🙛 H A C I E N D A 🙙

SAC CHICH

CASA DE MAQUINAS & CASA SISAL

Selling & Informing the Yucatan Dream

Branding and building the digital debut for a 19th-century industrial plantation turned luxury retreat.

Project Context

Role: Lead Designer & Brand Strategist (Remote)
The Scope: 30+ pages detailing four distinct rental options and the surrounding Yucatan culture.
Platform: WordPress
Status: Legacy Project (2010 - 2020)
Project Type: Greenfield Build
Industry: Hospitality
The Subject: An 1850s Henequen (Agave fiber) processing plant renovated into a world-class luxury compound.

Strategic Evolution: 2010–2020

This case study documents the brand’s digital debut following the complete architectural restoration of the estate. the digital strategy served as the anchor for their commercial online growth.

Website Launch (2010): The initial digital framework translates the physical restoration into a market-ready hospitality brand, introducing the estate to the international luxury Hospitality sectors outside of 3rd-party marketplaces.

Operational Scaling: Between 2010 and 2020, the platform evolves to manage increasing operational complexity, moving from a simple rental presence to a sophisticated 5-product revenue model.

Foundation for Growth: The strategy established during this decade provides the narrative and structural baseline upon which the brand continues to grow and iterate in its current live environment.

Design Authority & Legacy Context

This case study represents the foundational work designed by stratiSphere. It is distinct from the current live site at haciendasacchich.com, which reflects a subsequent phase of design and management. This archival record highlights the resilient information architecture that supported a decade of high-yield commercial performance.

Visual Documentation DisclaimerThe architectural photography and historical brand assets (screenshots) featured in this case study represent the original 2010–2020 project period. To maintain a high-fidelity narrative while protecting the current privacy of the estate, certain supplemental environmental visuals and interface mockups have been generated using AI for illustrative purposes. These digital recreations are used to demonstrate the strategic intent, user experience flow, and "Digital Concierge" model established during the original build without relying on outdated or low-resolution archival captures.

The 5-Product Challenge

A need to craft a digital hierarchy for five revenue streams that is mostly based on how many bedrooms are needed:

Casa Antigua: Can be rented solo. Mix of Trad. and Contemporary.
Casa Antigua & Casa Nueva: Nueva cannot be rented solo.
Casa Sisal: Can be rented solo. Contemporary Villa
The Event Grounds: Can be rented solo
The Entire Estate: Casa Antigua, Nueva, Sisal, and the Events Grounds

The solution: a 'Choose Your Journey' interface that allows users to self-segment based on their needs—whether they are 'Dreamers' looking for a villa or 'Planners' looking for a 150-person wedding venue, or all of the above.

Commercial Ecosystem

Adaptive Reuse in Practice

Hacienda Sac Chich functions as a multi-industry legacy project, where architectural restoration serves as the primary engine for luxury real estate, hospitality, and event programming. By integrating 19th-century industrial ruins with award-winning contemporary design, the estate captures value across three distinct sectors: as a high-yield residential asset, a boutique destination for "slow travel," and a premier venue for private events. This strategic synergy demonstrates how design-led preservation can transform an abandoned industrial site into a resilient, multi-sector commercial brand.

Hospitality & Experiential Travel

The hospitality vertical focuses on the "slow travel" market, positioning the Hacienda as a premier boutique destination rather than a standard rental. The digital strategy utilizes a "Digital Concierge" model, providing guests with deep contextual information on Yucatecan culture, regional cenotes, and the estate’s unique flora. By emphasizing the immersive experience of living within a restored industrial ruin, the brand captures the high-end demographic seeking authenticity and design-led travel.

Events & Destination Management

The event management sector serves as a high-value revenue stream, catering to the destination wedding and corporate retreat markets. To support this industry, the platform functions as a "Planner’s Hub," featuring an expansive repository of galleries and venue overviews. This allows professional planners and clients to remotely evaluate the site’s 150-person capacity and spatial flow, streamlining the logistical transition from digital inquiry to on-site execution.

Real Estate & Asset Strategy

The real estate pillar emphasizes the property’s value as a significant architectural asset and a masterpiece of adaptive reuse. By highlighting the synthesis of 19th-century colonial structures and award-winning contemporary design, the strategy positions the estate as a benchmark for luxury property in the Mérida region. This focus on "Asset Authority" appeals to the exclusive-use market and high-net-worth investors, framing the Hacienda as a resilient, long-term legacy investment.

The Strategy

The "Nested" Brand Experience

The system attempts to mirror the renovation itself -- structuring the site so users can "dial in" from the history of the factory to the specific details of their room.

