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Merida Hostels and Frugal Hotels
If you're a flexible traveler and don't need a chocolate mint on your pillow to have a relaxing and memorable vacation, hostels are a great alternative to pricey hotels and resorts. In addition to saving you mucho dinero, which can then be put toward adventurous day trips, a stay at a hostel gives you the chance to meet new people from all over the world.
There are more hostels and frugal hotels opening daily in Mérida with a variety of accommodations and amenities- and most are within walking distance from the city's main attractions.
We have reviewed a few of them to give you an idea of what is available. But because things are changing quickly in Mérida, we highly suggest you also check other websites, such as hostelworld.com for feedback from recent visitors. Also, prices at hostels in Mérida are very dependent on the time of year and the competition. So please take the prices in this article as guidelines, not the definitive word.
Calle 49 No. 487 x Paseo de Montejo. Tel. 999 923 0482. Website: www.lunanuevahostel.com
One of the most beautiful frugal hotels in Mérida is Hotel del Peregrino. Also located in the Centro Histórico, it boasts a terraza bar, private rooms, and breakfast included. This hotel is in a tastefully renovated colonial home, with a new Canadian owner as of December 2008. The private rooms are $49 to $59 US per night. There is easy access to the roof terrace and the Palapa Bar, a great place to have a drink and watch the sunset or the stars. Also included is free wireless Internet access, and the use of their beautifully decorated kitchen to prepare your own lunch or dinner.
La Casa del Tío Dach was built in 1890 in the historical area of Mérida (four blocks from main zócalo). The house belonged to the Paz Ferraez siblings. The nephews decided to restore the atmosphere of that era by rebuilding the old house; making it a place where they can welcome those who like to relax and enjoy a family atmosphere. They have a unique art gallery of Yucatecan artists. The hostal has 24 beds in five rooms, each with its own bathroom.
Hostal Zocalo, the former home of José Peón Contreras, is located on the Plaza Mayor of Mérida - the laid-back colonial capital of the Yucatán State. Hostel Zocalo exudes a quiet elegance in which budget travelers can kick back and relax after spending full days roaming around ancient Mayan cities, swimming in spectacular natural wells, and marveling in the diverse cultures and colorful fauna and flora of the Yucatán peninsula. Come and experience a hostel with the feel of a guesthouse! The kitchen is the heart of this lovely house, and the fact that all beds come with a fantastic breakfast buffet of eggs, bread, butter, marmalade, honey, cereal, fresh milk, five tropical fruits, coffee and tea, encourages guests to spend time in this social hub of the house. People gather at the kitchen table for dining, music, and general good cheer both day and night, but there are many additional spaces to enjoy, including a 20 meter long hall, or pasillo, and the lower deck garden. They are rated #1 on TripAdvisor, and also recommended in: Lonely Planet, Moon, Routard, and ReiseKnowHow. YOUTUBE: Hostel Zocalo. Rates: DORMITORY: 135 pesos. PRIVATE ROOMS FROM 280 pesos. 3 PEOPLE 380 pesos. 4 PEOPLE 500 pesos. 5 PEOPLE 600 pesos.
Calle 63 #508 between 60 and 62. Centro Histórico. Mérida, Yucatán.
Tel. (999) 930-9562.
Email: hostal_zocalo@yahoo.com.mx
The Nameless Place is a modest, two-story building just down the street from the University of Yucatán. Their co-ed dorms have single and double bunks with shared bathrooms for $50 and $80 pesos per night, or rooms with private baths starting at $140 pesos per night for two people. Guests have free access to lockers and kitchen facilities, laundry service is available for $30 pesos, and there is an Internet café next door. The rooms stay reasonably cool with electric fans, but do not have air-conditioning. Payment is expected in advance, along with a deposit of $100 pesos.
Nomadas Hostel is another excellent choice, located on Calle 62 near Santa Lucía Park. Beds in gender-segregated dorms with lockers (with deposit) and shared bathrooms are available for $59 pesos per night, or $50 pesos with student ID. There are also private rooms for $159 pesos per night, or $198 with a private bathroom. The back yard has room for camping or sleeping in hammocks, as well as basins for hand washing clothes. There is a common room with T.V. and a large, attractive patio area that hosts free live music and salsa lessons for guests three nights a week. A continental breakfast is provided each day, and there are also kitchen facilities and a small restaurant and bar on the premises. One of Nomadas' best perks is the in-house travel agency that offers good deals on rental cars, day trips and flights to places like Cancún and Cuba. The staff is extremely welcoming and helpful, including a doctor and 24-hour receptionist. A listing of local events like trova concerts and craft markets is posted each week in the lobby, and the building is conveniently one block from both a laundromat and an Internet café.
If you are interested in staying at a B&B, here are some options. Also check out our Accommodations page.
To find out more about these hostels in Mérida, you can email or go to the individual websites listed below. Or visit www.hostels.net
The Luna Nueva Hostel
At the foot of Paseo de Montejo.
Calle 49 No. 487 x Paseo de Montejo.
Tel. 999 923 0482.
www.lunanuevahostel.com
Hotel del Peregrino
Calle 51 #488 x Calle 54 y 56,
Centro
Tel. (999) 924-5491
Website: www.hoteldelperegrino.com
La Casa del Tío Dach
Calle 61 # 446 entre 50 y 52
Colonia Centro
Mérida, Yucatán México
Tel. (999) 924-59-31
www.lacasadeltiodach.com.mx
Hostel Zocalo
Calle 63 #508 x 60 y 62 (en el Zocalo)
Tel. 52-999-930-9562.
Email: hostal_zocalo@yahoo.com.mx
Faby Hostel
Calle 44 No. 501-D entre 61 y 63 centro
Tel. (999) 928 8593
Mobile (999) 142 2010
E-mail: info@hostelfaby.com.mx
Website: www.hostelfaby.com.mx
Nomadas Hostel
Calle 62 #433 x Calle 51, Centro
Tel. (999) 924-5223
E-mail: nomadashostel@hotmail.com
The Nameless Place
Calle 57 #495, x Calle 58 y 60, Centro
Tel. (999) 924-0859
E-mail: r_espejo@yahoo.com
Time Needed?
We (2) of us are planning a trip to Merida in March for 1 week. We are desiring to save money and figured staying in a hostel would do that. My question is do you need reservations and if so how many days notice. We have never stayed in a hostel but thought the adventure would be exciting. We are also looking for other like-minded Americans or foreigners who have chosen to move to Merida to start a new way of life. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely ~ Dina
Re. time needed
I would think you should reserve ahead of time just as you would any hotel. Check out the websites of these two:
Hotel del Peregrino
www.hoteldelperegrino.com
La Casa del Tío Dach
www.lacasadeltiodach.com.mx
To connect with other expats who are living here, check out yolisto.com
Have fun!
yucatantoday.com Editor
Retiro Mejorada Boutique Hotel
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
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