Hotel Azul de Oaxaca

Mexico wasn’t exactly hurting for tourism before, but a contemporary visitor can’t help noticing a few changes about the place. Modern Mexican design, these days, is in full flight, and a new generation of hotels leaves the old stereotypes (rebuilt ruins, tequila-soaked students) a distant memory. Among them is Hotel Casa Azul de Oaxaca, a tiny boutique in the Oaxacan city center that’s a quiet showcase for the city’s modern design scene.

Its suites were designed by Francisco Toledo, Ruben Leyva, Jose Villalobos, Luis Zárate, and the collective Fríjol Parado. Architect Hector Esrawe renovated the once crumbling building along with his firm Tres Manos Arquitectura, and all of the graphic design for the hotel is produced by local artists from Sociedad Anónima. The attention given to working with local artists means more than simply that Hotel Casa Azul de Oaxaca is just a well-designed hotel; it is a statement about the importance of Mexican design in the international landscape.

Every element of hotel Casa Azul de Oaxaca has been conceptualized and produced by a Mexican artist. From the lobby, to the rooms, to the menu with Oaxacan specialties like shrimp in yellow mole, and the films that play in the hotel’s screening room, the Casa Azul radiates the unabashed cool that comes from embracing an ancient culture and re-envisioning its place within the current aesthetic landscape. Cooly shadowed walkways leading to patios, cactus, and hidden retreats within the walls of Hotel Casa Azul de Oaxaca make for an environment open to the interpretation of each guest’s personal experience. Once hidden, the dominance of Oaxacan design is only a stay away.


How to get there:
Hotel Casa Azul de Oaxaca is located 17km (30 minutes) from the Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), Km 7.5, Oaxaca - Puerto Angel, Santa Cruz, 71230 Oaxaca, Oax., Mexico. Transfers can be organized for MX$450 for up to 2 guests or MX$600 from 3 to 7 guests.