Strategic Information Architecture

The menu structure reflects the "Exclusive Use" buyout strategy by categorizing the property into distinct functional zones:

Events-First Approach: A dedicated link for the Weddings & Events page address the primary high-value market.
Architectural Granularity: The Details page and Casa-specific menus (Casa de Maquinas & Casa Sisal) allow users to explore the contrast between the 19th-century ruins and contemporary minimalism.
Rich Media Integration: Categorizing the Gallery into Videos, Yucatan-specific content, and property-specific albums ensures the "cinematic brand" remains at the forefront.

The "Dual-Voice" Navigation

The interplay between the Playfair Display headers and Muli menu items creates a functional elegance:

The Anchor: The top-level categories provide the historical and emotional "hooks" (About, Weddings, Yucatan).
The Action: The sub-menus provide the utility and planning data (Rates, Amenities, Room Details), ensuring a frictionless path to inquiry or booking.

Performance-Driven UX

Given the "jungle connectivity" constraints, this dropdown system provides a lightweight alternative to complex, asset-heavy navigation overlays. It ensures that guests on-site or planners abroad can access specific property data—such as Room Details or Venue Overviews, with minimal latency, maintaining the "Exclusive Use" authority regardless of the user's device or signal strength.

Navigation as a Map: A tiered menu that allows guests to explore "The Factory" as a whole, then "drill down" into the specific amenities of the two houses within it. This ensures a guest understands they are part of a larger historic site while having their own private contempory spaces.

HOME

ABOUT

WEDDINGS & EVENTS:

MINGLE AREAS
VENUE OVERVIEW
CEREMONY AREAS
COUPLES - Over 10 couples galleries

DETAILS

ROOM DETAILS
AMENITIES
CASA DE MAQUINAS
- CASA ANTIGUA
- CASA NUEVA
CASA SISAL

GALLERY

VIDEOS
YUCATAN
CASA SISAL
CASA DE MAQUINAS
WEDDINGS

RATES

REVIEWS

CONTACT

The Brand Identity

Synthesizing History & Heritage

Since the property was being introduced to the digital market (outside of venues like VRBO and AirB&B) for the first time, creation of a visual mark was key, for it needed to feel both ancient and established.

The Logo: A Synthesis of Two Cultures

The wordmark is designed to be a direct reflection of the property’s physical and cultural architecture.

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SAC CHICH

CASA DE MAQUINAS & CASA SISAL

The Linguistics (Mayan Roots): The brand name honors the land’s indigenous roots. "Sac" (Mayan for White) and "Chich" (referring to the limestone/gravel terrain) describe the very materials used to build the estate. By focusing the brand identity on these elements, the logo becomes an extension of the soil itself.

The Iconography (Spanish Colonial): The primary brand mark features a stylized silhouette of the roof-corner turret found on the original factory. This architectural feature was a specific point of inspiration for the client, it represents the Spanish Colonial Revival legacy of the 19th-century processing plant and serves as a literal "beacon" for the estate.

The Typography (Nested Wordmark): Designed a custom nested wordmark, stacking "Hacienda" above "Sac Chich." This nesting provides a sturdy, architectural balance to the logo, mirroring the stacked limestone blocks of the layers of the turret.

Typographic Contrast: Used a bold, classic Serif to anchor the Casa de Maquinas (The Factory) brand, while using varying weights of Sans-Serif to distinguish the Antigua and Nueva options.

The Present (Muli): The clean sans-serif and airy layout reflect the contemporary Casa Sisal, emphasizing the clarity and minimalism of the new architecture.

The Past (Playfair Display): The serif typography and the detailed turret icon ground the brand in the historic Casa de Maquinas, honoring the weight and texture of the ruins.

The Digital Evolution

Success hinged on a complete digital transformation. Transitioning from fragmented third-party listings to a centralized, bespoke platform captured the "buyout" market. This shift moved the property beyond a simple rental and established it as a premier luxury destination.

Remote Brand Strategy

Executing a high-level brand strategy from a distance required a deep synthesis of architectural site plans and stakeholder vision. Every design decision stemmed from a virtual mapping of the property, ensuring the digital user journey felt as intuitive as walking through the physical grounds.

Technical UX & Connectivity

Jungle connectivity dictated the technical architecture. Mobile-First UX meant prioritizing high-speed performance and aggressive asset compression. These optimizations ensured the "Digital Concierge" remained functional for guests on-site, providing a frictionless experience regardless of local network limitations.

