Narcos fans have a new destination to add to their bucket lists. After sitting empty for 14 years, Pablo Escobar’s former mansion in Tulum has been turned into a boutique hotel dubbed Casa Malca.
As the first and only art-centric hotel in town, Casa Malca is breaking new ground for the famed Mexican resort town. The space is populated with works from a variety of contemporary artists, including KAWS, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Lio Lamca, an art dealer based in New York, is behind the renovation and culled many of the pieces from his private collection.
“I saw many different properties but I kept asking about this one,” he said to Cool Hunting. “I purchased the property because I thought it was insane. I could not believe that in this world, a property like this still exists and hasn’t been taken over by a corporation.”
Malca initially planned to use the estate as a vacation home, but after a constant stream of visits from friends and colleagues, he turned the property into a nine-bedroom hotel in 2015. A more recent expansion brought that number up to 35 rooms, all of which feature works from Malca’s art collection and many of which are mere steps from the water.
“I don’t know if Tulum needs to be a destination for art, but I think every place around the world can be one,” Malca told Cool Hunting. “There is culture everywhere. There are artists everywhere.”
The pieces on display at Casa Malca are regularly rotated, so repeat guests are surprised and intrigued with each visit. Along with museum-worthy art and a fascinating history, Casa Malca offers Egyptian cotton linens, rainfall showers, locally made artisanal products, and bold colours that epitomise life on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Public spaces at Casa Malca incorporate Mayan themes, natural wood, large windows for maximum exposure to the sun, and bursts of vibrant hues. Don’t be surprised to discover a hammock on a private terrace – the perfect perch for enjoying views of the beach or the surrounding jungle. Casa Malca also has not one but three inviting swimming pools, including one indoors that lights up in a multitude of colours.
Those looking to experience the thrills and chills of life as a Columbian drug lord will likely leave Casa Malca disappointed. There’s nothing but plush creature comforts to be found at this Riviera Maya getaway now.