I selected Petra’s listing solely due to the great reviews from solo female travelers, the proximity to major landmarks, and the awesome value. The reviews reflected my actual experience: assistance from Renate answering all my questions before my trip, Esperanza bakery & fresh fruits daily by Cecilia / Nicole, Petra’s quick communication with any of my questions during my 4 day trip, friendly security guard(s) always on the lookout, a clean + safe + secured building in the heart of the city.
I’m a 20-something female (petite) traveler: took the metro at 8AM, took the Uber, hailed a taxi, took the local bus, walked from 8am to 9pm. The location made it easy for me to take any type of transportation, go to the best restaurants / bakeries / shopping stores by foot. Any questions on safety, I emailed Renate and/or walked over to Petra’s apartment for advice.
The disappointment I had was when I was about to leave to the airport, when I realized that my 13-hour days resulted to less time getting to know Petra’s story. A journalist for years, from Germany, lived in ~8 countries, an author of a Mexico travel book (she added her building on the page!) – what a woman. Her apartment (steps away from my rented studio) reflected a piece of what I saw in her (and reflected the gem of Mexico City) – full of intellect, design, charm – and something you want to know more of. I came to her with questions and she gave me a thoughtful guide on the city. But what I took from that is more than that. It was encountering with a genuine, compassionate, and inspiring human being – even for the short 4 days. It was enough for me to appreciate the city as a solo female traveler & she is a huge part in connecting all the dots for me.
This experience has taught me to look at inspiring reviews from the AirBnB host, something beyond a photo of an apartment listing. I come out of this inspired. And I thank Petra, an extraordinary superhost. She is a remarkable woman. Muchos gracias, Petra.