The Unified Design System

The brand identity anchors in the physical reality of the site. A "White Limestone" palette—composed of soft off-whites and stony grays—marries with deep "Jungle" greens to evoke the Yucatan landscape. Presenting these elements alongside the Playfair Display and Muli typography demonstrates a calculated balance of historical weight and modern clarity.

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SAC CHICH

CASA DE MAQUINAS & CASA SISAL

By combining the colonial turret, Mayan name, and the contemporary Mexican Architecture, the brand identity bridges the gap between the property's three eras. It tells the story of the "White Limestone" estate before a guest even sees a photograph. The turret was selected as the primary icon because of its unique silhouette and the sense of "guardianship" it provides to the site.

Understanding the User

A Three-Phase Experience

For a remote luxury rental, the website had to serve three distinct user "states."

This was done to meet the changing needs of the guest as they moved from curiosity to arrival.

"Not there..."

1. The "Dreamer"

(Potential Guest)

Who they are: High-net-worth travelers, destination wedding planners, families, couples, and or architecture enthusiasts.
Their Goal: To find a unique, high-prestige location that offers more than a standard hotel experience.
How the site serves them: The Homepage Slideshow and Cinematic Galleries provide the emotional "sell." I used high-impact imagery to prove the luxury of the contemporary interiors while highlighting the "bragging rights" of staying in a 19th-century industrial plant.

"Not there...yet!"

2. The "Planner"

(Committed Guest)

Who they are: Someone who has booked (or is about to book) and is now managing the logistics of a group or event.
Their Goal: To understand the specific layout of the factory suites (Antigua & Nueva) versus the standalone villa (Sisal).
How the site serves them: This user needs the Information Hub. I designed detailed Amenity Lists, Rate Guides, and Yucatan Context pages so they could plan their trip, coordinate room assignments, and understand travel logistics without needing to contact the owner for every detail.

"Okay we're here... now what?

3. The "Resident"

(On-Site Guest)

Who they are: Guests currently staying at the Hacienda who want to explore the full extent of the property or the local town.
Their Goal: Quick access to information about their surroundings and the "how-to" of the estate.
How the site serves them: A Mobile-First UX was essential here. I ensured that even with local jungle connectivity, the site was optimized for speed, allowing guests to use it as a "Digital Concierge" to find details about the flora, the history of the factory turret, or local town recommendations.

Homepage Design

with a Purpose

Strategic Information Architecture: Intent-Based Filtering

The estate presents a complex 5 option rental model that requires a streamlined entry point to prevent user overwhelm. To manage this, the homepage acts as a Visual Table of Contents, immediately branching traffic into three primary intent-based "gates." The weddings & events, Casa De maquinas, and or Casa Sisal. The rent all option is always made available. The chain of entry is also based on Season and bedrooms as specific neccessities.

UX Structure: Sell vs. Inform

A long-scroll format balances two distinct user states:

The Dreamer (Top): High-impact, emotional visuals focusing on atmosphere and light.
The Planner (Bottom): Functional data, including rates, logistics, and direct booking access.

Tiered Navigation: Intent-Based Filtering

The "5-in-1" rental model is simplified through three primary "gates" that bifurcate traffic based on user intent:

Weddings & Events: The path for planners and large-scale inquiries.
Casa Antigua: The historic experience, which later introduces Casa Nueva as a nested expansion.
Casa Sisal: The contemporary, standalone villa path.
The Global Anchor: The Full Estate Buyout remains a persistent option across all journeys to capture high-value leads.

The Visual "One-Two Punch"

The homepage slideshow resolves the "Industrial vs. Luxury" paradox through choreographed imagery. By pairing the grand scale of the 19th-century exteriors with contemporary, comfortable & elegant interiors, the brand story is told without copy—promising historic character without sacrificing modern comfort.

illustrative purposes only

Trust & Authority

To establish immediate credibility for international guests, the layout positions global accolades—such as Architectural Digest and The New York Times—above the fold. This validates the property’s prestige before the user engages with the content. This image is used for conceptual purposes only.

The Details Hub

Strategic Utility

The Details page serves as the analytical core of the platform, transitioning the user from visual interest to actionable planning. By centralizing technical data, the interface addresses the logistical complexities of the 2-acre estate.

Interactive Spatial Mapping

An interactive map clarifies the relationship between the 19th-century ruins and the modern villas. This tool provides essential spatial context for the "Exclusive Use" buyout strategy, demonstrating how various groups occupy the compound simultaneously.

Segmented Amenities

Property details are categorized into distinct specifications for Casa de Maquinas and Casa Sisal. This granular approach manages guest expectations by distinguishing between the historical factory suites and the contemporary minimalist residence.

