Hotel Palacio de Los Navas

The old building has some wear and tear, but this cute hotel was a real gem for the price. The staff were incredibly helpful, and the location made it easy to walk to everything, including great restaurants and bars. It was quiet at night, too. I go to bed early, well before closing time, and couldn’t hear the nightlife outside, even from the first floor. I slept solidly every night.

Palacio de los Navas has a lot of charm, with a central courtyard and little fountain, and it feels like it could belong in Oaxaca. It was built in the 16th century, and has a historic character that evokes Spain’s colonial days. Our room was very comfortable, had a modern bathroom, and was well priced. There are a dozen restaurants on the same street. The major sites are no more than a 30-minute walk away, but the route is uphill. The #32 bus is cheap, at 1.60, and taxis aren’t much more, around 5.00, so I’d save myself the hike unless I enjoyed a challenging climb. Book Alhambra tickets a month ahead because they sell out. If you forget, they release a few tickets at midnight for the next day, and trying that worked for me. If you’re very sensitive to noise, this might not be the place for you. But if you like a charming historic hotel in the heart of a lively city, don’t go to bed early, or don’t mind earplugs, you can’t do better than Palacio de los Navas.

The area was a real plus, with plenty of good places to eat nearby and the Alhambra an easy-ish walk away. We had to head off early because of train problems, but while we were there the room was lovely, clean, and nicely designed.

The rooms were adequate, but noise came through from next door and from the busy streets. Breakfast landed somewhere between bad and good, and the location wasn’t much help: mostly touristy bars nearby, while the better parts of town were over a kilometer away. I’ve been bikepacking around Spain for a couple of weeks, and this was easily my worst hotel stay, stars aside. Bringing my bike, which was technically my only bag, seemed to annoy the receptionist. Every interaction felt unpleasant and negative, as though I was inconveniencing her just by being there. I can’t say why she reacted that way, but I felt like I had to walk on eggshells every time I entered the hotel.