ANGSANA by Banyan Tree Group debuts a Heritage Collection brand extension of curated properties in Mexico and Morocco. Angsana Introduces Heritage Collection: Hacienda Xcanatun and Riads Marrakech. To mark 23 years since its inception, Angsana, a brand under Banyan Tree Group, presents a curated portfolio of properties steeped in architectural heritage, history, and culture.
Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection
Known as Angsana Heritage Collection, this brand extension offers intimate experiences and deep-seated stories that weave together past glory and present comforts. The recently expanded Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection in Mexico is located just 15 minutes away from downtown Merida, the capital city of the Yucatan region known for its tropical rainforests and being the home of the ancient Mayans.
During Mexico’s colonial period, haciendas – large rural estates – were the epicentre of the country’s economic and social life. Named after the Mayan word for “tall stone house”, Hacienda Xcanatun was first built to house and operate livestock in 1789.
Soon, it became a prosperous henequén hacienda – henequén being the Spanish term for Yucatan sisal – the fiber of a maguey plant native to the region that became the main material for of fabrics, cords and textiles exported worldwide between the mid-19th to early-20th centuries.
In the 1990s, Jorge Ruz Buenfil, the son of a noted archaeologist, and his wife Cristina Baker, transformed Hacienda Xcanatun into a hotel by restoring the architecture to its 18th-century grandeur.
After two years of careful expansion with attention to detail, the resort unveils 36 brand new suites, in addition to the 18 historic suites that have been part of the original architecture for centuries. Each of the new suites features a harmonious blend of natural wood, leather, regional limestone (which lent the city of Merida its nickname “the white city”), and native pasta tiles traditionally found in henequén haciendas.
The resort expansion also includes new recreational areas and wellbeing space: an Olympic-length swimming pool, a solarium with a poolside snack bar, a fully equipped fitness centre, and an Angsana Spa for guests to rejuvenate and renew in nature.
Surrounded by four acres of private gardens and lush vegetation, Hacienda Xcanatun, Angsana Heritage Collection redefines the concept of a luxurious urban resort, where history and tradition meet contemporary sensibilities.
Riads Marrakech, Angsana Heritage Collection
Minutes away from the landmark Jemaa el-Fna Square, Riads Marrakech, Angsana Heritage Collection takes pride of place in Marrakech, Morocco, with six riads – large traditional houses built around a central courtyard – totalling 42 rooms and suites showcasing Moroccan architecture and design.
The six riads were originally family homes, known as dars, built in the traditional Maghreb habitat. Rectangular doors in varying sizes are built around a central square patio to regulate the temperature of the house during summer and winter. Dars were renamed to the more poetic riads (or “garden” in Arabic) and have remained immutable and quintessential in Morocco’s cityscape.
