5/5 Casa Alux - home away from home!
Guest: Sandra A (-)
Date of Stay: February 2015
My husband and I, two active seniors, spent a lovely month at Casa Alux in Merida. We couldn't have been happier with the accommodations and with the assistance we received from Stewart and Jesus. Their suggestions for everything from where to eat to excursions out of town were much appreciated. Even more appreciated was their help with printing and scanning some important documents while we were there. Casa Alux is a nice walk from most activities and sites in Merida and there are always taxis available if you prefer. A safe, friendly, home away from home.
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5/5 A diamond in the heart of the Yucatan
Guest: Rob & Gene (Vancouver, Canada)
Date of Stay: January 2015
For our first visit to the Yucatan and Merida we couldn't have chosen a better a vacation rental. Warm, cozy and very comfortable. We were immersed in Mexico and felt a part of the neighbourhood. Maybe a twenty minute walk to the beautiful Plaza Grande, a five minute walk to the local fresh produce market, meat market, and small convenience stores (and a beer store). Jesus and Stewart were so welcoming and were helpful and their recommendations and suggestions were spot on, especially for eateries and cantinas. Even with ten days, we didn't see enough of the Yucatan so we will be back and to the Studio at Casa Alux. Thanks guys!
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5/5 Great choice for those looking for the real Merida
Guest: Bill W (-)
Date of Stay: January 2014
We are an older couple with quite a bit of Mexico experience under our belts over the decades. We were looking for an authentic neighborhood experience during an extended stay in Merida, and Casa Alux was perfect. It's proximity to the tourist attractions of Centro is very convenient - either hop on a collectivo for seven pesos or meander for the 25 minute walk to the grand plaza. We loved being near the Chen Bech market, and made fast friends with a couple of the vendors there. Street vendors make their way down the street, proceeded by their signature sounds - bells, bicycle horns - selling fresh fruit or sweet rolls.
The room itself is spacious, well-equipped and quiet. We really appreciated the complimentary beverages awaiting us after a long flight. For those of you interested in cooking, the small kitchen has everything you'll need for simple meals. The bed mattress is firm and, to my delight, resulted in my first pain-free sleep in years. Black-out curtains allow a good night's sleep. The wifi made our local "high-speed" service seem pokey.
The proprietors, Jesus and Stewart, are a delight and extremely helpful in orienting us and recommending restaurants, sights to see, etc. They stayed in close touch with us and made us feel very much at home.
Recommended.
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5/5 6-night stay by active senior couple
Guest: Roslyn C (Flagstaff, AZ)
Date of Stay: January 2014
We loved our stay at Casa Alux! 10 blocks from the lively central street with easy access to public transportation/small market/produce market, accurately represented on vrbo (photos and description), clean and well-maintained, owner particularly attentive (e.g. response to emails in advance, helpful information folio on-site, responded cheerfully to all our inquiries while we were there. Highly recommend this upstairs property to one or two people who want to be near Merida center, yet in a quiet neighborhood.
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5/5 great location, easy walking distance to Centro and shopping
Guest: Teresa A. (-)
Date of Stay: 02/13/13 Review Submitted: 04/17/13
What a great place to stay. The hosts were very accommodating, well informed and friendly. They were located on a quiet street, with great neighbours. It was a short walk to the market for fresh fruit and veggies.
I really enjoyed my stay here. I look forward to another visit to Merida
Thank you
Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car.
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5/5 Nice place; walkable neighborhood
Guest: Oji (Portland, OR)
Date of Stay: 03/08/13 Review Submitted: 04/09/13
We are a couple in our early 60s that quite enjoyed itself for one month here. The neighborhood is walkable. We walked as far as the archaeological park in Mulsay and as near as the water bottle refilling station around the block. The walk to Centro is less than 20 minutes. We didn't need a car the whole month we were there. When we traveled to sites out-of-town (e.g. Mayan ruins, Progreso Beach, cenotes) we took a bus.
Every Sunday, Calle 60 through Centro is closed to traffic. The street is converted into a bicycle/pedestrian route. This is a good time to wander and gawk without a lot of street noise. The route snakes over to Paseo de Montejo where you can enjoy the "Champs Elysees" of Merida and re-supply at Wal-Mart ;-)
There is an elderly lady at the Chem Pech market who will cook your eggs "al gusto." She's proud that the eggs come from her own chickens. On the opposite corner is Locheria Tiz y Tab where there are decent daily specials at reasonable rates.
