Having once served as a vacation home for the infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, Casa Malca has a storied past. Abandoned for years after his death, this grand mansion has whispers of its history, including bulletproof walls and a hidden escape tunnel. However, its new owner, Lio Malca (an internationally renowned Colombian art collector and gallerist), completely redefined the property in 2014, transforming it into a 71-key luxury boutique hotel. The old hideaway, set within the tangled Caribbean jungle of the Riviera Maya, is now a beachfront retreat that caters to discerning travelers who value both seclusion and style.
Guests staying here will quickly realize the accommodations are as eclectic as the property’s history. With 71 rooms and suites, every space is designed with a mix of contemporary art, vintage furniture, and incredible textiles. Plush king beds make statements in the rooms, complemented by colorful Persian rugs, thick, velvet curtains, and massive headboards. Many rooms offer views of the sparkling Caribbean Sea, while others are tucked away in the tropical jungle. However, no matter which room guests pick, each one features artwork from Malca’s impressive private collection.
Beyond the rooms, the dining scene is equally impressive. Complete with three restaurants and one atmospheric bar, Casa Malca is fit for even the pickiest palette. The main restaurant, Philosophy, serves gourmet dishes that combine local ingredients with international techniques. Expect to enjoy flavorful seafood, mouthwatering meat, and fresh vegetable options. For those who want something more casual, Ambrosia has contemporary Asian cuisine. Led by Chef Jonathan Carbajal, this menu has no shortage of sushi-grade salmon, bluefin tuna, and crispy rice. For a laid-back beachfront vibe, Head of a Mad Man serves light bites and refreshing drinks just steps away from the sand. To top it all off, the sophisticated Haring Bar offers creative cocktails in an opulent setting with dark curtains, twinkling chandeliers, and Keith Haring’s original Tokyo Pop Shop wallpaper.
What’s more, three pools are available to guests–two of which are surrounded by palm trees and paired with the sounds of the sea, while another is encased in an underground cave. Comfortable daybeds, vibrant hammocks, and shaded cabanas offer spots to relax, while the Beach Tunnel, a passageway between the pool and ocean, creates a picture-perfect spot to capture any memory. Speaking of the beach, Casa Malca sits on the white sand shores of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, allowing access to the sea at any hour of the day.
Back on the property, Calma Spa provides guests with a relaxing escape. Located on the hotel’s rooftop with views of the ocean, this space offers a range of treatments inspired by a blend of modern wellness and ancient Mayan techniques. Massages, facials, and body therapies are offered, along with a hydrotherapy circuit that includes a sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool, and jacuzzi with hydromassage elements.
As one might imagine, this former mansion was not Escobar’s only real estate venture. Among his most extravagant investments was Hacienda Nápoles, a sprawling estate in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia, complete with its own zoo. Now the property is an amusement park, known as Temático Hacienda Nápoles Park. Additionally, Escobar owned La Manuela, a luxurious 20-acre waterside retreat in the resort town of Guatapé, Colombia, as well as La Casa Grande, his party house on the tiny island of Isla Grande.
One of his final properties was La Catedral, commonly known as Hotel Escobar. This luxurious property was actually Escobar’s personal prison, which he built in the early 1990s as part of a deal with the Colombian government to avoid extradition to the United States. With amenities like a giant dollhouse (creepy, we know), waterfall, and soccer field, Escobar used this place to continue running his drug empire while living in comfort, even hosting guests and holding parties. The facility’s leniency became a scandal, and after Escobar murdered two associates inside, the government attempted to move him to a standard prison, but he escaped before the transfer could happen.
Like plenty of other billionaires, the late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar liked to park his money in real estate. He had a vast property in Puerto Triunfo, Colombia, named Hacienda Nápoles, which had its own zoo and would later become an amusement park. He also took over a sparsely populated island off the coast near Cartagena and built a party castle with more than 300 rooms and a helipad.
