My group of chefs and restaurant managers from Chicago got a private cooking class by one of the…read moreinstructors at Culinaria del Sureste. The chef used hot rocks to finish cooking a traditional Mayan seafood soup. It was an unbelievable technique and made for a delicious dinner. It was great visiting a culinary school in the Yucatan and seeing the passion of these young cooks!

This is the place to get a high quality Weber grill or smoker. Excellent selection, nice people,…read moreand easy parking.

If you are looking to improve your Spanish and learn about the culture of the Yucatan, this is the…read moreschool for you! I highly recommend the "experiencias" program for students who have at least an intermediate-advanced level of Spanish. Hiroshi and Nidi were excellent hosts who always made me feel welcome. From the airport pickup to classes, field trips, and arranging my home-stay, they never overlooked any details. Be sure to take the cooking class with Doña Susi - she is a delight! Everyone at Hola Spanish School is very attentive, personable, and a pleasure to learn from.

My son and I stayed in Merida for two weeks, and the Hola Language school was the most important…read morepart of our wonderful experience. Our teachers, Nidi and Hiroshi, treated us feel like old friends right from the start. While we are both novices in Spanish, they made us feel as if we could share everything we were thinking during our conversation sessions through their supportive attitudes. Each 3-4 hour day included time to talk informally, conversation surrounding the small homework assignments we were given, and then teaching of a new skill with conversation practice and games. Any time we asked a question about the language, Nidi could create a mini-lesson on the spot to address it. I couldn't believe how quickly the time went by! The first week my son and I worked together with Nidi, and during the second week she suggested that we try working with different partners so that she and Hiroshi could more accurately meet our needs - which was also a great social experience for us. The school is also conveniently located within walking distance of the city center and only 3 blocks from the Nomadas Hostel, where we were staying. We had no need for a bus or taxi during our trip due to the convenient location. On the Saturday between our two weeks of study, we had the privilege of spending the day with Nidi and Hiroshi on a tour of the Ruta Puuc. They transported us in their private vehicle, allowed us to spend as much time as we wished at each site, and helped us practice our Spanish the whole time! Going on a tour with Hola is like spending the day with friends. If you are not interested or able to take Spanish lessons with the Hola School, I would strongly suggest considering one of their tours. I don't believe you could have such a personalized experience with any other group.

Como lo dice el nombre, Viva Merida! :D haha…read more So my bf and i were so excited to be visiting Merida for the first time but we also knew we had a long flight, so wanted a good place to rest. After checking out so many options we decided to wing it on this boutique hotel because we liked the architecture from the photos, and we read the breakfast was good (which is a must for us lol) So that day we landed and got a lil nervous because our taxi driver hadn't heard of it before, but once we drove close we noticed it was just as described, right in the middle of the historic center (awesome location!!). While i was finishing the check-in, my bf pointed out there was a huge glass door in an area that was different from the pics. But then, we were escorted to our rooms, we crossed that door and OMG! We were surrounded by beautiful colonial architecture with perfectly matched art and decor, and our favorite part: the inside patio, where we got to enjoy the weather while having a gorgeous peep of the sky during breakfast. Speaking of which, it was delicious! It's included on the room rate and it's a la carte, you can choose the night before so it's ready when you wake up. Loved the room, bed was comfy, ac worked perfectly, water bottles included, had a safe, nice couch area, pretty bathroom. Keep in mond the bathroom is upstairs, we had no issue but just as reminder lol The location is perfect. It's right on Calle 59, so it's within walking distance of the major historic places, restaurants, parks, museums, etc. Closest park is Santiago, there is a grocery store, oxxo, restaurant, spa and cinema around that one. A few doors down from the hotel there is an Atypico taco place that one of staff girls recommended, so good! Staff and service was excellent! Everyone was so nice and professional and helped with anything we needed. We also requested information about tours, and they booked for us in Kuxtal Tours. Honestly it didn't compare to the other ones we did, they were archeologists, very professional and knowledgable. Oh and last but not least, there is bar service at night so you can relax and get your drink on after a long day of walking around this beautiful city! So what is not to love about Viva Merida Boutique Hotel? I had an awesome stay and would definitely come back!

great place for lunch , service was very good and food tasteful, The dessert was super fresh and…read moredelicious. I would have appreciated a menu with a little bit better organization. however then made the effort to make it Spanish and english