Casa Colonial, Oaxaca

On my recent trip to Oaxaca I stayed at this wonderful place, which is somewhere between a hotel and a bed and breakfast.  It has a limited number of rooms, with a spacious inner courtyard and garden that buffer you from the heavily trafficked streets outside.  It is not in the center of the city, but it is only a several minute walk to the central plaza, and a 15 minute walk from several tourist sites--not to mention that cab fare is quite reasonable.

The owner of Casa Colonial, Jane, is an American who traveled with her spouse to Mexico for many years, exploring the archeological sites as well as getting to know the folk art and the people who create it, before settling permanently in Oaxaca.  She has an exceptional collection of folk art which guests can marvel at throughout the common areas of the Casa.  Better still, she invites local artisans to come and sell their wares in the Casa--so you don't even have to leave the premises to buy local folk art (Jane has a little tienda as well, stocked with all sorts of tin work, pottery, animal carvings, weavings, jewlery and such, that is another excellent shopping option).

The setting is gorgeous, but there are two additional features of the Casa that are exceptional.  The service is attentive and outstanding.  On my my recent stay, a fellow guest was taken ill and hospitalized--the Casa arranged for medical attention on sight, and the manager, Amado, went with her to the hospital.  They go above and beyond to provide service and care.  The other is that the food is excellent--breakfasts often feature excellent moles corn tortillas, along with fresh fruit and juices.  Delicious!