Between the apartment and Centro (on Calle 59 just north of Mejorada Park) there are a couple of restaurants which serve vegetarian food. "El Templo" offers steamed vegetables along with other menu items; "Savia" is pure vegetarian and became our favorite restaurant.
The rooftop apartment itself is pretty much as described by the owner. Clean, colorful decor, plenty of space for two. We prepared many of our meals in the apartment; on cool days we'd eat outside on the roof. The neighborhood is reasonably quiet. The owner was very helpful getting us to/from the airport, getting us oriented to Merida and making daily sightseeing suggestions. We applaud the "No Smoking/No Pets" environment.
For the kind of travel we like to do. . . this was an ideal property!
ps. If you like to drink black tea, bring your own!
Owner response:John and Mary, thanks for your review, and for your suggestions for future guests. Indeed you are correct about black tea, and we will certainly be encouraging our future guests, if they are tea drinkers, to bring a supply of their preferred tea with them, since as you found, tea in Merida is not necessarily up to the standards that you might be used to! We look forward to seeing you again, if your future travel plans bring you this way.
Recommended for:Age 55+, adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car.
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5/5 Muy Bien!
Guest: jose alejandro r. (Cholula Puebla )
Date of Stay: 02/28/13 Review Submitted: 03/08/13
El studio donde estuvimos mi esposa y yo fue lo que esperabamos: limpio, bien equipado con tv,refrigerador, parrillas para cocinar, agua caliente, cafetera y tostadora. Está localizado en un barrio tranquilo pero cerca del Centro de Mérida en donde se puede encontrar museos, restaurantes, tiendas, etc. Además se puede estacionar el auto en la calle con toda seguridad.
El costo es razonable.
La atención del propietario fue cordial y sin problema.
No tenemos duda en recomendar ampliamente este lugar y, si en el futuro regresamos a Mérida llegaríamos al mismo lugar.
Owner response:Muchas gracias para tus comentarios!! Following is a translation of the above comment for the benefit of our English speaking future guests: "The studio where my wife and I stayed was what we expected: clean, well equipped with TV, fridge, stove top, hot water, coffee maker and toaster. It is located in a quiet neighborhood, but close to the center of Merida where you can find museums, restaurants, shops, etc. Also, you can park your car safely on the street outside. The cost is reasonable. The owner's attention was friendly and without any problems. We have no hesitation to highly recommend this place, and in the future if we return to Merida, we would definitely stay there again."
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5/5 Wonderful Merida casa!
Guest: Ken G. (-)
Date of Stay: 02/19/13 Review Submitted: 03/01/13
We stayed at Casa Alux for five nights in February. The owner met us as arranged, we were actually over an hour late, but he was very understanding and helped carry our luggage up to the suite on the second floor.
As we entered the suite, we were taken away to a wonderfully bright, open and warm casita with everything needed to relax and enjoy our time in Merida. The king size bed offers a restful evenings sleep, and the air conditioning was much appreciated, since we hit some very warm weather during our stay.
We totally appreciated how close Casa Alux is to the historic centro region of Merida. It's an easy 15-20 minute direct walk to the Grand Plaza, through a neighborhood that offers everything you need. A fruit and vegetable market, grocery store, pharmacy, bakery, meat market and local cantinas are all no more than a 5 minute walk from the suite. We thoroughlly enjoyed meeting and talking to some of the locals who operated these establishments. Our Spanish is conversational at best, and we got along just fine.
Merida is a fascinating city, and Casa Alux is an inviting and good friend for travellers weary from a full day of touring. Our personal note of thanks to Stewart for his insight and all the special touches that made our stay so memorable.
Owner response:Kathy and Ken, thank you so much for your comments. We are delighted you enjoyed your stay and your time in Merida, and we hope to see you here in our beautiful city again.
Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
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5/5 An Oasis in a Delightful Neighborhood
Guest: GeneB (Alabama, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/18/13 Review Submitted: 02/03/13
We stayed in this delightful studio for two weeks in January. The owner made certain that we felt welcome. He was available to answer questions and assisted us with knowledge of some basics about the neighborhood. On our arrival everything was ready for use. The bed was freshly made. There was some bottled water and other beverages in the refrigerator as well as ice (made with purified water) in the freezer. The host also showed us where various switches for lights were located and made sure we had no more questions before bidding us a good night. (We did arrive rather late in the evening.)
Everything in the studio was as pictured and in good working condition.
