Hotel Casa las Mercedes

Everything's within walking distance, and the employees are very nice and friendly. But the noise was a real problem: the walls are paper thin, and I could hear everything outside my room. They also charged for everything. I arrived at 7 a.m., but check-in wasn't until 3 and they had no room, so they held my luggage while we went for breakfast. When we returned around noon, it still wasn't ready. I ended up paying an extra 500$mx to get the room, though at other hotels this is usually a courtesy. Then my key card broke in half the night before checkout. They charged me 100$mx and still made me hand over the old card. Unexpected, but oh well.

A handy little feature was not having to deal with bulky keys or odd rules about returning them. The hotel was good value, with comfortable rooms and beds, and the courtyard and rooftop patio were lovely. Staff were friendly and helpful. It's close to zocalo and restaurants. The air conditioning worked well, and the showers had warm water.

The room was comfortable, and the center Plaza is about five blocks away. But I've stayed all over Mexico, and to me a "free breakfast" means a meal. Here it was two slices of plain toast and a cup of coffee, which I don't consider breakfast.

We had a very pleasant five-night stay, with really nice, friendly staff. We used several hotel services, including laundry, airport transfers, and breakfast. It's about a 15-minute walk from central Oaxaca, so whether that suits you depends on how much walking you're up for.