The "Digital Concierge" (Excursions)

Dedicated sections for local cenotes and cultural trips position the Hacienda as a regional gateway. This content caters to the "slow travel" demographic, moving the brand beyond a simple rental listing into an experiential travel resource.

Logistical FAQ

A comprehensive FAQ minimizes booking paralysis by proactively addressing seasonal variations, travel logistics, and estate policies. This establishes a high "Trust" factor for international guests and streamlines the path to inquiry.

Design Impact

Information Architecture

The architecture of this section balances high-end "dreaming" with the functional requirements of a "Planner." While the homepage emphasizes atmosphere, the Details page delivers the utility necessary for a committed guest to coordinate room assignments and logistics. This strategic bifurcation ensures the brand remains premium while functioning as a comprehensive planning tool.

The Event Ecosystem

From Vision to Logistics

The Weddings and Events interface serves as a dual-purpose portal, balancing the "Dreamer’s" need for inspiration with the "Planner’s" requirement for data. By segmenting the property into four strategic sub-sections, the design facilitates a transition from abstract interest to committed inquiry.

Mingle Areas: Showcases the social flow and "pre-event" atmosphere, highlighting bars and courtyards for cocktail hours.

Venue Overview: Provides the logistical anchor for professional planners, delivering essential technical data and spatial context.

Ceremony Areas: Prioritizes cinematic backdrops to drive emotional decision-making while clarifying site capacities.

Couples (Social Proof): Offers a collection of often intimate momentss between two people who shared a special time together aat the hacienda. This serves to inspire and promote.

Strategic Impact

This "Planner's Hub" framework ensures that while the dreamer is captivated by the "Yucatan Dream" narrative, the planner is simultaneously equipped with the amenities, rates, and room details necessary for logistical coordination. This approach reduces cognitive load and qualifies leads by providing comprehensive property data upfront.

The Gallery

Visual Exploration & Spatial Navigation

GALLERY

VIDEOS
YUCATAN
CASA SISAL
CASA DE MAQUINAS
WEDDINGS

OVERVIEW

Here we have the primary visual engine for the estate, utilizing a high-contrast, dark interface to prioritize the photography. This section functions as a non-linear digital tour, allowing users to move from abstract interest to spatial understanding.

Immersive Viewing Area

A large central stage is dedicated to the active photograph, maximizing visual impact and allowing for detailed inspection of the property’s textures and design.

Integrated Thumbnail Filmstrip

A horizontal navigation bar at the bottom provides a clear overview of the available visual catalog. This allows users to jump directly to specific areas of interest (e.g., the historical chimney or interior lounges) without forced linear progression.

Utility and Social Header

The top of the frame houses a functional toggleable toolbar containing social sharing icons (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.), an information toggle, and playback controls, keeping these actions accessible but secondary to the imagery.

Spatial Context Labels

Small, unobtrusive watermarks in the bottom-right corner of the images (e.g., "Casa de Maquinas") provide the user with immediate context regarding which part of the estate they are viewing.

Functional Logic of the Gallery Plugin Choice

The strategic intent of this layout is to facilitate "Visual Foraging." By placing the thumbnail strip at the bottom, the interface provides a persistent "map" of the gallery, reducing cognitive load by showing the user exactly where they are in the collection. The arrow navigation at the edges of the filmstrip suggests a guided tour, while the direct clickability of thumbnails supports user autonomy.

Rates Page

The Challenge: Overcoming "Booking Paralysis"

The original Rates page acted as a barrier rather than a bridge. By presenting every rental option, seasonal variation, and legal policy in a dense, multi-column grid, the interface forced the user to do the "work" of calculating costs. This high cognitive load often leads to user drop-off during the final stages of the funnel.

Typographic Hierarchy

I replaced the cluttered tables with large, elegant serif pricing. This immediately signals a luxury "Trust" factor and makes the core data—the cost—unmissable.

Logical Segmentation

The rental options are now grouped by "Year Round" and "Holiday Season" blocks. This allows the user to self-select their travel window first, reducing irrelevant data.

The "Clean Sweep"

By removing the dense legal text regarding cancellations, deposits, and gratuities from the primary view, the interface breathes. These technical details were moved further down the page, allowing the "Dreamer" to remain in an emotional state while the "Planner" still has access to necessary logistics.

The Solution: A Minimalist "Inform" Layer

The redesign (as seen in the "New Version" screenshot below) focuses on Visual Weight and Progressive Disclosure. The terms and conditions are best hidden inside a togglable box so not to distract the Dreamer. These can be referred to in an email or other such communication.

