A Look at 7 of Oaxaca’s Most Striking and Sustainable Design Hotels

These eco-minded retreats offer the best of both worlds 
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A scenic living area at Casona Sforza, Puerto Escondido’s newest design hotel. Photo: (@alex.krotkov) for Casona Sforza (@casonasforza)

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.

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

Pug Seal Oaxaca City

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 view from Monte Uzulu. 

Photo: Manuel Zúñiga (@manuelzuniga) for Monte Uzulu (@monteuzulu)

Monte Uzulu

Nestled in the fishing hamlet of San Agustinillo, Monte Uzulu was dreamed up by Mexican architecture firm At-te and studio Taller Lu ́um as a “conscious luxury” retreat on Oaxaca’s jungle-fringed coastline. The thatched-roofed property’s name is derived from the Zapotec word for the beginning, reflecting founder Alan Favero’s mission to respect the surrounding ecosystem: Life that predates humanity. Monte Uzulu is principally constructed of natural materials like soil, wood, and dried palms, and features recycling systems that reduce its environmental footprint. All 11 guest rooms act as serene spaces for contemplation and reconnecting with nature, with sweeping ocean vistas serving as a surefire catalyst.

An outdoor seating nook at Casona Sforza in Puerto Escondido. 

ALEX KROTKOV

Casona Sforza

Puerto Escondido’s newest design hotel is a stitchless collaboration between entrepreneur Ezequiel Ayarza Sforza and Mexico City architect Alberto Kalach of Tax Architects. Casona Sforza’s hallmark feature is the asymmetric brick arches that oscillate like a dragon’s back. The volumes were designed to be as functional as they are visually striking: The vaulted design is earthquake-proof, and the locally sourced yellow brick reflects sunlight to keep interiors cool without the need for A.C. The clutch of buildings houses 11 individually styled guest suites with private terraces, a restaurant, and a bar that opens onto a circular swimming pool and the Pacific in the distance.

The interior courtyard at Hotel Sin Nombre, in a tucked-away, UNESCO-designated region. 

Hotel Sin Nombre

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.

Escondido Oaxaca is a beachfront go-to for surfers. 

Escondido Oaxaca

As the urban counterpart of Grupo Habita’s beachfront retreat in surf hot spot Puerto Escondido, Escondido Oaxaca adapts the brand’s signature coastal swish to the frenetic city center. Part of the property, including four guest rooms, a restaurant, and a bar, sits inside a rehabbed 19th-century family home capped with a rooftop pool. A contemporary concrete tower was built to house the remaining eight rooms, which boast either a private patio or balcony. Inside, walls are rendered with a rustic stucco, and floors feature green cement tiles that reference Cantera, a green-tinted rock quarried in Oaxaca. Mexican design studio Decada Muebles filled the interiors almost exclusively with pieces crafted by local artisans to create a timeless sense of place, including minimalist furniture custom-made with Sabino wood from Mexican cypress trees.

Grana B&B is set in a stunning restored 16th-century mansion.

Camila Cossio

Grana B&B

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.