Casa Wayib is a renovated colonial house in the heart of Merida's Centro - an easy walk to sights, markets and great restaurants and bars. A beautiful blend of antiquity and modern, the house is a perfect base to relax & explore the town.
Casa Wayib in Classical Mayan means a place of sleep or of sanctuary. We hope that our house will be as much of a sanctuary and an inspiration for you as it is for us in this wonderful city.
Featured in Architectural Digest Mexico, Casa Wayib is located in the heart of the historic Centro, midway between the parks of Santa Lucia and Mejorada. It's a bustling, vibrant area and within easy stroll of many of Merida's greatest attractions.
The house was originally built in about 1930, with an extensive renovation by Estilo Arquitectura. The renovation has created an evocative blend of Yucatecan traditional and international modern with a warm, romantic vibe.
Inspired by Mexican colonial architecture but also the Riads of Morocco, the house is centered around a courtyard and the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space are blurred. Large steel and glass doors open the main living space to the central courtyard and both bedrooms also open to the outdoors. You can roll straight out of bed and into the pool or shower in the guest bathroom with the big doors open and the sunlight streaming in.
The house features soaring 20 foot beamed ceilings and traditional cement 'pasta' tile floors - some floors are original and some custom made for the recent renovation.
The kitchen features a traditional campana, the bell-shaped vent above the stove. Counters are of a Mexican marble sourced from Puebla and the cabinets were custom made by local craftsmen. The kitchen features modern stainless appliances including a dishwasher, gas oven and cooktop. It's fully stocked with cookware, down to a Le Creuset dutch oven.
Finishes in the house are a blend of contemporary and vintage. Furniture ranges from locally sourced antiques to lighting by Moooi and LA-based Cisco. The sala (living room) is anchored by a giant Swedish fiber wall hanging from the 70s. Artwork ranges from 1950s mid-century works to contemporary pieces by local artist Israel Koh.
Both large bedrooms have very comfortable Sealy Posturepedic beds and soft luxury bed linens. Each bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom stocked with toiletries and fluffy white towels. There is ample closet space in both bedrooms and each features super efficient and quiet individual air-conditioning units.
Outside in the courtyard the pool has a wonderful waterfall. The pool isn't usually heated because in the tropical, humid Merida climate it warms naturally and is the perfect temperature after a hot day of exploring. If you require pool heating in the cooler months there is an additional charge of $30 a day.
Upstairs is the roof terrace, a place to enjoy the sun or lie in the shade of the large pergola and read a book. The terrace has a large seating area and an outdoor kitchen with a Weber grill, so is perfect for relaxing with an evening cocktail or grilling up some carne asada and enjoying the warm night air.
Casa Wayib has 120MBS high speed internet so is perfect for guests who need to work and make Zoom calls during their stay. It also features a Samsung Frame TV with many apps such as Netflix, Disney + and Hulu.
There is a washer/dryer at the house and for long term stays of over 1 week there is weekly cleaning service included. We have great internet and movie channels streaming on the flat screen TV.