Yucatan Living

Holiday Planning in Merida

20 December 2008 Destinations 3

Christmas and New Years Eve are family holidays in the Yucatan. There isn’t as much gift-giving as we’re used to in the States, but a lot of eating, drinking and visiting. If you are new here, or visiting, you might be wondering what to do for Christmas Eve Dinner or on New Year’s Eve. Here’s our annual rundown of what the local hotels are doing (all prices are in Pesos). All the Christmas dinners below are on Dec. 24th; only one hotel that we know of, Casa del Balam, is serving a special dinner on Christmas Day. New Year’s Eve dinners will be served on the evening of December 31. If you know of another special event for either of these two days, feel free to add it in the Comments area.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Hyatt Regency Merida
The Hyatt will be serving Christmas dinner at their two restaurants. The prices do not include beverages but IVA and service are included. At the Peregrino Restaurant, $395 for adults or $ 240 for children will get you an International Buffet dinner, which includes sea food specials, soups, creams, bacalao a la vizcaina, romeros with shrimp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeritos), and baked turkey. Dinner will be served from 8-12 pm. Ensemble Amadeus will be playing music from 9-11:45 pm.
Spasso will be serving an International Buffet dinner with more emphasis on Italian food accompanied by quiet ambient music. $ 360 Adults, $220 Children.
Location: Avenida Colon at Calle 60
Tel for Peregrino: 999-942-12-34 ask for the Christmas Dinner
Tel for Spasso: 942-12-34. Ext. 3457

Fiesta Americana
The Christmas dinner at the restaurant costs $349 for adults and $199 for children aged 3 to 11 years old. Dinner will be served from 7:30 pm to 12 PM. Price includes IVA and tips, but not beverages. Full payment is required for reservation.
Location: Avenida Colon at Calle 60
Tel: 999-942-1111

Intercontinental Villa Mercedes: 'Among Friends and Wine'
This Christmas dinner will cost $700 pesos for adults and $ 350 pesos per child. It includes an international buffet with all the Christmas goodies and open bar of national wines. There will be a Trio playing Trova and also a Jazz Group. The restaurant will be open from 8:00 pm to 1 or 2:00 pm depending on the clients.
Location: Avenida Colon between Calle 60 and 62
Tel: 999-942-9000

Hotel Aluxes
A five course dinner will be served at the Zac-nicte restaurant the night of the 24th. Dinner includes snacks, entrees such as salads and soups, the main course (your choice of Turkey, Steak or Shrimp) and dessert. Soft drinks are included. They’ll have soft music and dance music. $380 adults and $170 child, IVA and Service included.
Location: Calle 60 at Calle 49
Tel: 999-924-2199

Hotel Casa del Balam
Casa del Balam will have both Christmas Eve dinner and a Christmas brunch. On Christmas Even, at 6 PM, guests can join in for a traditional posada celebration, including a piñata and singing. Dinner will be served from 7 pm to 1 am. Dinner consists of cheese soup, Fresh Green Salad with Crab, Shrimp or Turkey entree and fruitcake or ice cream for dessert. Coffee or tea, a half-bottle of red or white wine, tax, tips, dinner, live music and a ticket to participate in a raffle are all included for $ 430 pesos. Casa del Balam will also have a Christmas brunch on the 25th from 12 pm to 5 pm.
Location: Calle 60 x 57
Tel: (999) 9 24.21.50

Hacienda Xcanatun
Christmas Dinner includes an entrée of salad, goat cheese mousse, mushroom cream soup or xcatik chili cream soup. The main course is a choice of Turkey with fine herbs stuffed with dried fruits, Steak over mashed potatoes with parmesan, Golden Salmon with jamaica (hibiscus) and soy gravy or Pork with orange and cranberry gravy. Dessert of the house and bread are included. The cost is $490 per person, IVA included + 15% service. Children up to 11 years old costs $260 pesos and will be served a children’s menu.
Location: Off of the road to Progreso in the town of Xcanatun
Tel: 999-941-0273

El Castellano
Here you can enjoy an international buffet dinner including exquisite wines from Chile and soft saxophone music performed by Jose Dolores. Dinner starts at 9:30 pm. The price of $389 includes IVA and service. Children under 12 years old get 50% off.
Location: Calle 57 # 513 x 62 y 64 Centro.
RSVP: 930-01-18

