutique Hotel by chance on a walk around La Mejorada barrio after a visit to the nearby (and quite amazing) Museo de Arte Popular. The Retiro's 100-plus year-old facade opened onto a beautiful courtyard with vibrant colors and a waterfall cascading into a clear and – this was August -- very inviting swimming pool. Mejorada Park and the Retiro are only a few blocks from the zócalo (main square), but the atmosphere is completely different. The zócalo is teeming with people and alive with activity at all hours; but Mejorada is where you want to be if you want to read a book, meditate, or catch up on unfinished work back at the office (many of the public squares, including Mejorada Park, offer free and generally reliable Wi-Fi connections). We loved hanging out in the zócalo and then strolling back to the Retiro Mejorada for some quiet time.
Our room at the Retiro was spacious with a high ceiling, soft colors, and a serene feng-shui feel. No television in the rooms or anywhere else in the hotel, as far as we could see -- which tells you a lot about the hotel's ambiance and the sensibility of the proprietors.
The hotel – in concept and operation – is entirely the project of a young couple who met while studying for their MBA's in France. Myriam, a native of Provence, and Alejandro, a native Meridian, were both charming and attentive far beyond the call of duty. They speak excellent English but were happy to indulge us when we tried to exercise our sometimes wobbly French and Spanish. When we had to catch our early morning flight home, Alejandro arranged for the taxi, made sure we were up at 4:30am, and sent us off with fresh coffee.
Breakfasts were included with the room and varied from Alejandro's perfectly done ham & cheese omelets to Myriam's delicious whole wheat crepes and an assortment of fresh fruits, breads, muffins, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. As frequent visitors to Merida, we consider the Retiro Mejorada to be one of our best discoveries.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
USA