Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico [Paperback]

Gina Hyams (Author), Melba Levick (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2001

Perched on a rugged coastline, set in verdant ranch land, or tucked away in a picturesque colonial town, the magnificent inns and haciendas of Mexico spring to life in the pages of Mexicasa. Historically and culturally important, these living museums contain wondrous collections of Mexican arts and crafts as well as enchanting gardens and courtyards. Acclaimed photographer Melba Levick captures the stunning architecture and colorful folk art that draws admirers from all over the world, while author Gina Hyams reveals the tradition and unique story behind each retreat. An extensive directory listing the contact information for each of the 21 featured inns makes this an indispensible resource book as well as a celebration of the spirit of Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This lavishly illustrated book highlights 21 small hotels, inns, and haciendas some ancient, some modern in several areas of Mexico. Some are historic sites, such as the Hacienda de Cort s, another offers cultural studies programs, while yet another features open-air structures adjacent to a nature preserve. Hyams, who has lived in Mexico while working as a correspondent for Fodor's travel publications, provides a brief history of each hotel, with descriptions of the architecture, architect, and owner. This is followed by several pages of full-color photographs of the interior and exterior by Levick, who has published many books on travel and architecture. No prices are listed, but the book includes a list of addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses for those who might wish to book a room. The book would be of some interest to those wishing to locate unusual, upscale accommodations in Mexico, but it is mostly a coffee-table book for readers more interested in dreaming about these colorful sites than visiting them. For public libraries. George M. Jenks, Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Mexicasa...brings to life the personalities of the republic's most romantic hostelries. -- New York Post, April 2, 2002

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811828069
• ISBN-13: 978-0811828062
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give your coffee table a treat, June 21, 2002

By 

Alan Cogan (Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico (Paperback)

What Gina Hyams and Melba Levick have created here is a wonderful compilation of photos of 21 of Mexico's most spectacular and beautiful inns and bed & breakfast places.
Melba Levick must have had a ball taking these shots. There's hardly a picture that isn't beautiful in its own right - and there must be at least 300 of them. For this observer, the Mexican talent for blending and matching and mixing colors is the highlight of page after page. We see gardens and patios and pool areas and bedroom and dining areas and a host of living spaces where the eye is simply enchanted by the way the owners of these homes have decorated their various spaces. My own personal favorite is, of all things, a bathroom wall composed of talavera tiles where almost no two tiles on the wall match each other.
All the houses are fully described by Gina Hyams and in most cases she gives us anecdotes and stories about how the various places came about. Thus, for instance, in Hacienda Katanchel in the Yucatan,we read that the present owners discovered the place in 1996. It had been abandoned for 35 years and originally dated back to the 17th century. So what they acquired were 740 acres of dense jungle in which were buried many crumbling buildings with trees growing through walls and ceilings. They gradually cleared the mess away and started building and renovating in a blend of Mexican, Mayan and Spanish styles. And you should see the place now.
On a less ambitious scale, we read about Mesón Sacristia de la Compañia in Puebla. This began as a family-run antique store which the owners turned into a restaurant and then an inn. It has one extra little twist for people who stay there - everything in the place is for sale. The owners are continually having to replace dishes and furniture.
And so the stories go... Pick up a copy and give your coffee table a treat.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pictoral essay of historic Mexican inns and hotels, April 12, 2003

By 

"chelita101" (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico (Paperback)

This book is good, maybe even great, but still can't compare to Melba Levick and Masako Takahashi's AWESOME "Mexicolor". Masako's other book, "Mexican Tiles" comes close, and still edges out "Mexicasa" a little bit as well, so when all is said and done I think I just have to chalk it up to Masako's EVIDENT love and appreciation for the unfathomable beauty of things Mexican. Melba Levick seems to me to see things more from the outside looking in, and without so much PASSION, kind of like a more disinterested spectator than a participant, but that could just be my opinion.

That said, this book is is REALLY NICE. I DO really like it and I highly recommend it- especially if you already own and really liked "Mexicolor" and "Mexican Tiles". Or if you aren't so much into artesanias and Mexican interior design, but are more of an armchair traveler or are interested in actual historic hotels and haciendas.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wanna move to Mexico!, January 12, 2004

By 

Scott Knudsen (Air Ronge, Saskatchewan Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mexicasa: The Enchanting Inns and Haciendas of Mexico (Paperback)

You can almost feel the colours and shapes, taste the food and smell the flowers in this lavishly illustrated book on Mexican Haciendas and Hotels. I can see why allot of the people that started these Inns sold everything they had and moved to Mexico to start a new life. This book will be an inspiration to architects and would also make a great coffee table book. Be careful to check the binding when you get it. The glue on mine all fell off in chunks after the first read!