As I’ve mentioned, my stay in Cancun wasn’t of the traditional route. I decided to stay in an Airbnb Cancun instead.
Read more about my experiences off the beaten path in Cancun here! There’s even a video.
Confession time: it was my first Airbnb! After my awesome experiences staying in bed and breakfasts in Vermont, I was excited to give this option a try.
In case you’ve been living under a rock like I have with Airbnb, here’s a little bit about the website and service.
“Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone or tablet.
Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.” -Airbnb.com
Contents
Now, when I first set out to find an Airbnb in Cancun, the things I looked for were private spaces, kitchens, wifi, positive reviews and location.
Private Room
I knew I wanted to buckle down and get some work done during my time in Cancun and this meant I needed some space to myself to do so. Sharing a room was going to happen often during my next two months trekking through Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, I didn’t want it to start earlier than I needed to.
Kitchen
I wanted to have the option of cooking/preparing meals for myself if I wanted to. I wasn’t sure what food options would be like, I always like having a refrigerator when possible.
Having access to a kitchen comes in handy when traveling with food allergies. For me, breakfast gets complicated or is annoying to go out for. I often end up wasting money by paying for an entire dish and only being able to eat half of it. A kitchen gives me the option to get some fruit and yogurt to save a few dollars.
Wifi
Wifi, as a travel blogger, is a no brainer. I knew I could find a coffee shop or restaurant if needed, but the ease of not having to leave the house to get work done was a perk I didn’t want to pass up. I also checked reviews to see if anyone mentioned the quality of the wifiAlso, it came in handy during the 4 days of non stop rain I wound up having during my week there!
Positive Reviews
As a solo female, you have to be a bit more cautious when it comes to where you’re staying. I shied away from listings that had just a man as the property owner, or any that didn’t have any reviews at all. I know it’s stereotyping, and a bit unfair, but it’s necessary when traveling by yourself. I didn’t have anywhere to go if the airbnb wound up being uncomfortable.
I also looked for certain things in the reviews themselves. I looked for ones written by solo females. I looked for information about the cleanliness, the helpfulness of the property owners etc. I like having the option to be social but I don’t like when people are up my butt friendly ya know what I mean?
Location
Location was another thing I looked for in reviews, what did people think about the area? Did it seem safe? Were there food options nearby? Easy to navigate around?
Luckily, I also had the perk of the property I chose having been recommended by multiple people I had met during TBEX. I touched upon my Airbnb experience with Christina and Tim (the voices behind MarginalBoundaries.com) a lot here, so please make sure to check that out.
A little more about my stay though. With my food allergies and being gluten free, I get especially nervous when things boast free breakfast! I stump myself at times about what to prepare myself for breakfast, it’s not a task I like passing off to others.
Christina, however, took the challenge and accepted it and delivered deliciously. I munched on tostadas, chicken soup, avocados, tortillas, just so much yumminess to start each day! Because we got rained in often Tim and Christina, often shared other meals with me as well out of the kindness of their hearts! Which, I graciously repayed with a bottle of tequila 😉 An experience that would not have happened in a big box hotel!
Have you ever stayed in an Airbnb? Would you stay in one in Cancun?
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