In a special collaboration this fall, Villa Mérida invites Executive Chef Christopher Tong of the upscale Chicago-based My Private Chef (www.myprivatechef.net) to produce the ultimate culinary experience for guests. Famous for one-of-a-kind meals served in the homes or venues of those who don’t ask the price, Tong will create four gourmet dinners and one lunch paired with wines. German-born Tong aims to please after more than 20 years in the industry. With his talent for discovering treasures and fresh ingredients in the local markets, the uncharted dishes will combine the Yucatán flavor with European-style cuisine.

At the seven-room exclusive Villa Merida, located right in the heart of colonial Mérida, the comfort of guests is foremost with richly appointed rooms overlooking the lush vegetation of tropical gardens, fountains and the extraordinary sculpted pool. The 19th-century restored nobleman's estate offers an unmatched experience within the arched verandas and high-ceilinged rooms and heavy carved wooden doors. Guests take time to visit the history-laden area, both Mayan and Spanish colonial, which thrived in the henequen (a fiber-producing plant of the maguey family) period from 1875 to 1920. Known as "green gold," this fiber used for ropes and weaving of mats allowed the flourishing of a varied cultural life in what has grown into a sophisticated city with a colorful past. An excursion to Uxmal, one of the architecturally classic Mayan sites, is included in the price of this inclusive five-night six-day package October 25-30, 2005. www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com, 1-800-728-9098