Paulo’s apartment is absolutely gorgeous and provided us with more than enough space to feel at home in cdmx. It was conveniently located on a quiet block in beautiful condesa between two bodegas that made buying bottled water easy. It’s a few steps away from a peaceful little park, a pharmacy, a grocery store, and various cafes, and a 15-20 minute walk to many condesa and Roma Norte hotspots.
The apartment itself is very clean and gets wonderful light. It looks even better than it does in the pictures. Both beds are comfortable and the extra bathroom came in handy after eating some street tacos that didn’t sit too well. The backyard and TV with Netflix offered welcome respite after busy days of museum-going and sightseeing. We didn’t end up using the kitchen or washing machine much, but Paulo has provided all the relevant accoutrements if you were to use them in a longer stay.
If I were to offer any criticisms it would only be that the shower isn’t great: the hot water cuts in and out and it’s outfitted with this big flat head that you have to duck under if you’re tall like me and that doesn’t provide ample water pressure to wash soap off easily. I think it would be much improved if Paulo were to replace it with a more normal, small round head.
Additionally, Paulo was very pleasant when we exchanged messages on the Airbnb app, but overall he wasn’t the most communicative host I’ve ever had. There was no one to greet us when we arrived, only the code for the lockbox, and all of the instructions for for the apartment were in Spanish. Paulo took days to get back to me after I messaged him through the app, and when I tried to call him through the number listed on the “your trip” page it was not reachable. Ultimately there wasn’t much I needed to communicate with him about, but it was a bit disconcerting that it didn’t feel like I could reach him quickly if I did need help (like getting locked out the the apartment for example—as the door locks automatically once closed). I don’t hold it against him as I’m sure he’s very busy, but it would have been nice to have a bit more communication on his part for our peace of mind.
Overall though, a wonderful stay and would definitely recommend the place to others, especially if you’re independent traveler-types who don’t need a lot of handholding. Thanks Paulo!