I recently had what was probably the best award stay I have ever had with Starwood. I've had some great ones in the past, but Santa Rosa is the best. Starting with an upgrade to the Casa Maya, the only private villa on the property, I knew this was going to be good. Up til now, I don't recall ever sleeping in a rope bed. It was a very nice large bed suspended by 4 ropes from the ceiling timbers. It was soooooo nice sleeping in this bed. The casa had his and hers large and unique bathroom sinks/mirrors/etc. Very large shower and toilet area, two private patios and a private jacuzzi. Best of all, it was set in the extensive botanical gardens and it felt like we were in a small home in a jungle. Of course there were animal sounds, birds, geckos, etc., but you get used to that quickly. The entire stay was very peaceful and we really regretted leaving.

The staff was fantastic and made us feel as part of their family for the 5 nights we were there. What made it more special was the entire property was empty for most of our stay. So we had a 15 to 1 staff to guest ratio! Not good for the business, but great for us as we were very, very well taken care of. On the last night they, unannounced, prepared a special dinner for us with a very sweet thank you note from the entire staff. They anticipated all our needs and even displayed some clairvoyance I think! After the first meal I remarked, privately I thought, that to really make one feel at home, they should not present checks after each meal. We should have mutual respect to settle the bill at check out. And after I said that we didn't see another check!

We had already visited several archeological sites and just wanted to rest and Santa Rosa is perfect for that. Sleeping late, enjoying the pool and hammock, reading and snoozing in the afternoon, it was perfect. We toured the small village on foot and encountered some very pleasant people.

Santa Rosa is the smallest of the Starwood Haciendas and it might be the best. I certainly liked it a lot more than Temazon which is the largest. However it may only be the best if you really want to relax and live the country life in luxury. The staff said that some of their guests arrive and night and leave the next morning. Others spend each day out touring and don't get to know the property. That sounds like such a waste to me. We made a single day trip to Uxmal (which was great) and that was it.