Suuel Hotel Brings Puerto Escondido’s Beach Culture to Life

A new boutique retreat by CAAM + Arquitectos celebrates the tactile essence of Puerto Escondido’s coastline, inviting guests to experience architecture through their feet.

The adults-only Suuel hotel in the Oaxacan seaside town revolves around a sandy inner courtyard and takes its cues from the region’s relaxed beach culture and vernacular charm.

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Clad in dark grey chukum, a natural limestone-based finish common to the region, the hotel blends into its lush surroundings of nim trees, which both shade and partially conceal the building. From the street, a porous partition of angled bricks allows glimpses into the open-air bar and lounge, connecting the building to its coastal context and community.

The design draws inspiration from Puerto Escondido’s rhythm of life, extending the beach experience indoors through a sand garden that welcomes visitors to wander barefoot. “The venue’s exceptional kitchen opens to the public, connecting with the bar and the outdoors, allowing barefoot curious wanderers to peek inside and decide to enter,” said the design team.

A central staircase forms the architectural heart of the project, linking staggered levels through a series of half flights. “As one ascends to the rooms, the architecture is continuously recognised and discovered through the feet,” said CAAM + Arquitectos. This stepped motif reappears in headboards, shower partitions and terraces, unifying the spatial language throughout.

Nine minimalist guest rooms are accessed along breezeways and semi-enclosed landings. Lower suites feature covered terraces with built-in seating and terracotta planters, while upper-floor rooms open onto wraparound balconies with private plunge pools and expansive views. The interiors favour simplicity, pairing textured plasterwork with wooden shutters, handcrafted furnishings and subtle textiles that highlight local craftsmanship.

“Suuel is the result of decades of loving Puerto Escondido,” said the architects. “It is a grand dream with a human scale, reflecting the belief that it can grow differently, with special spaces that preserve one of the most powerful beach cultures in Mexico.”

Suuel joins a wave of design-forward accommodation in the region, including Casa Yuma, Casa TO and Hotel Terrestre, each contributing to Puerto Escondido’s evolution as a global design destination.

Images by Fernando Farfán via Dezeen