Lusting for the Lemon Lady and other Marvelous Memories of MeridaBy Madelyn Miller, the travellady
The first day I arrived, I saw a women dressed in the classical Mexican white dress carrying a basket of lemons on her head. As she passed a sky-blue building I knew I had a Kodak moment. I asked my driver to stop so I could take a picture.. My host said, “you’ll see lots more of those,” and we drove on. I kept that picture in my mind and whenever anyone spoke of Merida I dreamed of going back to Merida to capture that visual image on paper. Recently, on a trip to the Yucatan, I went back to Merida. No lemon ladies anywhere. Some of the old charm had been updated.
The Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida reflects the colonial past of Mèrida, yet offers all of the services and amenities of a hotel brand with a well respected international reputation. Elegance is reflected in the architecture, with grand arches and terraces framed with sculpted stone. The Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida is conveniently located just 100 meters off Paseo Montejo, a broad tree-lined avenue built in the late 1880s to resemble the Champs Elysees in Paris. Today, the popular Paseo Montejo is lined with cafés, restaurants, museums, upscale shops and mansions. The hotel’s location also makes it easy to get to attractions and important sites of the city such as the Plaza Grande, Mérida's main square, which is surrounded by 16th-century Spanish colonial structures and the oldest cathedral in the Americas, built with materials from a Mayan temple. Also close to the hotel are cobble-stoned streets lined with theaters, boutique shops, handcraft stores, and archeological ruins. The Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida offers two special-access Executive Floors along with a number of 24 hour services, including room service and laundry/valet, an advanced Business Center and Fitness Center. The hotel’s meeting space encompasses nine spacious, state-of-the-art meeting rooms capable of hosting up to 350 persons. The Mèrida Convention Center is conveniently located minutes from the hotel. “We are very excited to open the Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida, which is one of the most storied properties in the area. Presidente InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will bring its brand and its level of service to the hotel, while keeping in step with the personality of the area,” said Mr. Gordon Viberg, Managing Director, Presidente InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Mèrida, founded in 1542 and located approximately 180 miles from Cancun, has its own airport. The hotel concierge recommends exploring the area on day trips, including the network of fascinating ancient cisterns and caves, the flamingo preserve at Celestún and the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. Cancún and Tulum are four hours from Mèrida and connected by a new highway. Rates for the new Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida start at USD $109 for a deluxe room. For reservations or additional information, visit www.intercontinental.com I never found the lemon lady, but it is just a good excuse to go back to Merida. WHERE TO STAYPresidente Intercontinental Villa Mercedes Mérida MORE ABOUT MexicoBEST MAP GUIDEBOOKS MEXICO: HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAVEL GUIDE INSIGHT GUIDES MEXICO A TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE JEWISH CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN LET’S GO MEXICO Lonely Planet Mexico EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES MEXICO FOLK WISDOM OF MEXICO TRAVELERS TALES GUIDES MEXICAN DAYS MOON HANDBOOKS PACIFIC MEXICO Michelin Tourist Guide to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize HIDDEN BAJA CANCUN AND COZUMEL AND YUCATAN and Merida BERLITZ CANCUN & COZUMEL Hunter Travel Guide ADVENTURE GUIDE TO THE YUCATAN, CANCUN & COZUMEL HIDDEN CANCUN & THE YUCATAN FROMMER’S CANCUN, COZUMEL AND THE YUCATAN 2006 EAT SMART IN MEXICO LIVE BETTER SOUTH OF THE BORDER ON MEXICAN TIME BEST SOUVENIRS OF MEXICO Damiana. A sweet liquor believed to be an aphrodisiac. I think it works because it is so yummy you drink too much. And the bottle could be a collector’s item, it is shaped like a voluptuous nude woman Mexican sea salt. Easily available in supermarkets. A wonderful gifts for gourmet foodie friends. Other food gifts include mountain grown coffee, Mexican vanilla, and sweets made of tamarindo and coconut. MOST REQUESTED THINGS TO BRING BACK FOR FRIENDS MY FAVORITE MEXICAN DRINK Combine all ingredients and blend with ice TO GET A TASTE OF MEXICO AT HOME LA COMIDA DEL BARIO A YUCATAN KITCHEN SPEAK LIKE A NATIVE LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF MEXICO MEXICO MUSIC FROM THE COFFEE LANDS |
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About ten years ago, I had a quick visit to Merida after a travel convention. It was my first time in a colonial city and I loved the people, the culture and the food.
So I especially enjoyed staying in an old mansion that had been carefully renovated. The Presidente InterContinental Villa Mercedes Mèrida,is a grand luxury hotel, which boasts 127 deluxe rooms and four elegant suites, designed in a residential art nouveau style and set in a 19th century mansion in the historic city of Mèrida, the capital of the state of Yucatán.