Quinta Real Oaxaca

Oaxaca City


As far as historic colonial hotels go, the Quinta is a five star among the five stars. The place is literally dripping with attention-grabbing details, from the multiple green patios to the knightly Don Quixote–esque decor. Built in the 16th century as a convent, in 1970 the Quinta was the first religious building in Mexico to become a hotel.

The old chapel is a banquet hall, one of the five palatial courtyards contains a swimming pool and sturdy thick stone walls help to keep the place cool. The 91 rooms are sympathetically rendered in colonial styles, with high ceilings, though the ordinary (nonmaster) suites are modestly sized. If you start to feel claustrophobic, walk the colonial corridors with the ghosts of conquistadors past.