I stayed at HOMi’s penthouse with 7 other guests for a full week. Yes, the penthouse views of the city are beautiful, and there is 24-hour security. It is down the street from a grocery store and a 10-20 minute walk away from restaurants and stores. Here are a few important things to note that I wished I had known before booking.
HOMi is very responsive via Airbnb messenger (~1 hour response time), but they are not on site. They seem to manage dozens of Airbnb listings throughout the city. The host’s response time varied depending on whether the messages were in written in English versus Spanish. While HOMi responded to all my inquiries, I had to reach out often about a lot of things that were unclear. For example, guests are required to carry out their own garbage (down 12 floors). You will also need to purchase more toilet paper if you run out. You’ll also need to purchase potable drinking water from the grocery store and carry it upstairs.
Upon check-in, you must sign a list of rules and regulations (available in Spanish only), some of which were not included in the online Airbnb listing. These included: 1) late check out fee of $300MXN/hour, 2) soiled/stained linens fee of $3,500MXN per quilt, $1,500MXN per set of sheets, and $450MXN per hand towel, and 3) $3,500MXN fine for smoking or consuming or bringing ANY alcohol on the premise. The last clause was really surprising when I wanted to purchase a bottle of tequila as a gift.
After staying here for a full week, this Airbnb can‘t comfortably accommodate 8 guests. The amenities are not 100% accurate. There are: 1 king mattress, 1 queen mattress, 1 full mattress, and 1 convertible futon couch that is slightly larger than a twin mattress. We ended up having three people sleep on the king sized mattress. Next, there are also only 6 bath towels and 4 hand towels available, which is unrealistic given that the Airbnb should accomodate up to 8 guests (hence there should be at least 8 towels available). More towels are available for an additional cost ($300MXN).
We also struggled throughout our stay with inconsistent hot water and a temperamental hot water heater (instructions are in Spanish only). My guests and I had to either take cold showers or wasted time fiddling with the heater, which needs to be turned on every few hours that you need hot water.
Other things of note: There is a four-digit, punch-code key pad lock instead of a manual key, which was very convenient for our large group to come and go. The elevator can only safely carry about 3 adults or 2 adults with luggage. It also runs slowly, and the chains sound like loose coins rattling every time. The available shampoo/conditioner are small hotel-sized bottles. I would recommend bringing your own. The wifi only works on the 1st floor; there is a very weak connection upstairs. There is no air conditioning, and with all the windows, the apartment got incredibly hot in the afternoons. There is only 1 rotary fan available. Keeping the windows/doors open helped as it cools down in the mornings/evenings, but it also let in a lot of bugs.
In summary, you get what you pay for with this Airbnb listing. If the panoramic penthouse views are important to you, this listing is a good value. If you and your guests are expecting more amenities like towels and beds, look elsewhere.