Some of Oaxaca’s Most Sustainable Design Hotels
As the birthplace of some of Mexico’s most famed exports—mezcal, mole, and exuberant textiles are among the most cherished—Oaxaca has long been a bastion of culture, crafts, and multisensory artistic expression. But not all notes of this southern state’s dazzling rhapsody can be experienced outside its borders. Thankfully, with a booming hospitality scene supercharged by Mexican entrepreneurs, architects, and designers, the diverse region offers a much-needed variety of culture-focused hotels. From a crop of urbanite sanctuaries in and around UNESCO-designated Oaxaca City to a fresh smattering of eco-minded beachfront retreats, discerning travelers looking to experience Oaxaca’s many splendors finally have a litany of new design hotels to sift through. AD Mag 2021
Outside of Casa Silencio, the home of Oaxaca’s first solar-powered mezcal brand. Photo: Onnis Luque
Casa Silencio
Casa Silencio rises from Oaxaca’s only solar-powered mezcal brand, El Silencio, in the remote Xaaga Valley. More than a paean to the smoky agave spirit, this self-sustaining, six-key retreat operates with a zero-waste ethos inside and out of a striking façade composed of tapia (rammed earth), stone, glass, and reclaimed wood accents. A father-daughter duo, architect Alejandro D’Acosta and interior designer Martina D’Acosta, further grounded the property in local heritage with eccentric furnishings, ornamental textiles, and folkloric decor sourced almost exclusively from multigenerational artisans around the Oaxaca state. The culinary and mezcal tastings are exceptional, taking place on a 53-foot communal table carved from a single 17-ton slab of hand-cut basalt.
Pug Seal in central Oaxaca offers much visual intrigue.
Photo: IG / FB @pugseal JORGE OMAR MARTINEZ SOLIS
.
A short stroll from the Baroque Oaxaca Cathedral, Pug Seal Oaxaca City sparks an intriguing visual dialogue between art and architecture, weaving a mood board of design influences from indigenous Zapotec culture and the Mediterranean inside an elegant 19th-century villa. Each of the 20 rooms has cooling marble floors and patinated walls stained in deep-hued blues, oranges, and yellows. Art Deco-style furniture brings in an element of the unexpected. And although no two rooms are the same, they all open up to a central courtyard painted by muralist Rafael Uriegas with abstract Zapotec-inspired motifs and pastel shades.
A scenic living area at Casona Sforza, Puerto Escondido’s newest design hotel. Photo: (@alex.krotkov) for Casona Sforza (@casonasforza)
Grana B&B is set in a stunning restored 16th-century mansion. Camila Cossio
Named after grana cochinilla, a pre-Hispanic red dye once considered the gold of Oaxaca, Grana B&B is set in a 16th-century mansion restored by architect and owner Luis Carbonell. At the heart of the landmark is a sunny Spanish colonial patio with an antique water fountain and hammocks strung from Cantera columns that line the perimeter. Grana B&B’s 15 rooms range from standard suites to a 355-square-foot loft with a modern kitchen, each splashed with painted tiles, tropical flora in terra-cotta planters, blown glass, and wood trimmings. The property also recruits a rotation of local cooks to whip up daily breakfasts that spotlight different Oaxacan specialties, served every morning at a communal table.
The interior courtyard at Hotel Sin Nombre, in a tucked-away, UNESCO-designated region.
Despite the anonymity its name implies, Hotel Sin Nombre rather quickly became a coveted hideaway in this UNESCO-designated historic quarter, namely for its old-meets-new reinterpretation of colonial-era Oaxacan architecture. A glass-domed courtyard anchors the 17th-century mansion, which hosts 22 guest rooms exquisitely refreshed by architect João Boto Caeiro with stone floors, whitewashed walls, and wood furniture. Head to the elegant rooftop for a dip in the pool, with views of Monte Albán and the imposing Santo Domingo Church.