About the Host:
I’m going to start by saying that communication with the host was initially fine but became difficult. Before arriving things ran smoothly, I had my questions answered in a timely manner, he was cordial and polite, but the communication during and after our stay left much to be desired. The host has many listings which may explain why it might be difficult for one to give truly good hosting attention to any one in particular.
When asking about the check-in, the host didn’t respond until after the check-in time. We were given one key for 5 people which one of our guests thought was strange. (We then asked for another.) We were given wifi info but not much other information about the space. I asked them about how to dispose of trash but it would have been helpful to have had this info readily available upon arrival especially because we were there for a week.
There was an issue that arose when we discovered and reported some missing bed legs. When I told the host about my experience, he essentially gaslighted me and used language like “not possible” and “absurd” to communicate to me that he did not believe me and would be charging me for the bed legs believing that we were responsible for removing and disposing of them. In the past, I have had mishaps arise, communicated with hosts, agreed on a solution and moved on but never have I been gaslighted for simply reporting what I found. It was in poor taste. That kind of behavior only incentivizes guests to hide issues from hosts. In the end, I paid the difference. I was less affected by the money and more affected by how mistrustful and incredulous the host was as a response.
In the past my experience with Airbnb hosts has been very good. I understand not all hosts are as involved as others but still there is a general standard of hospitality and helpfulness that is part of Airbnb culture. Hosts often leave behind instructions on how to best care for the space or sometimes even information to better navigate the area. I don’t expect this of all of them but it does help make the space feel less like an empty apartment and more like a home that we both care for.
The biggest reason why we gave the space 2 stars was because it delivered on its basic description of what the space was but nothing about the space or the host made it feel like it was a quality experience or a deal to rent this space -- especially for the kind of quality I usually experience with Airbnb. I will describe the space in the second section.
About the Space:
The space is considered to be in a good safe location near a couple of parks and many businesses, lots of places to eat and shop. The best amenity (in my opinion) about the space was probably the doormen (24-hour security) who were very kind and helpful when it came to answering my questions.
The apartment is on the third floor and does require climbing some steps to get to the elevator. The apartment was nice and fresh during our stay and there were enough fans to keep it so. The rooms were decent and the organized closet space was good. The warm water in the shower was hit or miss, but that isn’t uncommon for Mexico.
The common spaces were aesthetically nice but utility-wise, some of the amenities weren’t ideal. I read this in another review and had anticipated it but the living room wasn’t a very comfy space to spend time for long. The kitchen supplies like pots and pans weren’t in great condition and some basic items felt missing for a functioning kitchen like a cutting board. We found some lipstick on some dishes that had been put away as well which made me think twice about how thoroughly the apartment is checked for cleanliness in between visits. We ended up washing all the dishes before using them. Be prepared to purchase the drinking water you think you will consume during your stay and carry it up to the apartment as that is not provided.
The washer and dryer was a good addition to the space. One of my guests laments that we weren’t told about the rooftop terrace which he feels could have added more to the experience had we been told about it early on instead of finding out about it on the last night. It’s the little details that make the difference.