This Mexican Hotel Has The World's Largest Private Tequila Collection

Standing in front of Ixi'im, Chablé Yucatán's signature restaurant, it's impossible to not feel in awe of the eternal flame that flickers at its entrance. The flame's entrancing dance happens over a small reflection pool and is so hypnotizing that you almost want to spend the entire night simply gazing at it. But some of the best food in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula beckons. As does the world's largest private tequila collection.

Carefully-selected bottles adorn the walls of the restaurant, which is housed in the ruins of a former 19th-century henequen factory. Like the flame, this unique decoration choice is visually enthralling. It serves as museum or an ode to the history of tequila, Mexico's signature protected designation of origin spirit. With 3,750 bottles in the collection (and counting), it would be almost impossible to see every single piece. That doesn't mean you shouldn't stop to smell the proverbial roses and pay attention to the tequilas that surround you. Some come in artisanal bottles, many are modern, and others have yellowed, hand-painted labels that give away their age. (The oldest bottle, an 1845 Brindis por México by José Cuervo, is on proud display in the private dining room.) Yet for all their differences, the pieces have one thing in common: They're one-of-a-kind.

The Mexican-owned Chablé Hotels acquired part of the collection from the late tequila enthusiast Rafael Selva. Thanks to this acquisition, part of this exquisite selection of tequilas is now on display for guests and Ixi'im diners.

No tequila in the Chablé collection is available for purchase or tasting. These bottles are meant to be admired solely with the eyes. Instead, you can book the hotel's tequila tasting experience to try premium bottles including house tequilas like the barrel-aged Chablé Añejo Cristalino. By the end of the tasting, you should be able to tell different tequila styles apart. Stay for dinner at Ixi'im, winner of the 2018 Prix Versailles for Most Beautiful Restaurant in the World. 

The menu changes based on what's freshly available, but typically includes dishes cooked in underground Mayan pits called pibs. Many of the ingredients are grown in the property's raised garden beds, a technique traditional to the region. You'll also get to try the organic honey that is collected at the in-house Melipona bee apiary. Put your tasting skills to the test and accompany your meal with agave spirits or tequila — yes, they're different — from the restaurant's wide selection.

Yucatán doesn't make tequila. The spirit is exclusively produced in the state of Jalisco (and parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas). Over time, however, it has become a pan-national symbol that inspires pride in the hearts of Mexicans. If you're in Mérida, take a detour to the former estate that now houses Chablé Yucatán near the small town of Chocholá. It's worth it to see the hotel's tequila collection and to participate in its excellent tasting experience.