Behind the terracotta-coloured walls of this Oaxaca hotel lies a series of deeply textured communal spaces and a spa with a dramatic, artificial cenote.

Local practice RootStudio – which recently adapted a 16th-century nunnery in the city into culinary hub, The Center – crafted the interiors of the urban hotel, pairing minimalism with traditional Oaxacan craft methods and a touch of architectural flair. Rooms, which start from $300 per night, are sparsely decorated, with textures, fabrics and materials creating the real point of interest – be it woven textiles, handcrafted clay pieces, or vaulted concrete ceilings and patinaed limestone floors.

Oaxacan design is celebrated across the hotel’s public spaces, too: the hotel has collaborated with a nearby collective specialising in woodblock printing to display pieces by local artists – pasted directly onto Otro Oaxaca’s walls.

For guests seeking creature comforts, RootStudio has designed an atmospheric underground spa with a soaring brick dome and oculus that mimics Mexico’s much-loved cenote.

There’s also a concrete co-working space dubbed ‘The Bunker’ where nomadic workers can hunker down for a few hours to fire out their work.

It’s up top where the hotel really shines, however.

Otro’s raised rooftop hosts the hotel’s restaurant, helmed by Chef Saúl Carranza, as well as a swimming pool with staggering views across the historic city and its famous colonial architecture. Otro Oaxaca is perfectly placed for exploring the city on foot (The Center, for example, is around the block) Monte Albán – notable for its ancient architecture and Danzantes carving – is 8.2km away.

505 Calle Macedonio Alcalá 505, 68000 Oaxaca City, Mexico

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