From Dream to Reality: The Story Behind El Diablo y La Luna

Some stories begin with a plan. Others begin with a twist of fate. Mine began with both.

My journey started with the renowned El Diablo y La Sandía — my first hotel, a place full of laughter and good food, that quickly became one of Oaxaca´s favorites. 5 Years later, I opened a second location, Boca del Monte, and poured my soul into it. Then, unexpectedly, everything changed. The building’s owner decided to reclaim the property, and I had to walk away from something I had lovingly built. This unfortunate event was part of a broader transformation — the kind that’s happening in so many beautiful old neighborhoods around the world. New projects, new faces, rising values. Some call it progress, others call it gentrification.

Breakfast table at the beautiful patio of El Diablo y La Sandia

Luckily....

A few years earlier, I had bought a small piece of land. It was meant to be my family home one day a quiet space surrounded by nature and light. After losing Boca del Monte, I returned to that land and saw it differently. I realized that maybe it wasn’t meant to be just a house. Maybe it was meant to become something that could hold the spirit of everything I’d lost, and everything I still dreamed of creating.

And so, El Diablo y La Luna was born.

Built from scratch — every wall, every tile, every beam chosen with care and intention. What began as heartbreak transformed into hope, creativity, and beauty.

El Diablo y La Luna isn’t just a boutique hotel; it’s my soul in stone and sunlight. A place where design meets emotion, where art lives in the details, and where guests can feel the warmth of something deeply personal.

And as the world around us keeps evolving, I hope this place stands as a gentle invitation — for travelers to arrive with curiosity, to engage respectfully, and to appreciate not only what’s new, but what has always been here.

This hotel is proof that from loss can come creation — and from dreams, if you’re brave enough to follow them, can come magic.

Welcome to El Diablo y La Luna. Welcome to my new beginning.

With love,

María