City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca [In-Depth Hotel Review]

For 4 years now, my wife and I have attended Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, in different parts of Mexico. This year, we visited Oaxaca for the festival, and we loved it.

We also had the opportunity to check out a Marriott Bonvoy brand we’d never visited. From a decent location to a surprising amount of space inside the hotel, the positives outstripped the negatives at the City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca. However, rooms didn’t offer much beyond the basics, and getting information from staff felt like pulling teeth.

The hotel was at full capacity throughout our 4-night stay from the end of October into early November 2024.

Here’s how it went.

Booking City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca

As the name implies, City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca participates in the Marriott Bonvoy program. That means you can earn points on paid stays or redeem points to book a reservation here.

The total cash price for our 4-night stay was $1,582.85 (nearly $400 a night). Given what the hotel offers, this price isn’t worth it. The price was highly inflated because of Oaxaca’s popularity during Dia de los Muertos — and because rooms were booking up quickly.

It was possible to book the hotel for 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, which is how we paid. This could be a great use of a Marriott 35,000-point free night award.

Marriott also offered various combinations of points and cash when booking our stay. While the points cost remained the same each night, the cash price for the first 2 nights was more than double the price for the last 2 nights. If you only have enough points for part of your stay, make sure to use them to cover the more expensive nights.

It’s also worth pointing out that Marriott Bonvoy members only earn 1 elite night credit toward status for every 2 nights they stay at hotels in the City Express brand, which includes City Centro. Thus, I only got 2 nights in my account from our 4-night stay.

Hot Tip:

You can receive a Marriott free night award worth up to 35,000 points on your account anniversary each year simply by holding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card — or hold both and get 2 of these awards automatically each year.

Location of City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca

The City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca is in Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of Mexico’s Oaxaca state. However, the city is commonly referred to simply as Oaxaca.

The hotel was in the Jalatlaco neighborhood, roughly a 25-minute walk northeast of the main square, or zócalo. The hotel also was a 10-minute walk from the Panteón General, the largest cemetery and a popular spot during this holiday. Thus, despite the name, the hotel was not in the center or “centro” area of the city.

Checking In

After landing at the Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) on a domestic Volaris flight, we saw a crazy line for taxis. We decided to call the hotel to see if they offered a shuttle. The phone employee was … “useless” is probably the best word. We heard that the hotel didn’t offer an airport shuttle, and then he hung up on us.

After our turn for a taxi finally arrived, it crawled through the city traffic and finally stopped a few blocks from our hotel.

“The roads are closed,” the driver told us.

Apparently, an ongoing block party meant we’d need to walk the rest of the way. Coincidentally, the block party’s main event was right in front of our hotel. While trying to push our suitcases across the cobblestone street, one of the partygoers actually slapped me for accidentally rolling my suitcase over her toe.

A hotel security guard noticed us struggling toward the door and cleared a path for us. Over the next few days, we saw him do this repeatedly for guests; he had a rough job but did it with a smile.

Passing through the exterior arch, we found a small reception area in a room to the right. An employee smiled as we approached and quickly found our reservation before making a copy of our passports.

From here, he breezed through the check-in formalities, but we later realized he left out a lot of information. For example, he told us the location and hours for breakfast and how to connect to the Wi-Fi but didn’t mention several of the hotel’s amenities: the pool, gym, rooftop bar, shuttle, and complimentary bicycles. That’s an area for improvement.

Elite Benefits

My Marriott Titanium Elite status provided minimal benefits during this stay. The hotel offered a 4 p.m. late checkout (though we didn’t need it) and complimentary breakfast each morning. Otherwise, breakfast was MX$320 per person (about $16). The hotel also offered complimentary on-site parking for all guests, but we didn’t have a car.

As the hotel was completely sold out, there were no room upgrades available during check-in. We had expected that and weren’t disappointed when the employee confirmed it.

The hotel didn’t have a premium internet package or on-site spa at which elites could get perks.