Strategic Outcome

By simplifying the "5-in-1" rental model into two distinct visual blocks—Casa de Maquinas and Casa Sisal—the new architecture clarifies the property’s complexity. The resulting page functions as a digital concierge: it provides exactly what the user needs to make a decision without the friction of "Information Overload."

Original Design

Simplified Design

Final Evolution

This version also included a toggleable box for terms and conditions for the users reference. There was also a "book now" button. (not featured in this mockup)

The "Reviews" Page

Verification of Status

The screenshots of the original website demonstrate that the Reviews page was designed as a repository of third-party validation. Also hosting standard user-generated reviews in a cycling quote scroller that faded in and out, the page focuses on high-level professional accolades and media features.

On first Glance...

Architectural Pedigree

The page prominently featured its 1st Place International Architectural Award from the 2011 CEMEX Building Awards for Casa Sisal. This establishes the property not just as a rental, but as a masterpiece of design.

Media Saturation

The "Printed Publications" section uses a grid of recognizable covers (e.g., Architectural Digest, Traveler, New York Magazine) to create a "wall of trust and authenticity".

Social Proof through Association

By listing "Online Publications" like Design Boom and HuffPost, the brand aligns itself with modern lifestyle and design influencers.

User Voice

Individual guest quotes, such as the testimonial from "Bill & Michaela," provide a personal, human touch to the otherwise high-concept architectural branding.

Reviews - The Validation Hub & Interactive Archive

Overview

The "Reviews" section functioned as the property’s central credibility engine. It transitioned the user journey from visual appreciation to objective verification by aggregating international accolades, global press coverage, and guest testimonials.

The Evidence-Based Experience

Unlike standard static lists, this page served as a primary source library. The integration of interactive elements allowed for a high level of user engagement.

Interactive Scans

Utilizing a flip-book plugin, the "Printed Publications" section allowed users to virtually browse scanned pages from magazines like Architectural Digest and Hacienda Style.

Live-Link Authentication

The "Online Publications" section featured direct links to external articles and features, such as Design Boom and HuffPost, enabling real-time verification of the property's media footprint.

Global Recognition:

The architectural pedigree was anchored by the 1st Place International Architectural Award from the XX CEMEX Building Awards, establishing the estate as a landmark of design.

Functional Intent

The strategic goal of this architecture was to minimize "booking hesitation." By providing the actual scans of the press and direct links to live articles, the site effectively moved users through the Evaluation Phase. The guest testimonials provided a human counterpoint to the professional awards, balancing high-design prestige with lived experience.

The Contact Page

The final conversion point

Designed to transform abstract interest into a qualified booking lead. By utilizing a comprehensive, intent-based form, the interface captures critical logistical data while maintaining the brand's premium, high-touch aesthetic.

Granular Data Capture: By requiring specific fields like "Party Size" and "Which Property," the interface reduces back-and-forth communication, ensuring the owner receives all data necessary to provide an accurate quote or availability check.

Visual Trust & Continuity: The inclusion of a large, high-impact architectural photograph maintains the "Yucatan Dream" narrative even during the utility-focused task of filling out a form.

Design Impact: The "Anti-Spam" Integration

The interface utilizes a lightweight CAPTCHA system to ensure lead quality without introducing significant user friction. This technical choice balances the need for security with the requirement for a smooth, high-end user experience, particularly important for international users navigating the site from varied connection speeds.

Frictionless Accessibility: Clear, categorized contact info provides an alternative for users who prefer direct communication via phone or social media, accommodating various user behaviors.

Conclusion

A Foundation for Legacy

The digital framework for Hacienda Sac Chich represents a decade of strategic evolution, successfully launching a Greenfield project into the competitive international luxury market. By balancing the "Dreamer" journey with the "Planner" utility, the platform establishes a benchmark for luxury adaptive reuse in the Yucatan region.

The Final Impact

Market Position

The brand strategy successfully positions the estate as a premier boutique destination, moving beyond standard vacation rentals.

Conversion Logic

The intent-based navigation and "Digital Concierge" model reduce inquiry friction, ensuring that leads reach the point of contact with high pre-qualified intent.

Brand Resilience

The synthesis of 19th-century industrial ruins and contemporary design creates a durable visual identity that continues to define the estate's commercial presence.

The Legacy Summary

This project serves as a primary case study in how design-led preservation transforms abandoned industrial sites into resilient, multi-sector commercial brands. The work performed between 2010 and 2020 provides the structural and narrative foundation that allows the Hacienda to remain a significant architectural and hospitality asset today.

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