In advance of booking, MAKE SURE you read the "House Rules" section of the listing in full! I somehow missed it originally, and the listing itself has a number of rules and restrictions that didn't work for our party which made for a stressful situation in advance of our stay. Fortunately, things did work out and we had a lovely time in Mexico City!
PROS:
- Abdeel and Cristy are very prompt and responsive in regards to communication about questions and issues in the house (our hot water broke and they had it fixed within hours). They were also willing to listen and be flexible when I brought up concerns about having outside guests visiting the property.
- The house feels very historic, and is really beautiful and well decorated. It's split into 5 apartments so if you have a group of couples, there's a good amount of privacy. However, due to the layout the house doesn't have a lot of common spaces so can feel closed off. We remedied that by opening up the doors on Apts 1 and 2 so there was more space to lounge.
- AMAZING location in La Condesa - we were walking distance to plenty of restaurants, nightlife, and all the CDMX had to offer, but the house itself was very quiet and the area felt safe.
- Cute patio area in front where you can eat or hang out in the nice weather
- Lots of amenities - really appreciated the toilet paper, games, and other knick knacks provided for our use during our stay
CONS:
- Very pricey for the value given. We paid almost 3x the price per person vs. some friends who stayed at an apartment style hotel less than a block away - they each had a bed and a spacious living room and full kitchen.
- Similarly, we chose a house because we wanted to have a gathering place for our group (we had several friend groups in the area as it was a large trip). Unfortunately, the house rules clearly state no guests are allowed on the property outside of those staying on the property. It was my fault I missed this rule, but had I read this in advance I would not have booked. Fortunately, Abdeel and Cristy listened to my concerns and allowed us to have outside guests visit - so do keep that in mind. It's clear to me that they've had poor experiences in the past with large parties, so it's unfortunate that they've had to resort to these measures at the potential expense of the guest experience.
- House is old so hot water is fickle - a number of times the water would switch from hot to cold and back to hot. Hot water broke once, but Abdeel/Cristy were quick to fix it.
- Kitchens are more like kitchenettes, so don't book this place if you are expecting to cook real meals together
- Listing is advertised for maximum of 22pax - we had 14, and would say there should be no more than 15-16 adults. Most of the sofa beds are large enough only for 1 adult. 2 commune area beds do not have direct access to a bathroom at night (they had to walk through rooms with couples sleeping to access the bathroom, which was awkward)
Overall, we had a pleasant stay in Mexico City, and Abdeel and Cristy were very accommodating and helpful throughout. We would not stay again simply because the value isn't there for us - we paid the premium expecting the perks associated (large house, can accommodate guests/social space, etc.) which ended up being a bit of a hassle given the listed rules.