Villa Maria Restaurant
Christmas dinner will be a four course dinner consisting of an appetizer which begins with the choice of Waldorf Salad or Napoleon Tower with tomatoes and goat cheese), Soup (crème of beet, Dorian cream soup or cucumber cream soup served cold). For the main dish, diners can choose from a beef filet with green pepper served with stuffed tomato and spring potatoes, Breast of Duck a la Orange served with vegetables and spring potatoes or Boquinete (white fish) and grapefruit and xcatic chili sauce. For dessert, Villa Maria’s famous Pear Dali, which is a pear poached in red wine and filled with nuts and dried fruits, accompanied by vanilla ice cream or Sacher Torte. Price: Unknown at this time, but service will not be included.
Location: Restaurant Villa Maria Merida, Calle 59 x 68.
Reservation: 923-3357 or 923-7620

New Year’s Eve at Hotels and Restaurants in Merida

Hyatt Regency Merida - Noche de Gala (Gala Night)
The Hyatt is providing an "imperial" buffet and champagne toasts for $470 pesos ($280 for children) including service and IVA, beverages not included. There will be live music from a group called Amadeus (violins) from 9:30 to 12:15 pm. The fun starts at 10 PM and goes until 2 AM. The menu is an international buffet including salads, soups, sushi, cheeses and meats, Roquefort and sirloin steak, salmon, pasta, baked turkey and a variety of desserts.
Location: Avenida Colon at Calle 60
Tel: 999-942-1234 (ask for the New Year’s Eve dinner)

Fiesta Americana – Buffet Dinner at the Grand Salon

$899 pesos (or $499 for children) will buy you access to an international buffet at the Fiesta Americana. The musical group Montana will entertain you and national-brand drinks are included. (National brand usually means beer, rums, tequila… i.e. drinks made in Mexico). The festivities begin at 7 PM and last until 3:00 AM in the morning.
Location: Avenida Colon at Calle 60
Tel: 999-942-1111

Holiday Inn – Light and Fantasy

Holiday Inn also has an international buffet. The price of a ticket there is $650 for women, $ 799 for gentlemen and $339 for children from 5- 13 years old. The price includes a champagne toast, grapes for the 12-grape tradition, souvenirs and cochinita at 3:00 AM (the best hour to eat it, we’ve been told…). National Alcohol is included. The music will be provided by a group called Mestizo. The party starts at 9 PM and ends after the cochinita.
Location: Avenida Colon between Calle 60 and Paseo de Montejo
Tel: 999-942-8800 ext. 609

Intercontinental Villa Mercedes – Traveling around the World in 5 Stations
The Villa Mercedes is going to celebrate New Year’s Eve traveling around the world. The ticket price of $1190 pesos (including IVA and tips) includes an "international buffet dinner with food from the 5 continents" with cheeses and breads. There will be a TV with international programs showing New Year’s celebrations from around the world, music from a group called Blanco y Negro (Black and White) as well as party favors (hats, streamers, etc.) and an national open bar. If you want to bring your own special bottle of wine or champagne, for this night there is no corkage fee. And to top it off, they will also be providing cochinita in the early morning hours. The music starts at 10:30 PM. And the restaurant will be open from 9:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
Location: Avenida Colon between Calle 60 and 62
Tel: 999-942-9000

Hotel Aluxes – New Year’s Eve Dinner
This will be a dancing and dining event with an international buffet at the Gran Salon Popol-Vuh. They’ll have the 12 traditional grapes, a champagne toast, and national beverages are included. Guests can dance to the group Enlace. IVA and service are included in the price of $ 720 pesos Adults and $499 child. Festivities start at 9 pm and end at 3 am.
Location: Calle 60 at Calle 49
Tel: 999-924-2199

Hotel Casa del Balam
New Year’s Eve Dinner will begin at 6:00 pm and end about 1:00 am, for a price of $ 430 pesos (IVA and Service included). For starters, a Carrot Cream Soup and San Silvestre Salad (lettuce, avocado, beet and panela cheese). The main course is a choice of mustard-encrusted pork loin or enticing grilled shellfish kebabs. Dessert will be traditional fruits with ice cream. The price includes coffee or tea, a half-bottle of red or white wine, tax, tips, dinner, live music and a ticket to participate in a raffle. Mariachi music will begin at 10:30 pm.
Location: Calle 60 x 57
Tel: (999) 9 24.21.50

