Hotel Quinta Chanabnal - Palenque

Maya Presidential Suite

Private Stone Pool

It was a long drive from Campeche to Palenque in the Chiapas Jungle. It took 5 hours but finally arriving at Quinta Chanabnal made it all worthwhile. The iPhone GPS took us right to the somewhat hidden turn-off for the hotel in the jungle. Driving into the property you realize that it's a world apart and only 3 km from the Palenque ruins.

King Bed in Suite

Beautiful hotel that's set in a lush private jungle-garden with a multi-level pool and rock-wall waterfall and Wi-Fi. What really sets Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal apart is its creators, Raphael Tunesi and his wife Elizabeth traveled around the world and found Inspiration in culturally rich luxury hotels they love in India and Asia. They then spent 5 years designing and planning the Quinta hotel that draws upon classic Maya architecture, art, cuisine and culture. 

Monkey Family Coming for Bananas

There's also a family of howler monkeys that live on the property too. They protect their area by howling and it's fun to feed them bananas as they come down from the trees.  

Dining Room and Reception

The vaulted palapa-covered reception area and dining room is anchored by carved stone slabs featuring Maya hieroglyphics. But these are not simply copies. The carvings tell the tale of milestones in Raphael and Elizabeth’s life with perfect classical Maya reliefs and hieroglyphics which look like they came from the ancient ruins. 

Jungle Road to Hotel

Along with Mexican and International dishes, the hotel kitchen turns out traditional regional dishes, some of which date back to the ancient Maya times. Rafael circulated among the guests and interacted with guests during breakfast and dinner about the Maya world and how Rafael taught himself to read Maya Hieroglyphics, starting as a young boy in Italy.

Presidential Suite Living Room

We stayed in the hotel’s Maya presidential suite where we were able to experience a relaxing four nights in the stand-alone building. It has a thatched palapa roof but has a thoroughly modern interior. We loved that it had a fast wi-fi, a private stone pool, and a very comfortable outdoor terrace near the pool where we relaxed  between adventures.

Our stay at Palenque was a special experience and if we ever get there again Quinta Chanabnal is where we'll stay.

Quinta Chanabnal and Palenque ruins are highly recommended.

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