We decided on a Merida Airbnb for our trip. If you saw our previous blog post we mentioned that we took the decision to travel during COVID-19 very seriously. Where we could stay, and feel safe, was a major consideration for us.
Staying at a Hotel
Back in August we did a short weekend road trip across Florida to the Space Coast. In preparing for that short stay we chose a hotel. Specifically a chain hotel.
We chose the Doubletree Hilton property specifically because of the COVID precautions listed on their website. The proudly displayed the ‘Hilton Clean Stay’ banner on their site. Most of the smaller mom and pop type places made us question what their practices were and how safe we’d be.
We also chose the property because it was a suite and we knew we’d have a little extra room and a place to bring take-out food if we didn’t find places to eat over the weekend.
In the end, the precautions listed we’re not completely adhered to and we continually ran into people in the hotel lobby now wearing masks and overall didn’t feel that safe.
Choosing Our Merida Airbnb
Saying that we looked for good Airbnb reviews pretty much goes without saying. However we decided that being relative newbies we’d go straight to only ‘Superhost’ locations. It was easy to look at the reviews and all of the safety protocols listed.
We just felt that having the entire place to ourselves made us feel safe. It was nice to know were the one’s cleaning behind ourselves. We had a full kitchen to shop and make our own meals, we could do our own laundry and had plenty of space to chill and relax in complete privacy.
The Airbnb location we chose checked all of the boxes. And ultimately was the perfect decision for our needs.
Somos locales de Merida
Okay, we’re not really Merida locals. But we knew on this trip we’d be living like Merida locals. A large number of the cultural sites and museums were closed or had very limited hours. We also knew that there was a nightly curfew. So for the most part this was about relaxing and recharging and living like locals.
For the most part, especially during warmer weather, locals tend to get up early and head off for errands. They then return to chill out during the middle of the day relaxing by the pool, or chilling in a hammock. They take care of business around the house and head out again when the sun goes down and it gets cooler.
And, that’s exactly what we did! We walked everywhere. However, we did notice public transportation had great safety protocols. We hit up local coffee shops, for baked goods and ground coffee and went to the Mercado for groceries to make breakfast.
Later, we came back and enjoyed the amazing pool and covered patio – the perfect place to have our coffee, read, take a dip and an afternoon nap.
Shopping at the local market and having a nicely stocked kitchen gave us the opportunity to make dinner a few nights. It also came with a nice supply of bottled water.
From having a great outdoor space and kitchen, to a comfortable sitting area and bathroom with a HUGE shower- this was absolutely the way to go.
The Benefits of Airbnb
Beyond the privacy and flexibility, we enjoyed being able to see the amenities the house offered on the listing. There were a good number of options in the neighborhood we had selected – so seeing the options and images to compare pricing was a big help.
The other big plus for us was the ease of communication with our host. From booking to getting information on local restaurants the host was very accessible. Not only did he meet us when we checked in, but he was kind enough to drop us at the airport.
Not speaking Spanish very well it was great to be able to find a bi-lingual host. Someone who understood what we’d need to locate during our stay was very helpful.
Overall, we’re hooked. We’ll still be doing hotels when we do group tours. And probably when traveling to multiple cities with one or two night stays in each place. But, when we’re relaxing in one city for multiple days and because of the safety factor we’re hooked!
