A Very Noisy Convent!
This hotel sells itself as a former convent; guests are staying in an historical spot when lodging here. Its buildings and grounds are immaculate and its staff very attentive. That said, during our stay the atmosphere was anything but quiet and calm. The hotel seems to be trying to do too much for too many different types of groups and functions. It wants to cater to wealthy guests (its prices are excessive for Oaxaca) and provide peace and quiet while also trying to cater to conventions and their far less quiet needs and activities.
During our stay in mid-March, the hotel was hosting a convention. The tiny lobby was full of convention-goers and the old chapel was the site of many of the conference sessions. Anyone nearby—at the pool, in the lobby, in the restaurant—had to listen to hours of amplified voices discussing business. The hotel used one of the courtyards (directly outside of our room) for an evening reception with live music and lots of drinking. It was, in short, a loud party that went on until very late at night. The conventioneers then were in a tent in another courtyard the next day for hours of more amplified droning. All of this meant that our stay—a splurge for a big birthday—was far from relaxing.
There is also the big issue of value. The hotel is extremely expensive in terms of lodging and food for a city like Oaxaca. It’s simply not worth the price.