Hotel Posada San Juan is a delightful and welcoming hotel in Valladolid that I want to go back to again and again. Located about a 10-minute walk south of the main square, this hotel is unassuming on the outside, but stunning when you walk in. The hallways are wide and airy, with lovely decor and details to make you feel calm and relaxed from the first moment.
We booked a deluxe king room for 3 nights. Our room was a corner room on the second floor overlooking the pool. The room is spacious with a comfortable bed, a hammock (yes, a hammock in your room!), a large dresser and another cabinet for more surface area and storage, and a large and lovely bathroom. There is no bathtub, but the shower is amazing. The bathroom is partially "open air" with a rain shower head. Showering was quite a unique experience.
Breakfast is included with your stay and it's awesome. There is self serve coffee, tea, and juices, and bread and fruit. You can choose an entree (choices are omelette, pancakes, waffle, huevos rancheros). The special is definitely a must try. It's served with warm tortillas, beans, and salsa.
The hotel offers a few unique experiences. The one we took a part of was the Ek Balam guided tour and half day at a private cenote (YES!!! A *private* cenote to yourselves!). There is also a day trip to Rio Lagartos (nature reserve, pink sand beaches, and flamingos!), a cooking class, and a mixology class.
The Ek Balam and cenote Chenxunan trip must be reserved in advance and it's only one group per day. The day trip includes transportation, cold water and soft drinks, a delicious multi-course meal at the cenote, and of course an entire cenote for you to enjoy for 3-4 hours!
Our guide for Ek Balam, Juan, was a wonderful and knowledgeable gentleman who told us stories and details that really enriched our exploration of the ancient ruins. Ek Balam is not as popular as the nearby Chichen Itza but definitely worth a visit. The pyramid is climbable and features a very interesting excavated tomb with wonderfully preserved carvings.
Cenote Chenxunan was absolutely gorgeous. The cenote is privately owned an they take great care to preserve the land. A lot of the popular cenotes in the area get hundreds and thousands of visitors a day. But this cenote gets up to 12-15 visitors a day. We saw the local flora and fauna thriving in this preserved area. The swim in the cenote was absolutely delightful and revitalizing. It's fairly large with a cave and many stalactites. We even saw a couple of owls and heard some bats!
Our stay at Hotel Posada San Juan was amazing and if we're back in Valladolid, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. All the staff were wonderful. read more