1 King Guest Room

We stayed in room 402, a 1 King Guest Room on the hotel’s fourth floor. It was the next-to-last room in the hallway, with room 401 overlooking the main street below. The 1 King and 2 Queen options are the hotel’s standard rooms.

The room was compact and didn’t offer much beyond the necessities. Walls were mostly bare.

A firm king-size bed sat in the middle of the room. Its pillows were mostly useless, but we loved the unique pattern on the headboard. Aside from this, there wasn’t much in the way of art.

Each side of the bed had a small wooden nightstand. One had a phone; the other was empty. There were also light switches and an outlet on each side of the bed.

On the side of the bed was a padded bench that could slide under a wooden bench. This was a great place to lay our suitcase.

Across from the bed was a medium-sized TV and a small wooden desk. The leather chair at the desk was uncomfortably firm.

Under the TV, a small lamp pointed toward the desk. On the desk, we had bottled water and drinking glasses.

Near the desk, there were a pair of 3-prong, type B outlets plus a USB-A port, surrounded by light switches and even a LAN port.

We also had a small welcome gift on the desk. This miniature wicker basket held a few bite-size chocolates.

Next to the desk was a knee-high wooden dresser with 2 drawers.

In the far corner of the room was a tall, skinny space that operated as a closet. It had an iron and ironing board inside, and a small safe was in a cubby above a drawer at the bottom.

The view from our window looked over neighboring houses and toward mountains in the distance.

Bathroom

The room’s bathroom was near the entry, with the 2 doors nearly touching.

The bathroom was small. Attempting to use it at the same time as my wife meant bumping into each other.

Immediately inside the door, there was a small sink with nearly zero counter space around it. Above it, there was a shelf holding washcloths and soap, plus a small tube of Cava hand lotion. A circular mirror was on the wall.

Above the toilet was a wooden box on the wall. One side held tissues and the other had a door that opened to reveal the hair dryer. Towels were stacked on top of this box.

The far end of the bathroom had a glass shower box. Water pressure was solid, though the temperature tended to go up and down — but not enough to cause discomfort. The shower occupied half of the bathroom’s space, so it was strangely roomy compared to other parts of our minimalist quarters.

Amenities

Pool

The hotel had a rooftop pool, though it was on a patio on the second floor — not the hotel’s top floor. The small pool was flanked by 3 lounge chairs and a pair of shade umbrellas.

While towels were on each lounger, there was also a rack with additional towels and a wicker basket for dirty towels next to it.

In the far corner, overlooking the street below, was a seating area with several chairs and an L-shaped couch. A large umbrella overhead provided shade.

Internet

Wi-Fi was available throughout the property. It was slow, however. While upload speeds approached 50 Mbps, download speeds hovered around 10 Mbps.

Gym

A small fitness center was on the second floor at the rear of the hotel. It was available 24 hours a day and had half a dozen cardio machines, though one of the treadmills had caution tape wrapped around it because it wasn’t working.

There also were free weights, a bench, towels, and a water station in the corner. A TV hung on the wall.

Elevators

A pair of elevators was in the center of the hotel.

The elevators’ steel-and-mirror look felt sterile, and they were small. With 2 adults plus luggage, the elevator couldn’t fit anything else inside.

There wasn’t any artwork or seating immediately next to the elevators, though guest floors had seats just a few doors down from the elevators.

Shuttle

The hotel did, in fact, have a shuttle. It just didn’t go to the airport.

We didn’t receive any information about this shuttle at check-in and magically found it outside during our stay. We inquired at the desk and learned that the shuttle provided complimentary rides within the city limits and was available upon request.

Bicycles

Another perk we weren’t told about: complimentary bicycles! There were only 2 of these, but they could be requested from the front desk.

Coworking Space

Behind the courtyard area was a coworking space that the hotel referred to as a business center. It had fun, patterned floors and a high-top table in the center of the room. Along one of the walls was a desk with a pair of computers.

