Oaxaca

On the budget end, we like Hotel Principal (from 325p for one, from 550p for two; 5 de Mayo 208, map), a renovated 18th-century colonial-style house with a convenient location and clean, quiet rooms (with fans). The staff is friendly and there’s free drinking water in the open courtyard. 

More expensive are the popular Casa Oaxaca (from about USD$168; García Vigil 407, map)—with seven thoughtfully decorated rooms, walls studded with local art, and a top-rated restaurant and cooking school—and the elegant Hotel Parador San Miguel (from 1,150p in low season; Av. Independencia 503, map), just a block from the zócalo and likewise with a good regional-food-focused restaurant. 

For something different and moderately priced, there are three family-owned B&Bs worth consideration, all of which include a two-course Mexican breakfast: the quirky-artsy nine-room Casa de Las Bugambilias (from $80 for two; Reforma 402, map); the cozy three-room Casa de los Milagros (from $90 for two; Matamoros 500, map); and the tastily named, four-room Casa de los Sabores (from $70 for two; Libres 205, map), or House of Flavors, out of which chef Pilar Cabrera (of the excellent La Olla restaurant) runs cooking classes—and is responsible for guests’ breakfast.