Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review [2024]

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Are you planning a trip and want to know if you should stay at Quinta Real Oaxaca?

Finding a hotel in Oaxaca is very difficult because there are literally hundreds to choose from.

While there are some great options out there, it’s important to choose the perfect hotel to ensure that your trip is everything that you want it to be.

The last thing that you want to do is choose a bad hotel and return home disappointed and frustrated.

To make sure that doesn’t happen, I’ve set out a comprehensive guide to the fabulous Quinta Real Oaxaca so that you can find out everything that you need to know before making your decision.

Let’s dive right in.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

Where is Quinta Real Oaxaca?

Quinta Real Oaxaca is a highly-rated 4-star luxury hotel situated in the historic center of Oaxaca City in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

If you aren’t familiar with Oaxaca, it’s a vibrant city in southern Mexico that is known for its rich cultural heritage and colorful traditions.

Probably the most famous of these is the Day of the Dead festival, which is held in Oaxaca each year from 31 October to 2 November.

Other attractions of the city include its countless beautiful colonial-era buildings that date back to the time of Spanish rule in Mexico during the 16th century.

And if that isn’t impressive enough, just a short drive outside the city you’ll find Zapotec ruins that are literally thousands of years old.

If you’re convinced that Quinta Real Oaxaca is worth a visit, let’s take a look at how to get you there.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

How Do I Get To Quinta Real Oaxaca?

Getting to Quinta Real Oaxaca is a simple two step process. The first step is to fly into Oaxaca International Airport (OAX). The second step is to book a private transfer, get a taxi or rent a car to drive to the hotel.

I’ve set out the steps you’ll need to take to get to Quinta Real Oaxaca as simply and efficiently as possible.

Flying Into Oaxaca

To reach Quinta Real Oaxaca, you’ll need to first fly into Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), which is around 5 miles from the hotel.

In North America, you can get a direct international flight from Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston or Los Angeles.

From elsewhere in the world, you’ll need to fly into Mexico and take a connecting flight. There are regular flights to Oaxaca from Mexico City, Tijuana, Cancún, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexicali.

Flights from Mexico City are by far the most frequent. Unless you’re planning on stopping over in one of the other cities listed above for a few days, I recommend you fly via Mexico City.

Oaxaca Airport to the Hotel

Once you arrive in Oaxaca airport, you’ve got a few options to get to Quinta Real Oaxaca. You can book a private transfer, take a taxi or rent a car.

I’ve gone through each of these below.

Book a Private Transfer

The simplest way to get to the hotel is by contacting the helpful staff at Quinta Real Oaxaca. You just need to let them know when your flight is due to arrive, and they will have a car waiting for you.

Their contact details are below:

Take A Taxi

If you haven’t booked a car with the hotel, the simplest way to get from the airport to the hotel that requires absolutely no planning whatsoever is taking a taxi.

You’ll need to be able to tell the driver your destination and agree a price for the trip. The journey should cost you around US$15 – US$20 and you’ll probably need to haggle to get the driver down into that range.

You’ll also need to make sure that you have Mexican pesos with you, as the driver may not accept US dollars and won’t take credit cards.

Rent a Car

If you’re staying for more than a day or two, you can consider renting a car at the airport. Oaxaca does have public transportation, but a lot of the attractions are outside the city so having a rental car is the ideal way to get around.

The only thing to bear in mind is that Quinta Real Oaxaca doesn’t offer parking at the hotel, so you’ll need to park the car on the street or pay for parking.

Getting a car at the airport is very easy. You can book ahead and pick up your car in the arrivals hall of the terminal when you get off the plane.

I recommend using DiscoverCars to book the best deal available ahead of your arrival. You can expect to pay around US$30 per day plus gas for a basic rental car.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

Review Of Quinta Real Oaxaca

Now that you know where it is that you’re going and all of the options that you have for getting there, let’s get into the review itself.

The most remarkable thing about Quinta Real Oaxaca is that the hotel is set in a restored 16th-century convent known as the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena.

In fact, it is such an archaeological treasure that the hotel itself has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As soon as you enter the hotel’s ancient grand lobby, you will feel yourself transported back in time.

I’ve set out below a summary of the hotel, the rooms, hotel facilities, dining options and nearby attractions.

After that, I’ve given you a list of pros and cons of the hotel and given my personal view on whether you should book Quinta Real Oaxaca for your trip.

Let’s jump right in.

1. Location

Quinta Real Oaxaca has an amazingly central location in Oaxaca City.