We were supplied with dishes (and supplies to wash them with) in case we decided to eat in (which we did on several occasions.) We used the coffee maker in the room each morning to make coffee which we enjoyed on the terrace. There are several places within walking distance to get food and other supplies. The nearby market is a great place to get fresh fruit and fresh squeezed juice. There is a bakery nearby to get pastries also. We discovered a small "cocina economica" nearby that made delicious pork empanizado. (A cocina economica is a very inexpensive form of take out.)
This is a true Mexican neighborhood so that you can experience the real Mexico. There are local buses and "combis" (vans) that will take you to downtown Merida for a small price (at this writing it was 6 pesos, or about fifty cents US) You can also catch these for a return ride at the same price- another 6 pesos. Again our host explained how to choose the correct bus or combi. As we had been to Merida many other times but never attempted the public transport system this was a great service to us as we possess a minimal amount of Spanish. However, if you make an effort to attempt Spanish, the people in this neighborhood were happy to help you find your way and get what you want or need.
The bed in the Studio is a king sized bed which is a real luxury in Mexico. Most hotels have only full-sized (double) beds. There is also a television and DVD player in the Studio; although honestly we never really used them other than to see that they did work nicely.
The cleaning lady came in once a week to clean the Studio. She is most honest and reliable. She left the Studio clean and fresh.
I highly recommend this property and would happily send friends and family there for vacation.
Owner response:Dear guests, thank you for your review and for staying at our studio. We are delighted that you enjoyed yourselves, and are very much looking forward to seeing you again in the future!
Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing.
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5/5 "Ab-Fab" stay in this lovely studio apartment.
Guest: Pat M.
Date of Stay: 02/19/12 Review Submitted: 03/19/12
We stayed at this really lovely studio during Merida's carnaval week. The owner's were so welcoming and helpful that our stay started on a great note.
The property was spotless, well equipped with a very comfortable bed and the studio large enough for 2 to enjoy a comfortable stay, with plenty of cupboard space. The shower worked well and as it was electric there was always hot water - whatever time of the day. Air con unit was quiet and efficient but there were also fans ( if preferred). We sat at the table and chairs on the outside terrace some evenings and enjoyed a drink in the gentle breeze. Access to the studio is by a private external staircase.
Strolling to the centre of town took 15 - 20 minutes and was pleasant and through good neighbourhoods. The apartment is located on a pleasant, quiet street and our hire car was perfectly safe outside. Access to the peripherique and then to places such as Celestun, Progresso, Chichen itza etc was simple and didn't involve driving through the centre of town.
Self catering for breakfast or very light meals is easy, there is a fresh fruit market 3 minutes away and also local supermarkets for dairy and dried goods etc.
We had some excellent suggestions for places to eat and visit from our hosts who are English and Mexican and who live downstairs. Although on the premises they were completely unobtrusive and didn't disturb us at all.
The carnaval took up quite a few of our days here but we also went to Progresso and enjoyed fish on the beach and Izamal with a meal at Hacienda Teya. The anthropological museum on Paseo Montejo is really interesting, the City Museum is also good but has moved and it is a good idea to go to the main tourist office ( in The Govenor's Palace) and ask for a free copy of "Yucatan Today" - a very helpful and up-to -date monthly magazine.
Shop for souvenirs whilst in Merida (look for Casa de las Artesanias) - we also found the cheapest and best quality hammocks ( on Calle 44) near Casa Alux and noted that once we went on the Puuc Route and through to Tulum that handicrafts got much more expensive and weren't as nicely made.
In all we had a fantastic stay at Casa Alux. It exceeded our expectations in terms of space, comfort and location and we have started recommending it to all of our friends!
Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
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5/5 Suit to a tee!
Guest: Linda (Tahlequah, Oklahoma)
Date of Stay: 01/08/12 Review Submitted: 01/15/12
I just spent the week in this lovely little studio. I being a single female, the locaton and arrangement was just perfect. The layout shows excellent management of the space and the decor is quite charming. The studio has AC but I used only the fans a few times as a lovely breeze easily flowed through. The neighborhood and proximity to centro suited me very well as I thoroughly enjoy walking in this city. However, if I needed to get someplace quickly, the bus ran right at the corner and was very convient to get to centro or to make connections for other areas of town. There is a good grocery store a block away, a produce market two blocks and a laundry three blocks. The use of the rooftop patio was a plus for me as Merida calls for being outdoors. I even hung my hamock and spent some nice time in the evening enjoying the stars. The owners, who have living space on the first floor, were very accommodating and went out of their way to assist me and make sure I was comfortable. I would recommend this studio to a female traveling alone or a couple.
Owner response:Thank you for your review. It was a great pleasure having you as our guest and we are happy you enjoyed our studio. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Recommended for:Tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.
