Terrestre, a Member of Design Hotels

The hammam felt carelessly maintained when we booked it. The water was dirty, used towels from the previous guests were still there, there were no clean towels for us or drinking water, and melted candle wax was stuck on the branches. The place photographs beautifully and is very Instagram-friendly, but the stay felt seriously overpriced and underwhelming. As listed on Google, it lacks the basics for a 4-star hotel, let alone a 5-star one. I think it wouldn’t have been so disappointing if it were marketed and priced as a three-star hotel. The property is about 45 minutes to an hour outside town. Water access is very limited: there are only small pitchers in the rooms and a few around the grounds, which isn’t enough in the heat. A full bottle costs $10 USD, or you have to bike 10 minutes off-property. Bugs are expected here, but the hotel doesn’t sell bug spray, and the small “micro” bottle provided didn’t work. There are no mosquito nets over the beds, and we woke up with blood spots on the sheets from bites. The beach has very large, rough waves. Although surfing appears in the hotel’s marketing, surfing isn’t actually possible on this stretch. The luxury eco-resort image feels misleading, since many things seemed run-down. Staff could use hospitality training, food choices are limited and overpriced, and all the missing details add up. The overall experience didn’t feel luxurious.

We fell in love with Mazapán, one of the restaurant cats, and almost took him home. Instead, we’ll come back to visit him. The food and service were superb, with everyone friendly, nice, and professional. The rooms are spacious and beautifully designed, with rooftops offering amazing views and a private plunge pool. We skipped ours because we were so taken with the stunning saltwater lap pool in the middle of the property. The grounds aren’t huge, but the architecture and surrounding nature make each corner feel private and serene. There’s no AC, but in November that wasn’t an issue. The ceiling fan worked well, and they brought us an extra floor fan that made us comfortable. We were in town for a nearby wedding, and staying here turned out to be the best decision. It’s quiet, peaceful, and surrounded by nature. The place is a bit hard to reach, with the last 15 minutes on a very bumpy, rocky road. It was especially uncomfortable for me at 14 weeks pregnant, my belly did not love it! Once you arrive, though, you may not feel like leaving. If you want to explore, you can bike instead of taking a car. Casa Wabi is nearby, as is a great pizzeria, and there are long, romantic beach walks too. Still, staying in, disconnecting, and enjoying the calm is well worth it. The rooms don’t look out over the beach, but I didn’t miss the view. The beach club is very private, and the beach is stunning, quiet, and virgin, with barely anyone or any buildings around, plus incredible rock formations and waves. It’s one of the best beaches I’ve ever been to. We’d absolutely recommend the hotel and will come back for a longer stay. It’s a magical place. I’d avoid the really hot months because there’s no AC and the rooms are semi-open, but in cooler weather it’s perfect.

At around $600 USD a night, I expected much more. We got a promotional rebate through one of my credit cards that brought the rate down to about $400 a night, but even then it felt like a letdown. We didn’t mind the remote setting or the slow, bumpy, single-lane dirt road, but given how hard it is to reach main Puerto Escondido, the hotel experience and service should be better. The architecture is beautiful, but the service and amenities fell well short over our three-day stay. Pool maintenance workers repeatedly showed up without warning by climbing over three walls from the adjacent room. These were meant to be private pools at an adult-oriented hotel, so they should at least have announced themselves. They didn’t apologize or offer to come back later, just cleaned leaves, without even getting them all, and switched on the jets. The jets then stayed on for hours. On our last full day, we had to ask the front desk three times over 2.5 hours to get them turned off. The food was fine, but it’s a shame there weren’t more Mexican, especially Oaxacan, options. The only mole on offer during our stay was on the breakfast menu. They were also out of chicken for the whole visit, as well as fish ceviche. Being out of fish ceviche on the Oaxacan coast is confusing. At check-in, the front desk person talked up the hammam and other facilities, including the sculptural outdoor shower by the spa, as if we could use them. But the hammam was being remodeled, fully retiled and empty of water, and the shower had no water. Even after we’d been there several days, they were still telling new guests about these amenities as if they were available, when they were just architectural features to look at. The pool bar was really just a shack. Nobody sat at it, and half the time no one was working there. Two pool chairs also broke when we sat in them. We won’t be returning.

For what it costs, this was genuinely one of the worst hotel stays I’ve had. The service was terrible, the food mediocre, and the amenities poorly kept. The architecture is cool, but it can’t make up for how much else is lacking. Management seemed lazy and seriously short on standards. What a disappointment. Save your money and book somewhere else.