Individual chairs were also present in the room, and we saw this space used more for relaxation than work.

Courtyard

The hotel was surprisingly deep; its front entrance belied the size of the hotel, which was long and skinny. In the middle, there was a courtyard that was open to the sky above.

It was possible to look down into the courtyard or across its open space from the guest floors.

There was ample, padded seating around the courtyard, as well as a small fountain in the center.

The courtyard wrapped around the coworking space, and the front area was popular for hanging out at night. This was also the outdoor seating space for both the restaurant and the bar.

There was even a platform with a few tables and chairs in the front portion of the courtyard.

Ice Machines

The second floor — the floor with the pool and gym — had an ice machine just past the elevators, moving toward the rear of the hotel.

Food and Beverages

Terraza Centro

Terraza Centro was the hotel’s sole restaurant, located on the ground floor. It had both indoor and outdoor seating, but outdoor seating was far more popular.

At the edge of the seating area, there was a traditional comal for cooking tortillas, gorditas, and other Mexican fare.

Inside, there was a modest breakfast buffet available each morning. Hot dishes rotated daily but always include some type of eggs, traditional Oaxacan dishes, potatoes, beans, and more. Nearby, a window into the kitchen allowed guests to request eggs made to order, such as omelets. It was also possible to request these directly from a server.

The buffet also included yogurt, granola, cold cuts, and several types of bread. A toaster was nearby.

There were multiple fruits each morning, the same for all 4 days of our stay: papaya, pineapple, canteloupe, and watermelon.

When we arrived each morning, the servers came quickly and offered coffee, tea, and juice. Arriving early also gave us a better chance for an outside table, which felt much calmer than the small inside seating area next to the buffet.

Hot Tip:

Breakfast was available from 7 to 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and until 11 a.m. on weekends.

Rooftop Bar

The rooftop bar was on the second floor between the elevators and the pool. It was only open at night, though confirming an opening time with staff was difficult. Perhaps it was because of the holiday.

The bar offered a range of beers, cocktails, and wines for purchase. There was covered seating and stools at the bar.

Lobby Bar

Immediately to the left after entering the property — with the reception area to the right — we found the lobby bar. It served a range of alcoholic drinks but also could whip up espressos for guests.

According to several employees, it was open from “the morning” until “night.” Based on what we saw, it seemed to open around 8 a.m., start serving alcohol around noon, and close around 11 p.m.

Service

The security guards were the best employees at this hotel, hands down. They kept the street parties from spilling into the hotel, smiled warmly at everyone who came in, and tried to remember who the hotel guests were — in order to keep the public out. And they rushed to help with our luggage when we were arriving and departing. They seemed to function as bellhops sometimes, as well. We liked all of them.

The reception staff was friendly, though they left out key details during check-in and sometimes contradicted each other. We couldn’t get clear answers about the hours for some of the facilities, and that felt strange.

The night before we checked out, we approached the desk to ask what time we should head to the airport for our flight and whether we needed to arrange a taxi in advance. A friendly employee booked the taxi at the time she recommended and asked if we wanted a wake-up call to ensure we didn’t miss our ride. That proactive gesture was a nice touch.

Staff members at breakfast were efficient and smiled while interacting with us. Given that there were few of them and many guests to help, they were more focused on getting things done quickly than on hearty conversation. It made sense, but it kept service from having memorable moments.

Checkout

As we rolled our luggage into the reception area while clearing the sleep from our eyes, an employee said he had our paperwork already prepared. He refunded the security hold on my credit card, took our key cards, and confirmed that there was nothing on our account to pay.

He also confirmed that the taxi was already waiting outside and wished us a safe journey. As we expected, the security guard appeared and insisted on helping us with our luggage. “We hope to see you again,” were his parting words.

Final Thoughts

Honestly, the location of the City Centro by Marriott Oaxaca might be its best feature. Breakfast would be second. The rooms were small, and the amenities weren’t impressive. That said, I’d be willing to stay here again on a return visit to Oaxaca.