Hacienda Xcanatun
New Year’s dinner at Hacienda Xcanatun... que élégante! Dinner costs $880 per person for a four course meal, beverages not included, or $1050 with national open bar (beer, whisky, rum, gin, vodka, tequila), IVA included and 15% service not included. The menu consists of incredible entrees such as Salmon tart with goat cheese or Lobster Bisque with Garlic and Cilantro croutons. The main course choices are equally delicious looking, and include Ring of Shrimps with lemon butter, ragú of corn and grilled tomatoes, and cremed leeks with black truffle oil or Filet mignon glazed with chile ancho, cilantro mashed potatoes, mixed wild mushrooms and onions marinated in sherry. Bread will be served and there is also a dessert buffet and their traditional semisweet chocolate fountain, finished off with a champagne toast and the traditional 12 grapes at midnite. Reservations are available up until midnight only, but festivities will continue until 2 AM. And then you might want to consider staying there, because driving home at that hour after all that doesn't sound like any fun at all.
Location: Off of the road to Progreso in the town of Xcanatun
Tel: 999-941-0273

El Castellano
An international buffet dinner , with soft saxophone music by Jose Dolores. Grupo Censurado will play later in the evening for dancing. Buffet, beverages and dancing for $ 699, IVA and service included. Dinner starts at 9:30 pm. Children under 12 years old are 50% off.
Location: Calle 57 # 513 x 62 y 64 Centro.
RSVP: 930-01-18

Trotter’s
Merida’s coolest restaurant is doing something special for New Year’s Eve of course. For $650 pesos ($350 for children, service not included), you can enjoy a delicious dinner (see menu here) . They will also provide a New Year’s celebration kit (just add champagne…) and the obligatory 12 grapes.
Location: Circuito Colonias, between Paseo de Montejo and Mega grocery store
Tel: 999-927-2320 for reservations (50% deposit required)

Pancho’s
The downtown restaurant loved by locals and expats will be hosting a special New Years Eve dinner too. $650 pesos plus service will buy delicious specials (see menu here), including a New Year’s celebration kit.
Location: Calle 59 between Calle 60 and 62, Centro
Tel: 999-923-0942 (call after 6 PM)

La Tratto
Not to be outdone, the third of the three sister restaurants serves a New Year Dinner a la carte (see menu here). And you get the New Year’s celebration kit and the 12 grapes thrown in.
Location: Prolongacion Montejo # 479 C between the Monumento a la Bandera in front of Centro Cultural Dante (the Dante Bookstore).
Tel: 999-927-0434

Hotel Zamná
A new place on the scene is proud to host their first New Year Gala. Tickets will be limited to 50 guest s. on arrival each guest will receive a glass of festive punch. Ladies receive feathered carnival masks. And for the guys, hats or masks. The Gala Banquet Buffet will be served at 9 pm. A glass of bubbly to each guest at midnight to toast the New Year, and a firework display. Their band will be playing live throughout the evening and will stop when the last guest leaves. Also throughout the evening, spot prizes will be given. After midnight coffee with liqueurs will be served. Price per guest: $250 pesos.
The menu includes a Carved Turkey, Carved Ham on the Bone, a Selection of Chinese Dishes, Devil Eggs, French homemade pate and Toast, a large selection of salads and salsas, European recipe pies, a choice of desserts plus many buffet dishes.
Location: Calle 53 #547 x 70 y 72
Reservations: 999-924-0103

Villa Maria Restaurant
Villa Maria will be serving a four course dinner consisting of a Lox and Bagels or Shrimp with curry sauce appetizer, Clam chowder or watermelon cold soup, Beef filet with Wellington served with vegetables or Breast of Duck al Oporto served with vegetables and spring potatoes or Poached Salmon with champagne sauce served with vegetables and spring potatoes. For dessert, vanilla ice cream served with forest berries or Grand Marnier Parfait. Dinner includes grapes and cava (a glass of champagne), and costs $500 pesos, service not included. The full menu can be seen by clicking here.
Location: Restaurant Villa Maria, Calle 59 x 68.

Reservation: 923 33 57 / 923 76 20

That's everything we know! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to more Yucatan Living in 2009!