Press release english version T+ L award

The Haciendas from The Luxury Collection winners of the Global Vision award by Travel + Leisure magazine, in the Craft Rescue Category
 Traveler + Leisure magazine is giving Las Haciendas the acknowledgement for their architectural, cultural and handcraft rescue in the Yucatan Peninsula.

MÉRIDA YUCATÁN, OCTOBER, 26th, 2010-. The Haciendas from Luxury Collection have been acknowledged by Travel + Leisure magazine with the award Global Vision for their labor of rescue and preservation of their colonial buildings, as well as the fostering of the Mayan country-side communities in the area.

The acknowledgement was endorsed by important members of the jury such as Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize of Economics, and the Ambassador of the World Health Organization, Liya Kebede, among others.

The restoration process of these XVIII century properties involved gathering a team of architects specialized in historic and documentary research, as well restorer engineers coming from various parts of the country. An adaptation of the original spaces was done, in search of recreating the splendor of the years of yore, all the while honoring the proportions of the spaces.

The Haciendas rescue proposal involved working with original materials, coming from that same area such as sahcab, a local construction material similar to lime, paintings of minerals and chucum a material extracted from the local trees and used by Mayans for waterproofing.

In Hacienda Temozón, the manor “Landlord’s Room” became the main suite; the refreshing terraces accommodate restaurants; the nursing room, library, school, accounts office and company store are the current suites; the old ponds of water collection for irrigating the gardens became the pools.

On the other hand, the crafty rescue labor performed together with the foundation “Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, A.C.” is composed by 33 handcraft workshops, organized into cooperatives. 95% of the 185 artisans composing this group are women.

 “For those of us who are part of the Luxury Collection group in Mexico, it is an honor to keep receiving these acknowledgements”, said Walter Harbich, General Manager of Haciendas Luxury Collection. “All the team members that are part of the Haciendas reaffirm our full support and commitment to the social, cultural, and handcraft programs, that have been developed and deployed throughout the region by the foundation Fundación de Haciendas del Mundo Maya and Grupo Plan”, he said.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Mexico operates since 2001 the Haciendas Temozón, San José, Santa Rosa, Uayamón and Puerta Campeche in the states of Yucatán and Campeche, through the renowned brand The Luxury Collection.

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Media Contact:

Aletia Salas / Starwood Mexico

aletia.salas@starwoodhotels.com

(55) 52 42 55 64

Luis Alejandro Morales / Starwood Mexico

luisalejandro.morales@starwoodhotels.com

(55) 52 42 40 07

About Grupo Plan

Grupo Plan is a Mexican investments corporation, founded in 1992 by architect Luis Bosoms, specialized in conceptualization, development and operation of innovative tourism projects including hotels, apartments, houses and touristic developments. For further information, please visit www.grupoplan.com.

About The Haciendas, a Luxury Collection hotel

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts  Mexico has five different restored haciendas turned into luxury hotels. Each Hacienda from The Luxury Collection is a reference icon, unique in the world, offering a profound individual experience thanks to the combination of local customs and culture of each region without leaving aside an extraordinary service.

The Luxury Collection’s world portfolio features more than 70 hotels and resorts located in 30 countries that stand out for being hotels with important, historic and cultural legacies; such is the case of the traditional Haciendas in the states of Yucatán and Campeche, in Mexico.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Mexico operates since 2001 with the Haciendas Temozón, San José, Santa Rosa, Uayamón and Puerta Campeche in the states of Yucatán and Campeche, through its renowned brand The Luxury Collection.

For Starwood Hotels & Resorts it is an honor to be able to work hand in hand with partners like Grupo Plan, reaffirming its commitment to continue fostering social programs across the region. For further information, please, visit www.thehaciendas.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1000 properties in nearly 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM.  Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit http://www.starwoodhotels.com/.