OYO Hotel Emperador, Oaxaca

The place gave me the feeling of being locked in a cell the moment I opened the door. The layout has a central ceiling window with rooms on either side, and the whole building seemed like a typical American prison. Even a real cell might be cleaner. At check-in they gave us a soap bar, a toilet paper roll, and a smelly towel. There’s no elevator, so you may have to haul your bags up to the second floor. Inside, the bedding was dirty, the floor filthy, the ceilings grimy, paint peeling off the walls, and the door had only half glazing. The bathroom looked like the back room of a gas station nobody had cared for. Hot water was only a distant hope. The sink had old, ingrained dirt, the faucet leaked in every direction, and rust made elaborate patterns that an artist might appreciate more than I did. Nothing crawled out and attacked me, but I had a strong feeling I wouldn’t be alone in that room overnight. Even homeless shelters have hot water. This place needs a proper sanitary inspection and perhaps should be closed as a precaution. I strongly advise against staying. The three-star rating is a sadistic, unfunny joke.

The rooms are tiny and old, but they were clean. The towels felt like sandpaper, and the covers were rough and stiff too. It’s a decent price if all you need is a few hours’ rest, or a place to wait until you find somewhere nicer and quieter.

The Wi-Fi was pretty good, and the showers had hot water. We were too tired to go find somewhere else, so we stayed, but it’s rough for the price. The rooms are cramped, and the noise from the metal doors clanking really does feel like a prison. My friend and I joked that it was exactly the kind of prison-like place other reviews describe. The blankets are still rough, and those old reviews don’t seem to have led to any changes. They appear to answer criticism with some kind of form letter. The location is great, but if a pseudo-prison stay isn’t your thing, I’d look elsewhere.

The bed was lumpy, the fan thick with dust, and there was hair everywhere. They hadn’t even emptied the bathroom trash. It was filthy and cramped, so I left after one night despite booking longer. Just don’t go.