Casa Melina, a Restored Oasis Under the Mexican Sun
The Todos Santos hotel mixes the old and the new on Mexico's Pacific coast.
Concealed behind a simple façade in the historic town of Todos Santos, Mexico, lies Casa Melina—a boutique stay waiting to be discovered. A restored 19th-century sugar cane hacienda, Casa Melina was created by Mexican Canadian chef Ernesto Kut Gomez as a place to both unwind and experience the beauty of this desert region.
Gomez retained as much of the existing structure as possible when creating Casa Melina. He worked closely with architect Yashar Yektajo to bring his vision to life, creating a property that fuses architectural history with laid-back brutalist-inspired design.
“We tried to keep as much of what was there was possible—not just the actual original, but every layer of what happened. This house has had different interventions over time, and somehow it all works together,” Gomez says. “Every day I find out new things about the house.”
These layers of the past are evident upon exploring Casa Melina. Original beams that could be salvaged were repurposed into a coffee table. The property’s columns and arches were part of the original structure, which Gomez found evidence of in photographs from the early 19th century. Exposed-brick walls feature in the villa’s bedrooms, offering another reminder of the building’s history. A section of faded plaster on the walls was kept, giving the impression of an abstract art piece against the brick.
“When I first bought the property, it was essentially a ruin,” Gomez explains. “I spent a lot of time there—I called it camping—which really helped me get to know the space and conceptualize what it could be. There are things you can learn about a place that only come through observation—seeing how the sun moves or where the light hits.”
Beyond restoring the abandoned buildings, Gomez also constructed a tower on the property to offer views onto Todos Santos town and the surrounding landscape. Rather than an imposition on the original structure, the tower instead feels like a natural extension of the space. To bring in warmth and soften the concrete building, the door and window frames are made from tornillo wood. A spiral staircase leads to a rooftop terrace for enjoying the pastel sunsets and gazing at the stars above.
Casa Melina offers five suites, each thoughtfully decorated to instill a welcoming and calming atmosphere. The interiors also include custom furnishings created in collaboration with Gomez’s partner, designer Ellen Odegaard, including a sculptural dining table in the tower and a sun-inspired bed frame.
A courtyard centres the property, with a saltwater pool for refreshing dips in the Bajan sun, and loungers and a large table—also designed by Odegaard—serve as outdoor gathering spaces. The courtyard also features an outdoor kitchen, intended for long-table dinners and to share meals with family and friends, and edible plants in the garden.
Casa Melina is also envisioned as a destination for community-focused events and residencies. Beyond serving as a gathering space, the house aims to contribute to the community by retaining an important part of the region’s architectural legacy, underlying the value of restoring and preserving historical structures.
“I really wanted to do something that could inspire people. Old buildings are knocked down far too easily,” Gomez says. “Casa Melina was originally a ruin, but look at it now. I wanted to show how there’s value in taking your time to create something that inspires people to respect buildings and landscape.”
By keeping what can be kept and repairing what can be repaired a resonant beauty comes through—one that fluidly embeds the present within the past.
Photography by Fernando Marroquin.
