My husband and I just returned from a 10-night stay in Hotel La Provincia, an elegant boutique hotel located in the heart of Oaxaca's historic district, approximately two blocks from the zocalo central square. We had not heard much about the hotel before we arrived, so we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived after a long day of travel and stepped into the beautiful hotel, which is centered around two open-air courtyards. We were greeted by an exceptionally friendly receptionist who showed us to our room. Although the room was on the small side, it was beautifully appointed with lovely furnishings, an enormous closet with ample shelving, fresh flowers, high thread-count, embroidered linen sheets, a coffee maker, a hair dryer - basically all of the appointments that one would expect from a luxury hotel anywhere in the world. The bathroom was a bit small, but the shower was large and had great water pressure. It had lovely tile work and an elaborate mirror with plenty of shelving for our cosmetics. Because we were staying for such a long period of time, the hotel management upgraded us to a larger room with a king-sized bed mid-way through our stay. The extremely helpful staff helped us move all of our belongings from one room to the next. The public space in the hotel is absolutely gorgeous. The first open-air patio that one sees upon entering the hotel is the hotel's restaurant. It is a sunken patio with just a few elegantly appointed tables. The second open-air patio is a lovely garden. The second-story balcony overlooking the patios are surrounded by small groupings of bistro tables and chairs. From one of the balconies, one can see the cupola of the cathedral next door. The effect of the entire space is enchanting.

Even more delightful than the beautiful space was the extremely agreeable and accomodating staff. Despite the hotel's small size (15 rooms and 2 suites), the reception desk was staffed at all times. Friendly waiters served a complimentary breakfast every morning. The receptionists helped us plan tours of the area, called taxis for us, gave us directions, made wake-up calls, sent laundry out for us, and basically helped us in any way that we needed. The chambermaids remembered our specific preferences - for example, a request for extra towels on one day was honored every day after that. When we wanted a snack, the chef made what I craved - even though it was not on the menu.

The location of the hotel was ideal. We were able to walk easily to every location within the historic district. It took approximately three minutes to walk to all of the cafes of the zocalo, for example. It took approximately ten minutes to walk to the Santo Domingo cultural center.

Please note that the photos on the hotel's web-site are absolutely accurate. They give a very good idea of what the restaurant and rooms look like.

We truly loved our stay at La Provincia and hope to return very soon!