Belmond Expands in Mexico with Historic Hacienda Katanchel

Belmond is continuing to expand in Mexico, this time with a new 35-suite property in Yucátan.

Belmond on Wednesday confirmed plans to take over Hacienda Katanchel, a historic site located near Merida, Yucátan in southeastern Mexico, which dates back to the 17^th century. The name in Mayan translates to “where one asks for the arch of heaven,” a nod back to the site’s history as an astronomic observatory.

The hacienda includes an expanse of 220 hectares (543 acres) and is home to a cenote (underground river), a sacred well, native flora and fauna, and the remains of an ancient Mayan pyramid.

Belmond plans to open the hotel, renamed Katanchel, A Belmond Hotel,  in 2027 after a “comprehensive restoration program.” Plans call for 35 independent suites.

When it opens, the hotel will join a growing Mexico portfolio for Belmond. The hotel brand, which operates luxury hotels, trains, and river cruises, has three other properties in Mexico—Maroma, A Belmond Hotel, in Riviera Maya which re-opened in August 2023; Casa di Sierra Nevada, a hotel built inside of a 16th-century convent in San Miguel de Allende and Milaroca, A Belmond Hotel, in Riviera Nayarit, which will open in 2025.