Cocooned

Cocooned
by fields of shimmering yellow corn and blue agave, the
Mexican state capital of Oaxaca is the quintessential food
destination. Surprisingly tiny and strangely peaceful, this is a
city whose energy buzzes through its bustling open-air and indoor
markets, which flood the heart of its historic centre. There,
stores line sun-soaked streets selling glittery dresses and
diamante thongs, taquerias with queues round the block hulk on
street corners and the narrow pavements are inevitably lined with
overflowing fruit and snack carts. Vans sail past precariously, and
gas trucks tootle tunes on their horns that sound like party
pieces.

In the midst of it all, you’ll spot a great, heavy double door,
dusty from all the action outside. Welcome to a hotel so
independent it doesn’t need a name – Hotel Sin Nombre is a city
stay that actively hides away, nestled in the centre of Oaxaca. Its
camouflage? A 17th-century shell (it’s housed in an old mansion)
and pared-back, minimal interiors furnished with a carefully
curated selection of artefacts crafted by local artisans, from
unique photography to hand-embroidered bed throws. For passers-by,
this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stay – but you really don’t want
to miss it.

An airy hallway, left, and wall art beneath a
staircase.

Rooms

There are 22, across a range of categories. All have high
ceilings, heavy wooden doors and sleek bathrooms. Careful design
pairs dark-wood furnishings and antique pieces with wide, white
linen-laden beds and bleached walls, with a sprinkling of vibrant
hand-embroidered pieces that offer the quintessential Oaxacan burst
of colour. Windows, dressed up in wooden shutters, overlook the
busy streets below (but are noise-safe, don’t worry). All rooms
have air conditioning, and you’ll find local artisanal chocolate
and mezcal on offer in each. Shower rooms are starkly contemporary
and blessed with strong water pressure and fragrant organic
toiletries, locally sourced.

What’s for breakfast?

Expect excellent black coffee and simple yoghurt and granola
bowls topped with juicy, fresh papaya. For an additional cost, you
can tuck into huevos, too. If you’re seeking Oaxacan specialities,
bear in mind that the market is only a stone’s throw away, though,
with the hotel’s in-house restaurant being a known gastronomical
star, a light breakfast might be preferable.

What about lunch and dinner?

Dining is everything at Hotel Sin Nombre, where three concepts
offer three lenses on laid-back local dining: Restaurante Sin
Nombre, Cantinita and Terraza Sin Nombre (the one to pick if you’re
wanting to sample the hotel’s mezcal selection).

Central to the house’s dramatic atrium is Restaurante Sin
Nombre. Reservations are essential: the 24-cover joint is one of
the city’s most acclaimed kitchens, meaning it’s fully booked for
months in advance. If you’re lucky enough to get a table, dinner
might look like southern Mexican plates of fish tiradito and shrimp
aguachile, a simple tomato salad, a humbly stupendous taco, plus
killer mezcal-based cocktails.

The mezcal collection, left, and the bar area.

Is there a bar?

Yes, boasting one of the finest mezcal collections in Oaxaca,
plus panoramic views of the city and the surrounding countryside.
Did we mention the killer cocktails?

Amenities

Head to the atrium to wind away your hours visiting the hotel’s
cavernous gallery space or curling up with a book in the neon-lit
library. The rooftop pool is deep and glorious – perfect for
cooling off in a Mexican summer.

What are the eco-credentials like?

The hotel’s ethos is centred around celebrating the local, from
the produce on the menu at the legendary main restaurant to a raft
of artisanal design pieces picked out individually for each guest
room.

What about accessibility?

There are a lot of steps.

What’s the crowd?

This is a popular haunt for famous faces passing through the
city; we crossed paths with an award-winning Latin American
arthouse cinema film director in the lobby.

Things I should know?

Rooms have stable-like doors, which allow a soft light to infuse
through from the four-storey central foyer. They retain privacy,
but you can still hear people quietly coming and going, and glimpse
the occasional shadows of fellow guests moving past as you lay
down. Not one for light sleepers.

Within a short walk I can find…

This is Mexico’s food capital, and the city’s famed indoor
markets are on the hotel’s doorstep. Swap sit-down dinners for
grazing throughout the day: a kaleidoscope of produce and to-go
dishes will take you from early breakfast to midnight snacks.