Federal Judge Returns Chichén Itzá Hotels Mayaland and The Lodge to Businessman Rodolfo Rosas Moya

Yucatán, Mexico — A federal judge has overturned a previous court decision and ordered the return of two iconic hotels near the Chichén Itzá archaeological site to businessman Rodolfo Rosas Moya, reigniting a multimillion-dollar legal battle.

The Fourth District Court in Yucatán issued the ruling, reversing a June 2025 decision by a local court in Quintana Roo. The new order restores Rosas Moya’s possession of the Mayaland and The Lodge at Chichén Itzá hotels, historic tourism complexes linked to the region’s development.

To execute the judicial resolution, authorities deployed a security operation led by Yucatán’s Public Security Department officers, who ensured a peaceful transition of the facilities and supervised the handover process. Lawyers for the involved parties and personnel conducting administrative audits and verifications also participated in the proceedings.

According to litigants, the federal resolution is considered definitive at this stage of the litigation, meaning the hotels would no longer be under the control of businessman Fernando Barbachano Herrero, who has not yet issued a public statement regarding this new judicial setback.

The Origin of the Multimillion-Dollar Conflict

The legal dispute between the two businessmen dates back to 2020, when Barbachano Herrero sold the hotel complex to Rodolfo Rosas Moya for a total of $10 million through a purchase-sale contract that included a $500,000 earnest money guarantee and an initial payment of $4.5 million at the time of signing and possession transfer.

The agreement also contemplated two subsequent payments: one of $1.5 million within 60 days and another of $4 million at the time of formalizing the public deed. However, the conflict began when, according to Rosas Moya’s version, the seller did not provide bank details to complete the second payment and later declared the contract rescinded.

In response, Rosas Moya filed complaints for fraud and dispossession with the Quintana Roo Prosecutor’s Office and initiated legal actions in commercial matters to recover his investment. The case resulted in multiple judicial resolutions, operations to secure the properties, and a complex legal battle between both parties.

A Historic Hotel in the Heart of Chichén Itzá

The Mayaland Hotel, one of the properties in dispute, holds deep historical significance for the region. Its original construction dates to 1923 and occupies approximately 250,000 square meters near Chichén Itzá, an area declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The Lodge at Chichén Itzá is a more recent hotel development, though it also forms part of the same tourism complex that for decades has been one of the most emblematic lodging points for national and international visitors to the archaeological site.

With this new federal ruling, the dispute over these historic hotels returns to the center of public and judicial attention in the Yucatán Peninsula, highlighting a multimillion-dollar legal battle that has involved courts from different states, ministerial authorities, and security operations to execute judicial resolutions.