From the hotel, you’re just a few minutes away from the Templo de Santo Domingo and a few blocks north of the Zócalo.

Quinta Real Oaxaca is the perfect base for you to explore the city.

2. Price

The price per room at Quinta Real Oaxaca ranges from between around US$230 per night on Mondays and Tuesdays to around US$370 per night for the remainder of the week.

That assumes that you’re booking six months in advance and that you’re not booking on a weekend during December to February.

If you need to book on short notice, or you’re travelling during December to February, the prices can be considerably more expensive.

Check out Booking.com for prices and availability on your travel dates, or use the search box below:

3. Rooms

Each of the 91 suites at Quinta Real Oaxaca walk the line between providing the maximum of modern comforts while preserving the hotel’s traditional colonial charm.

You can choose from a novice suite, superior suite, grand class suite, and governor’s suite. The novice suite is 20m² and the size increases as you move up the range, reaching a spacious 43m² if you opt for a governor’s suite.

No matter your choice, the room will come with a king-sized bed and in all but the novice suite you can opt for two beds instead. That’s helpful if you are travelling with a young child.

The bathroom is partially open and comes with a combined bathtub and shower. You’ll find a luxurious set of bathrobes and slippers, a hairdryer, and luxury Salvatore Perragamo toiletries inside.

Depending on the position of your room, you’ll have a fantastic view of the cute Oaxaca city streets and buildings or the peaceful proximity of the hotel’s interior gardens.

Each of the suites comes with air-conditioning, WiFi, a flat-screen TV, cable TV, minibar, a wardrobe and a room safe as standard. 24-hour room service is also available.

4. Hotel Facilities

Quinta Real Oaxaca has a great selection of facilities.

Pool Area

The hotel has a gorgeous outdoor pool area with a large pool, manicured lawn area, sun lounges and umbrellas.

You can very comfortably spend the day relaxing in the sun with a cocktail from the nearby bar between dips in the pool.

Converted Chapel

The hotel has converted an old chapel into a breathtaking dining area that is perfect for events such as weddings, birthdays or other large parties.

If you’ve ever held a major event, you’ll know that location is everything. It’s hard to imagine a better location than a nearly 500-year old place of worship in an historic nunnery.

Fitness Area

If you’re looking to work off the amazing Oaxacan food, or work up a sweat before diving into the pool, you can take advantage of the fully-equiped internal gym.

5. Restaurants & Bars

Quinta Real Oaxaca has one restaurant and two bars.

El Refectorio

The hotel’s onsite restaurant, El Refectorio, serves a mix of Oaxacan and international cuisine. It seats up to 113 diners across three separate areas.

You can enjoy an à la carte breakfast from 7:00am to noon, and an à la carte lunch or dinner from 1:30pm until 10:30pm.

Las Bugambilias

Las Bugambilias bar is set in a beautiful location beneath majestic stone arches around a lush interior open-air garden.

It seats up to 26 and offers an impressive list of wine, mezcal and other beverages.

Las Novicias Bar

If you’re looking for a more traditional bar setting, you can also wet your whistle in Las Novicias bar.

The bar seats up to 34 and you can enjoy a cocktail or a locally made mezcal in a quaint setting that probably would have looked very similar a century ago.

6. Reviews

Quinta Real Oaxaca has a rating of 9 out of 10 from over 550 reviews, which is impressive enough. However, if you just look at the reviews given by couples, the rating jumps to a whopping 9.8 out of 10.

The story that the reviews tell is that everyone loves this hotel. There are lots of reasons for this.

Even in historic Oaxaca with its huge number of well-preserved colonial buildings, there are no other hotels built in 500 year old convents. The refurbishment was a complete success and has retained all of the historic beauty while providing you with all of the luxury of a new hotel.

But it isn’t just the setting that makes the hotel special. The staff are bilingual, very attentive and have exceptionally good reviews.

This might be because the hotel is operated by Camino Real, which successfully operates a large number of high-end hotels in Mexico.

Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that the hotel is a class act.

7. Check-In and Check-Out

Check-in at the hotel is from 3pm, and check-out is before 1pm. Don’t forget to tell the hotel staff when you’re arriving so that they can arrange you an airport transfer.

Late check-in and check-out can be provided subject to room availability.

8. Pet-Friendly

Quinta Real Oaxaca is not pet-friendly. This is presumably because the hotel has 91 rooms and lots of green spaces that are harder to keep looking pristine when there are animals on the grounds.

Unfortunately, if you want to visit this hotel, you’ll need to find a pet-sitter.

9. Family-Friendly

You can bring children of any age to the Quinta Real Oaxaca. You can also opt to exchange a king-sized bed for two of a smaller size if you choose a room-grade higher than the novice suite.

If you’re travelling with a newborn or an infant, Quinta Real Oaxaca can also provide you with a cot, which is great.

10. Nearby Attractions

Quinta Real Oaxaca is very close to all of the attractions in Oaxaca City, and you’ll be able to reach everything within the city limits on foot.

I would recommend that you start by walking a block to the west until you reach the Andador Turístico, and you can then decide whether you want to head north towards the Templo de Santo Domingo or south towards the Zócalo.

If you have time to do a day-trip out of the city, there are also some fantastic places to visit that are quite close by. I’ve set out just a few of the best of these below.

Don’t forget your sunhat, suncream, and the bottles of water from the room in your hotel.

Monte Albán

The closest attraction outside the city limits is the ruined Zapotec city of Monte Albán. It’s only three miles away from Oaxaca City, so you can reach it easily and can even fit something else in after you’re done exploring.

Monte Albán is built on the top of a hill overlooking Oaxaca. It’s quite large at about four square miles and there’s lots to see. Among other buildings, there are two pyramids, a ball court, and around 170 tombs.

The simplest way to reach Monte Albán is by taxi. It will cost around US$5 – US$10. Make sure you bring Mexican pesos and agree the price before you depart. 

There are also lots of Monte Albán tours available if you’d rather have the trip planned for you. Viator offers lots of different options, and you can often combine it with other attractions.

Hierve El Agua

Hierve El Agua is a unique geological marvel created from two petrified waterfalls about 40 miles to the south-east of Oaxaca.  

The smaller waterfall is called “la cascada chica” and the bigger one is called “la cascada grande”. The waterfalls were formed over thousands of years as mineral-rich waters ran over the edge of the cliff and down the escarpment.  

The plateau above the falls is covered in large shallow pools separated by beautiful mineral formations that look like atolls in an ocean. It makes you think that you are walking on a shallow reef in the Caribbean.

You can also hike to the bottom of the waterfalls, where there some more pools that you can sit in. There are change-rooms and toilets nearby.

The best way to visit Hierve El Agua is with a tour. There are some great tours from Oaxaca that combine Hierve El Agua with a visit to local mezcal producers or other attractions.

The hotel can recommend a tour operator, and Viator also has lots of them to choose from if you’d prefer to arrange a tour yourself.

Mitla

The ancient ruins of the Zapotec city of Mitla is about 30 miles to the south-east of Oaxaca, on the way to Hierve El Agua.  The name is derived from the Nahuatl word “Mictlán”, meaning “place of the dead”.

The ruins are situated in a valley nearly a mile above sea level and the site is thought to have been inhabited as far back as about 500 BC.  The city was a center of religious power in the region and was destroyed by the Spanish shortly after their arrival in the 16th century.

Mitla is perhaps best known for its intricate stone mosaics, which are sometimes called “Zapotec Greco”. You’ll recognize the striking pattern in lots of ancient friezes adorning walls and floors at the site, and it is often used in clothing and other artwork produced in Oaxaca.

My recommendation is to combine Mitla and Hierve El Agua together as a tour. They start at about US$50 per person on Viator, and you can speak to the concierge at Quinta Real Oaxaca if you’d prefer to organise it through the hotel.

If you prefer to guide yourself, you can reach Mitla with a taxi or the bus, and its about a 90 minute trip each way.

Entrance to Mitla costs US$5 so bring your Mexican pesos with you.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

Quinta Real Oaxaca: Pros and Cons

To try to pull all of the information above together for you, I’ve set out below the pros and cons of Quinta Real Oaxaca as I see them.

Pros

Pros are easy here, because there are some genuinely magnificent aspects of Quinta Real Oaxaca.

Historic Location

The biggest selling point of Quinta Real Oaxaca is its historic location.

Its home in the restored Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena makes it truly unique, even in the face of the huge amount of history and culture in Oaxaca.

You’ll feel like you’ve taken a trip back in time every time you walk down the 500 year old hallways.

Great Dining Options

The hotel has a highly-rated restaurant that serves Oaxacan and international cuisine and is available for breakfast lunch and dinner, all à la carte.

If you’re looking to relax in the bar or taste some locally-produced mezcal, you also have two great great bars to choose from, each with excellent wine, cocktail and mezcal lists.

