Casa Ixum

Style

Mayan bohemian

Setting

Authentic El Centro

Cancún tends to be associated with the vast resorts on its outskirts, but Casa Ixum is nothing like that. This four-room boutique stay is on one of the oldest streets in El Centro, where the bohemian spirit of the city’s Seventies boom lives on. The rooms are named after Mayan symbols that are rich in meaning, which in turn inspire the hotel’s cultural workshops, creative cuisine and heartfelt approach to hospitality.

Facilities

Rooms

Four, including two suites.

Checkout

Noon, and check-in is at 3pm. Both are flexible, on request and subject to availability.

More Details

Rates don’t usually include breakfast, but you’ll get it as your Smith Extra. There’s an à la carte selection of seasonal Mexican and international dishes, served in the restaurant or the alfresco lounge. Breakfast for two starts at MX$500.

Also

Owing to its Seventies layout, internal staircases and pebble-strewn garden, unfortunately Casa Ixum isn’t well-suited if you have reduced mobility.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Boutique, paid laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, mini fridge, coffee-making kit, climate control, bathrobes and curated bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

All four rooms have a rustic and bohemian feel to them, with original stone floors from the 1970s, wooden furnishings, rattan rugs and fabrics in cream and moss green. Each of the suites (Ome and Maiz) has a living space with a sofa-bed that sleeps two, making them ideal if you have kids in tow. On request, it's also possible to book out the entire casa for your exclusive use.

Poolside

There’s an outdoor plunge pool in the garden. It’s not big enough for serious swimming, but it makes a fine spot for cooling off in the afternoon — preferably with a mezcal cocktail or white-wine spritz from the bar.

Spa

There’s no spa at Casa Ixum, but staff can arrange in-room treatments such as deep-tissue massages, reiki sessions and facials. Private sessions with a more spiritual leaning are also on offer, including tarot or natal chart readings.

Packing Tips

Track down a copy of James D. Sexton’s Mayan Folktales, filled with fantastical tales of shamans, spiritualists, tricksters and devils.

Also

n the evenings, the garden becomes the hotel’s social heart, with extra tables set up for drinking and dining beneath the stars. A roster of events covers live music, movie nights, wine-pairing suppers and magic shows.

Children

Little Smiths are welcome, but this boutique bolthole has an adult feel and is best suited to couples. Each of the suites can sleep up to two children under 15 on sofa-beds.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

While the sun’s up, plump for the banquette in the dining room. At dinner, the tables in the garden are the place to be — doubly so if there’s live music.

Dress Code

Informal, with retro flourishes. Loose silhouettes and Seventies patterns will hit the mark.

Hotel Restaurant

Restaurant Ixum (closed on Mondays) is the hotel’s all-day dining spot, with blonde-wood tables spread between a convivial dining room and shady palapa in the garden. Chef Lucía Pereda's menu showcases the Yucatán’s dining scene at its most contemporary, mingling the region’s roots with diverse international influences. The signature starter is the cabra cotta, a creamy goats’ cheese slathered on fresh sourdough and finished with apricot jam, xkatik chili and black sesame. For something heartier, try the slow-cooked beef short rib, accompanied with a sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce, sweet potato, and plantain purée.

Hotel Bar

There’s a compact bar in the restaurant, topped with jet-black stone. The menu is influenced by Japanese and Mayan flavours, exemplified by Ixum’s signature sweet-and-sour tipple, made with mezcal, Japanese malt, tamarind, pineapple and jalapeño.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served from 8am to 1pm daily. From Tuesday to Saturday, the all-day menu is available from 1.30 until 10.30pm. Drinks flow at the bar from 8.30am to 10.30 pm, Tuesday to Saturday; on Sundays and Mondays, the bar closes at 6pm.

Room Service

The full menu is available from 8.30am to 10.30pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Sundays and Mondays.

Planes

Cancún International Airport is a 30-minute drive from Casa Ixum. The hotel can arrange one-way transfers for MX$750 a person.

Trains

If you’re already in the Yucatán Peninsula, you can roll into town on the Tren Maya, a fast, modern rail service completed in 2024. The station is right next to the airport, served by trains from Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Chichen Itza and more.

Automobiles

You’re unlikely to need your own set of wheels if you’re sticking to Cancún, but a car may come in handy if you want to take day trips further afield. The usual, big-name rental firms can be found at the airport. There’s no private carpark at the hotel, but nearby street parking is usually available.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Casa Ixum hosts regular workshops on Mexican culture, Mayan mythology and wellness traditions from across the Yucatán Peninsula. The programme changes constantly, so swing by reception to find out what’s on during your stay — it could be a meditation session, ceramic class or a culinary experience. Beyond the hotel, there’s the Maya Cancun Museum, showcasing around 400 Mayan artefacts found at archaeological sites in Quintana Roo, Palenque, Chichen Itza and Comalcalco. For local crafts and trinkets, get your game face on and delve into the stalls at Mercado 28, where there are bargains to be struck if you’re willing to haggle. On weekends, locals gather at the Parque de Las Palapas for free open-air concerts, dance performances and exhibitions; it’s also a prime spot to sample esquites, churros and marquesitas.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .