A Touch of Luxe: Hacienda Los Laureles

There is something about checking into a hotel room and seeing the word Bienvenida – along with your website name – spelled out in fuchsia coloured flower petals across a bed that makes your heart go pitter patter. It’s a personal touch that is completely unexpected, and absolutely delightful. Sure, they did the ‘@Savoir Faire Abroad’ part just for me, but the ‘Bienvenida’ part is something they do for each and every guest – and I’m told it’s the housekeeping staff’s favourite job.

Hacienda Los Laureles is a boutique hotel in the San Felippe neighbourhood of Oaxaca City, a quiet neighbourhood about 10 mins (or a bumpy local bus ride) away from downtown. Which makes it the perfect choice for travellers who want to a quiet place to relax and refresh after a day of experiencing the vibrance of Oaxaca City.

My time in Oaxaca was… HOT. I assumed the intense heat was just a Mexican thing, until somebody told me Oaxaca was having a heat wave. That’s when I actually started paying attention to the heat and walking around saying ‘Mucho Calor’ (which means hot) to locals, while trying to pretend that I was good with the heat. Except I was sweating like crazy, so I don’t think I was very convincing. So you shouldn’t be too shocked to learn that I was seriously excited to return to my air conditioned room after exploring all day long.

My room was located a stones throw from the pool, in a quiet corner of the property with views of the garden and main buildings. My bed was large and cozy (thank goodness), and I had cable TV and wifi access. Which is why I opted to relax in bed at night and catch-up on sleep!

In the mornings I sat in glass enclosed dinning room, debating about whether to have and American or Mexican breakfast, all while doing a little people watching (I later learned that the hotel is quite popular with top politicians and officials in Oaxaca). The food was excellent, as were the staff.

I’ve been moving through Mexico too quickly (I change locations every two days), and to be honest, by the time I reached Oaxaca I was starting to feel it. My nights at Hacienda Los Laureles were a welcome change from the hostel I had stayed in the previous two nights. Once I checked in and discovered the comforts of my room, my brain and body started to relax, and I got lazy. Like real lazy. I used my time with Hacienda Los Laureles to rejuvenate, and I feel absolutely no shame about that!

Disclaimer: I’d like to thank Peter from Hacienda Los Laureles, and Sylvie from Hoteles Boutique Mexico for arranging my stay. It was exactly what I needed, and I will definitely be back in the future.