El Diablo Y La Sandia: The Coolest Place To Stay In Oaxaca City

There's nothing like staying at someone else's hotel when you spend all the rest of your time running one.

The potential downside is of course that you have become VERY PICKY and way, waaaay too cognizant of every detail that goes into the creation and operation of a place, but the upside is that you enjoy the good service and design you come across even more.

Having done a little Trip Advisor research that was then confirmed by some word of mouth praise, Steven and I decided to have our home base in Oaxaca City be the Boca Del Monte location of El Diablo Y La Sandia.

"The Devil and Watermelon". ADORABLE. Not to mention, those illustrations. ALSO ADORABLE.

The neighborhood was beautiful, laid back yet lively, very walkable.

And the B&B was such a lovely sanctuary, such a great place to put up our tired feet after miles upon miles of walking.

I really didn't photograph it enough. This is just one view of the multiple terraces, and I never snapped a pic of the communal kitchen/hang out spot which trust me, is usually something that makes me cringe but was done quite nicely in smooth cement and local pottery etc.

We spent the first few nights in the Arbol room. Two beds and a communal bath, but it was all that was available so we took it. It turned out to be super cute and comfy. We treated the twin bed like it was a couch.

Then we moved across the courtyard to the Palma which was suuuuper delightful.

I suppose my enthusiasm is unsurprising given my obsession with whitewash, local textiles, concrete, and indoor plants. But where I think this B&B succeeds is not just in its fabulous décor, but in its attention to detail as related to service. The sombreros in each room that you can use while reading on the terrace, the well designed paper map of favorite spots in the area that you can tuck in your pocket for your daily adventures, your cup of coffee that is never empty no matter how much you drink of it thanks to the thoughtful breakfast service. 

Maria is the owner's name. And needless to say we shared some wonderful talks about what it's like to be at the helm of an operation like this. She is doing a kick ass job and I wish her nothing but the best! If you're looking for a place to stay in Oaxaca, look no further. Trust me! 

Side story I have to mention:

One morning, Steven stumbled out of the room to grab some coffee and he saw a woman at the B&B entrance with her bags. He couldn't help himself and went into autopilot, being so used to helping out guests at our Inn. "Are you checking in?" he asked. He didn't quite understand her answer. "I don't work here," he clarified. "I'm just a guest, but come in, I'm sure someone at breakfast can help you."

Of course it turns out that was Maria. 

She'd been out of town for our first two nights, and we didn't know what she looked like. When we all figured it out later it was hilarious. She said she was just so confused, fresh off her long flight. That she'd wanted to tell him, "I know you don't work here because I didn't hire you." Anyway. You can take the innkeepers away from their Inn but you can't keep the hospitality service at bay.