Review: Chable Yucatan, Mexico

You’ve been to so many places like it: you stare at the pictures, everything looks great, and then you go and it sucks.  And that’s why Chable is only like it – cos it doesn’t suck.  It’s a joy.  It’s one of those rare, gems you come across that is almost dismissed because it has the audacity to be reasonably priced.

Getting there

Just a 30-minute drive from Manuel Crescencio Rejón (MID) in Mérida.  Or, if getting there is too much hassle, just do what we did and have someone drive you for 4 hours from Rosewood Mayakoba.  Much more convenient.

Setting

Tucked away on 750 acres of lush Mayan forest, Chablé Yucatán is what happens when someone looks at a crumbling 19th-century hacienda and thinks, “You know what this needs?  Private pools.” Long before it became a luxury retreat, it started as a cattle ranch—then, through a series of events you don’t need to pretend to care about, it was abandoned.  Fast forward a few decades, and after an extensive restoration, it reopened in 2016.  The original stone walls still stand, elegantly draped in creeping vines, while the rest of the property now caters to guests who prefer their Mayan heritage served with a side of spa treatments.

Facilities

Chablé Yucatán is refreshingly generous with its inclusions—perhaps one of the most generous resorts I’ve been, which isn’t all-inclusive.  Morning pastries and coffee are delivered straight to your room; come 5 p.m., afternoon tea is served in the main building near reception.  There’s little time spent signing for things, as they tend just to include it.

The grounds are vast, impeccably maintained, and dotted with enough water features to suggest someone on the design team had a serious fountain fetish.  There’s also a large swimming pool.

Connectivity is where things get rustic—no phone reception at all and crawling internet speeds, so forget streaming Netflix unless you enjoy buffering as a suspense-building technique.  But then again, with so much space to explore and nature surrounding you, maybe that’s the point.  Not a point I agree with, but a point none-the-less.

The spa goes well beyond standard treatments.  It’s an impressive area.  Separate men’s and women’s areas feature outdoor hydrotherapy zones with hot, warm, and cold pools, plus a sauna, steam room, experience shower, and a flotation pool.  Couples can book the facilities for private use if no one else is scheduled.

Lucie had a wonderful massage from a blind man, which is not something I ever expected to write.  Beyond the treatments, yoga, meditation sessions, fitness classes, and personal training round out the offerings.

Rooms

Offering 38 stand-alone pool casitas and two expansive villas.  Villas are scattered around the property, each offering total privacy, a private pool, hammocks for pretending you’re going to read that novel you packed, and outdoor living areas that will inevitably become mosquito battlefields after sundown.  Indoor spaces are airy and minimalist, as if the designers knew you’d spend most of your time outside until the mosquitoes change your mind.

Even the Casitas offer a luxurious blend of privacy and contemporary design.  Spanning approximately 2,152 square feet (200 square meters), each Casita is thoughtfully positioned amidst lush vegetation to provide a sense of seclusion.  Tucked down a secluded pathway and concealed by dense foliage, the Castita offers complete privacy.

The centerpiece is a private outdoor pool measuring 377 square feet (35 square meters).  Surrounding the pool, a spacious terrace is equipped with lounge chairs, an outdoor sitting area with a ceiling fan, and a hammock.

Inside, high ceilings, large windows, and natural stone floors create a sense of openness, while locally crafted textiles and hand-carved wooden furnishings highlight the region’s artisanal craftsmanship.  The bedroom is compact, but the mosquito net—integrated into the design—slides smoothly into place, avoiding the usual wrestling match.  Bathrooms are more impressive, offering double rain showers indoors and a unique outdoor “moon shower”, which is as wanky as it sounds.

The biggest drawback is the lack of anywhere decent to sit inside.  There’s only one small sofa, barely big enough for one person, let alone two, which wouldn’t be such an issue if outdoors the mosquitos hadn’t staged a full-scale invasion.  It sometimes left us no choice but to cram onto the tiny indoor sofa like economy-class passengers.  To top it off, the outdoor pool lights can’t be turned off from the room, so we had to call the front desk just to stop the glow from blasting through the door all night.

Service

Service is warm and well-intentioned.  The staff clearly take pride in the property, and their enthusiasm is contagious—but the execution isn’t always there.  Upon arrival, we were told everything in the villa had been prepared, yet a lot of it was missing.  A quick call to the front desk sorted it out, but it felt a bit like assembling a DIY amenities kit.

Communication can be hit or miss, with English proficiency on par with Cancun.  This occasionally led to mix-ups—wrong food orders and arriving in the wrong order.  On the plus side, the GM personally called to introduce himself and the F&B manager was frequently around.  Daily restocking of sweets was a thoughtful touch, though dinner service on the second night was oddly repetitive, with staff re-explaining everything as if we hadn’t dined there the evening before.

That said, you’re in the middle of nowhere, so expecting the polished service of Cabo or Cancún isn’t entirely fair.

Food

They take their organic, seasonal ingredients very seriously, with three on-site restaurants serving dishes sourced from traditional Mayan gardens.  It’s all very farm-to-table, though thankfully no one forces you to learn the name of the chicken you’re eating.

Lunch was a mixed bag: the beetroot salad was excellent, while the pasta barely managed to be lukewarm.  Dinner, however, more than made up for it—the setting alone is so photogenic it feels designed for Instagram.  Service at the restaurant was superb, with detailed explanations of each dish delivered with genuine care.  They clearly want the meal to feel special, even if the amuse-bouche was identical both nights.

Breakfast is buffet-free, and the menu leans heavily toward the healthy side—great if you’re into goat cheese and chia seeds, less so if you’re craving pancakes and bacon.  The “Eye Opener” (their version of a wake-up snack delivered to your room) was no Iniala—just two pastries that looked more like someone trod on them.  And then there are the world’s smallest napkins, which were about as useful as trying to mop up a spill with a postage stamp.

The Good

• Food
• Accommodation
• Activities

The Bad

• Getting there

The Luxurious

• Excellent value for money
• Superb mix of authentic and modern design

Conclusion

Chablé Yucatán is one of those rare gems that stands out not just for being reasonably priced, but for actually living up to the hype.  You know the drill: the photos look incredible, you show up, and it sucks.  But Chablé breaks the mold—because it doesn’t make you wanna go on a murder spree.  It’s a genuine joy, the kind of place that makes you wonder why you’d bother going anywhere else.

Of course, it’s not without its issues.  The property swore there were no mosquitoes—then handed me bug spray “just in case,” like someone handing you a life jacket when you’re on land.  Daytime temperatures hover around 32C, but by 9 p.m., you’ll find yourself reaching for a blanket, confused and slightly betrayed.  Departure wasn’t seamless either—a mix-up with our transfers meant the GM had to personally drive us to the airport.

Still, Chablé is proof that you don’t need to spend big to experience genuine quality—though packing bug spray wouldn’t hurt.