Oaxaca City, MexicoSan Felipe del Agua
Flavia Hotel
Brutalist concrete hillside hotel
Brutalist concrete hillside hotel
The concrete structure descends the mountainside as a habitable sculpture, running like a warm, art-filled private residence.
What it’s good at
Remarkable
Stepped raw concrete volumes descending four hillside levels around a central botanical courtyard.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
everything about the Flavia Hotel is unconventional: its mountainside location on the edge of town, its monumental Brutalist construction, and, perhaps unexpected given its exterior silhouette, its exceedingly warm and livable interior spaces.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Residential San Felipe del Agua borders the Sierra Norte reserve, giving the hillside setting quiet mountain air above the city.
The rooms
Rooms have individual layouts finished in warm tropical timber, pairing local contemporary artwork against bare concrete walls.
The rooftop pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The rooftop infinity pool runs the length of the building, flanked by timber decking facing the valley.
The sauna
A glass-fronted wooden sauna sits against raw concrete, leading out to the dedicated wellness terrace.
Restaurant
Cruz Cocina Mixta
Covered terraces overlook the valley, where the kitchen prepares an inventive mix of Oaxacan and Chilean flavors.
How it began
RootStudio built the hotel on the slope without blueprints, shaping the concrete structure directly on the ground.
Oaxaca City
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The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.