Happy Express Hotel, a two-star property, sits in Oaxaca. The hotel offers wifi and air conditioning. 509 guests rate it 4.5 out of 5. Observed 2026 prices start at US$61 per night.
About Oaxaca: In Oaxaca City the neighbourhood is nearly everything, because the city is walked. All hotels in Oaxaca →
Facilities
Guest reviews
4.5509 reviewsPros: Location is good. There are many places to eat out that are close and good. Cons: You won't be able to sleep. Way too bright at night due to the hallway lights. The showers don't work well. The birds will wake you up at 4am bc the walls ate too thin. The pillows are way to thick that you won't be able to turn your neck the next day. Update: They fixed the shower head the next day but did not fix the light situation. It was still too bright to sleep. So if your not a heavy sleeper this a good place for you.
My friend and I had a lovely stay in the Happy Express Hotel. The owners and staff were exceptionally friendly and obliging. Our bedroom was cleaned every day with fresh towels provided. The showers were hot. The hotel is within a 10 - 15 minute walk of all the main attractions. There is a small kitchen area with drinking water, tea and coffee, a fridge and a microwave. Thank you for making our time in Oaxaca very comfortable.
If I ever come back to Oaxaca, I’m definitely staying here again. The location is perfect—just a short walk to Mayordomo Chocolate and La Soledad ice cream. The service from Fernando and his team was top-notch. We reserved our room through WhatsApp, and he kept his word over the phone—everything was exactly as promised. Truly trustworthy and kind people. Thank you for a wonderful stay!
Planning your trip to Oaxaca
When to go
Oaxaca has two super-peaks that change everything: Guelaguetza, the last two weeks of July, and Day of the Dead, from late October into early November. In both, the city multiplies rates and sells out months ahead — the best dates to be here and the worst to improvise. Holy Week and year-end form the second tier.
The rest of the calendar is kind: November to April, dry and sunny with cool highland nights; May to September, afternoon rains that rarely ruin a day, and lower prices. May-June and September are the cheap months.
The honest point: if you want Muertos or Guelaguetza, decide early and pay the peak; otherwise almost any other month gives you the same city with half the people.
Getting there and around
The airport is 20-30 minutes from the centre. The authorised shared van costs about MX$100-150 per person at 2025 prices and a private taxi MX$300-400 — paid at a desk with posted prices, no haggling. Overland, the ADO from Mexico City takes 6-7 hours on a winding highway; many prefer the one-hour flight.
The centre is walked entirely, and that is the point: Zócalo to Santo Domingo, markets to Jalatlaco, nothing beyond 20 minutes on foot. Taxis and apps cover the rest for little money.
For the valleys — Monte Albán, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán, village markets — there are three speeds: cheap shared tours, day-hire camionetas, and local buses and colectivos for those with time. Monte Albán sits 20 minutes away and deserves the trip's first morning.
Where to stay, zone by zone
Between the Zócalo and Santo Domingo lies the heart: colonial mansions turned boutique hotels, bougainvillea courtyards, everything on foot. It is the most desired zone and the one that has climbed hardest — our 2026 scan put the city's typical rate at US$111, easily exceeded here. The US$19 entry price exists, but rarely in the heart.
Jalatlaco, to the east, is the barrio everyone falls for now: cobbles, murals, cafés — 10-15 minutes' walk from the centre and a notch quieter at night. Xochimilco, north, offers the same with less shop window and the city's best bakeries.
Residential Reforma drops the price in exchange for a walk or short taxi. One warning across all zones: many old houses have no lift and no parking, and Oaxaca's church bells ring early and with conviction — an interior room is a quality-of-life decision.
By profile: first visit, between the Zócalo and Santo Domingo despite the price — the location pays for itself; second visit or slow travel, Jalatlaco or Xochimilco; backpacker budget, the hostels toward the abastos market chosen block by block; a month of remote work, Reforma or San Felipe del Agua to the north, with specialty coffee and residential calm. El Llano — the Juárez park — is the overlooked middle: ten minutes from everything, with genuine neighbourhood life.
A note on room choice that outweighs star ratings here: in the converted mansions, the difference between the courtyard room and the street room is the difference between sleeping and not. Oaxaca's streets wake at seven with gas trucks, bells and patron-saint fireworks, in that order.
Eating and going out
Oaxaca is arguably Mexico's food capital and proves it on three floors: the markets — 20 de Noviembre with its smoke corridor, Benito Juárez, La Merced — where a full meal runs about MX$80-150 in 2025; the neighbourhood fondas with their moles of the day; and the chef's tables that reinterpret it all and demand booking weeks out.
Tlayudas at night, memelas in the morning, chapulines everywhere, and the seven moles as a map of the territory. Water-ground chocolate with pan de yema is the canonical breakfast.
At night, mezcalerías: the city is the gate to the denomination of origin, and the serious bars pour espadín, tobalá and madrecuixe with flavoured waters and respect. The register is conversation, not party — dancing exists, but Oaxaca at night is more candle than strobe.
Booking well
A mid-sized market with extreme peaks: 80 hotels with real prices in our 2026 scans, from US$19 with a typical rate of US$111 — no longer the bargain it was, and at Muertos and Guelaguetza prices multiply and EVERYTHING sells out: book those dates three to six months ahead.
Outside the peaks, two or three weeks suffice. The boutique mansions hold few rooms: the one you saw in photos sells out before the city does. Check stairs and lifts if you travel heavy, and the room's orientation relative to bell towers and cantina streets.
The altitude (1,550 metres) cools every night of the year — air conditioning matters less than on the coast and the blanket more than you expect. Prices on this page are 2026 observations, per night; verify the live rate in the widget.
One more note on the peaks: for Day of the Dead, the good central hotels open bookings a year out and agencies block rooms — if the date is non-negotiable, secure the hotel before the flight. Whatever the season, ask whether breakfast is included and what it is: in Oaxaca a real hotel breakfast — chocolate, pan de yema, eggs in salsa — is worth money, and a bad one is a reason to walk to the market instead.
Frequently asked about Happy Express Hotel
How much does Happy Express Hotel cost?
In our 2026 scans we found rooms from US$61 a night. Rates move with dates and occupancy — check the live price with the availability widget on this page.
Where is Happy Express Hotel?
Happy Express Hotel is at Díaz Ordaz No. 312 Col. Centro, Oaxaca, Mexico, in Oaxaca. You can open the exact location in Google Maps with this page's "View on map" link.
What facilities does Happy Express Hotel have?
Facilities the hotel reports include: 24 Hour Front Desk, 24H. Security, Air conditioning, Balcony, Bathroom and Cleaning. The full list (35 facilities) is in this page's facilities section.
How do I book Happy Express Hotel?
Use the gold button or the availability widget: choose dates, see the live price on app.impt.io and complete the booking there. Most rooms allow free cancellation, and every booking removes a tonne of CO₂.