Pool Area & Gardens

Quinta Real Oaxaca also has a fantastic pool area with lots of sun lounges and the nearby Las Bugambilias bar if you want to relax with a cocktail.

The gardens of the hotel are also extensive. There are beautiful rooftop gardens as well as extensive lawn areas where you can stroll within the hotel’s high walls.

Cons

There are a few cons to Quinta Real Oaxaca, although some of these are inevitable given the quality and location of the hotel.

Price

Let’s face it, Quinta Real Oaxaca is not cheap. At US$230 per night at the early end of the week, those prices are comparable with the price of US hotels in major cities.

But you know as well as I do that you get what you pay for. And there is no doubt that Quinta Real Oaxaca is a high-end luxury hotel. So yes, it’s expensive, but definitely worth it if you can afford it.

No Parking

Quinta Real Oaxaca doesn’t offer parking. That might not be a big issue in New York City, but some of the best attractions in Oaxaca are outside the city, and the best way to see them is to rent a car.

It makes things a lot easier if you can rent your car at the airport, park it at the hotel during your stay, and then drive it back to the airport when you leave. At Quinta Real Oaxaca, that isn’t possible.

There are rental car branches close to the hotel, though, so you can still rent a car. But you’ll need to park it on the street or rush it back to the branch before close at the end of each day, which is a bit of a pain.

If you think you can make that work, you can book a car ahead of your arrival at the downtown Oaxaca rental car branches using DiscoverCars.com.

Not Pet-Friendly

Quinta Real Oaxaca isn’t a pet-friendly hotel.

With 91 rooms and the enormous grounds, I can understand why they might make that decision, but that doesn’t help you if you always travel with your pets.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

My Personal Views

Personally, I think Quinta Real Oaxaca is a fantastic hotel. It’s historic convent setting has centuries of tradition that seems to just create its own charm.

I’d especially recommend it if you’re travelling as a couple and you’re looking for a romantic trip away. You can easily spend an hour or two just wandering around the hotel and its beautiful gardens just soaking it all in.

You’ll need a decent budget to visit Quinta Real Oaxaca, there’s no denying that. Personally, I think it’s only worth doing if you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the hotel.

If you’re planning on exploring all day and going out until late at night each night, I’d recommend choosing a cheaper option. Hotels like the NaNa Vida are just as centrally located and still of very high quality, without causing so much pain to your wallet.

I also think that Quinta Real Oaxaca is a great option if you’re travelling with a family. It has a huge pool to keep the kids amused, the staff can provide you with a cot if you have an infant. You can also opt for two double or queen beds in your room to help with sleeping arrangements.

The only other real downside is the lack of parking facilities, but you can work around that by taking tours or by planning your day-trips in advance and making sure you return the car on the same day.

All in all, if you can afford it, I think Quinta Real Oaxaca is one of the best hotels in Oaxaca. If you’re looking for the perfect romantic getaway or just looking for somewhere authentic and stylish, you should stay at Quinta Real Oaxaca.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Just in case you still have a few questions that I haven’t covered, I’ve set out some responses to a few frequently asked questions about Quinta Real Oaxaca below.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Quinta Real Oaxaca?

The best time to visit is during the high season (December to April) because the weather is cooler and there is little or no rain.

However, it’s also more expensive during the high season, so if you’re on a budget and can put up with a little rain, the low season is also a good option.

Is It Safe To Visit Quinta Real Oaxaca?

Absolutely. Quinta Real Oaxaca has a 24-hour front desk service so you will be perfectly safe. You’ll have access to a room safe so that you can store your belongings when you’re not in the room.

You’ll also have no troubles when you explore Oaxaca provided you take basic precautions. You can read more about safety in Oaxaca here.

What’s The Closest Airport To Quinta Real Oaxaca?

Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) is the closest airport, and is about 5 miles away.

You can reach the hotel by booking a private transfer, taking a taxi or renting a car. The simplest way is to contact the hotel and they’ll arrange to have a car waiting for you at the airport.

Why Is Quinta Real Oaxaca Special?

Quinta Real Oaxaca is special because of its stunningly beautiful location in an historic convent in the center of Oaxaca City.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more charming luxury hotel with the facilities of Quinta Real Oaxaca.

Quinta Real Oaxaca: The Definitive Review

Final Thoughts

Hopefully you now have all the information that you need to decide whether Quinta Real Oaxaca is the hotel for you.

If you’re interested in booking, you can get the latest current prices and availability on your dates at Booking.com.

If you want to check prices of car rentals at Oaxaca airport, you can find out at DiscoverCars.com.

Enjoy your stay!