The Mayaland was the first hotel built at the archeological site in the 1920s by the Peon family. At that time Fernando would trek to Progresso to convince tourists to leave their ships promising amazing ruins in the jungle. His descendants still own the hotel.
The main building is built in the style of a lovely hacienda from Colonial times with stucco walls and wooden beams, beautiful Spanish archways, and inlaid tumbled Mexican marble floors.
The main building has 55 rooms with 5 suites that are all air-conditioned. There is a formal dining room with homemade specials each evening priced at an average meal of $12 per person. The selection is a balance of local cuisine and continental favorites.
There’s also a bulging lunch buffet ($7) offered in a courtyard with tiled fountains, ancient trees, and a women making homemade tortillas over an open fire.
Selections are mainly local in nature with chicken cooked in fruit juices and peppers, fajita meals of steak and pork, but also turkey, ribs, (pizza of all things) plenty of salads and fresh fruit finishing with a dessert table. Mid meal there is a show of local folk dancers and musicians that is excellent.
The landscaped gardens are immense with over 3 miles of trails for your enjoyment. There are also 50 bungalows with several swimming pools if you want to spread out a bit. What I loved was the array of plant material and birds in the gardens, including a group of peacocks.
Our favorite time at the Mayaland was during the evening when the "tourists" had left for Cancun. Those of us staying would congregate on the covered patio by the bar to play card games while listening to a lone guitar player as we sipped freshly squeezed lime margaritas. Later in the evening, the Mariachis would play traditional music while birds and insects in the jungle serenaded in song.
Our room had a lovely floor in Mexican tile with two queen-sized beds. There was a writing desk and a small area with a table and chairs for relaxing, a minibar, TV (two English channels), and a large tiled bathroom. Safes are down by the front desk for any valuables you wish to lock up.
I must tell you a personal experience we had here. My daughter left a gemstone bracelet accidentally on the bedside table. I thought we had certainly seen the last of it when I called to report our loss. Amazingly, the concierge called to say that the room clerk HAD turned it in and that he would mail it or we could return and retrieve it!
I thought that I would have access to the archeological park for a sunrise or sunset photo shoot, but I was mistaken, but it is still an advantage to have 3 hours lead in the site without the crowds from Cancun.