Luciano Noh Tzul Retires

by Lydia Linton Pontius (October 2012)

If you have visited Akumal, or more specifically Lol-Ha, in the last 16 years, you have more than likely met Luciano. He has been a fixture at Lol-Ha and has served many a drink along with many a smile, and I am sure many of you have a photo that was taken with him; I know I have several. It is with mixed emotions that we share the news about his retirement. For entirely selfish reasons we hate to see him go, but for Luciano and his family we are happy.

We, at Sac-Be.com, wish Luciano the very best in his retirement and thank him for all he has done for everyone over the years!

A few facts about Luciano:

Luciano Antonio Noh Tzul began working at Lol-Ha on Dec. 7, 1996.

He has four children, all married, and currently seven grandchildren, the oldest of whom is 16.

He is from Chankom, Yucatán, between Valladolid and Merida, but now lives in Mérida.

Here's what some of his co-workers at Lol-Ha have to say about Luciano:

Laura Bush Wolfe, Owner: "Luciano has always been a very loyal and hard worker! He showed his appreciation to us for his job in very special ways. Every year he would dedicate a mass to David and me, to give thanks for the opportunity to work with us! He was not just a dedicated hard worker, he also leads an exemplary life! He is still in excellent physical shape, working out and jogging as part of his regimen of fitness. Very commendable! We truly will miss him and hope he comes to visit us when he can."

Sam Jimenez, Bar Manager: "He was a fixture of the Snack Bar. As we said, 'A visit to Akumal was not complete without swimming with the turtles or posing for a photo with Luciano.' We wish him luck in this new chapter of his life in Mérida, close to his family."

Walter Canul, Food & Beverage Manager: "I enjoyed working with Luciano. He was attentive to the customers, and always happy and smiling."

Lazaro Sanchez, Head Waiter: "Muy agradable y amable" (Very pleasant and kind)

Rudy Romero, waiter: "One word to describe Luciano would be 'joyous.' Okay, more words ... 'young at heart.'"

Here's more about Luciano, from this interview we did several years ago for Hotel Akumal Caribe and Lol-Ha's website:

Where is he from?
Luciano is from Chankom, where he was a waiter for many years. From 1965–1975 he worked in Chichén Itzá as a bartender and as a guide for tourists and photographers. He got his high school education during this time. He then returned to Mérida and became a bartender for special events and private parties. He came to Akumal looking for something different. He enjoys traveling and he says that here he could save money; in the city he could only spend money.

Special memory
In 1965 he traveled by bus to Playa del Carmen and then drove a motorcycle from there to Tulum. He still carries the photo of himself taken during that trip. He stopped in Akumal on his way to Tulum and remembers with a smile that all that was here were lots of coconut trees and a very small kitchen. At that time of his life he traveled to many places, some he hopes to go back to.

Something people don't know
In 1962 he met Pablo Bush at Chichén Itzá. Luciano was 15 at the time and he remembers learning that Señor Bush owned this land on the coast, which he had bought in 1959. Another big coincidence is that the Bush family used to go to Mérida to the hotel where he worked. He remembers Laura Bush, Pablo's daughter and the current owner of Lol-Ha, as a small girl. When he met Laura's mother, he told her he knew her husband from Chichén Itzá. Interesting how years later he worked at Lol-Ha.

Favorite thing to do
To read books and the Reader's Digest. And, of course, to visit his family in Mérida.