Airbnb Hot Spots: Tulum, Mexico
BY MIKEL HUBBARD
FORMER HGTV PRODUCER | CO-FOUNDER, THE HOST CO |
OWNER, TIMES EIGHT PROPERTY & DESIGN
Mexican design is en fuego, and that’s certainly evidenced by the the thatched roofs, plaster walls and basket light fixtures of beachy places like Tulum. It embodies the new “it” design for a calming, sophisticated vacation. Yes, some people say Tulum has gotten too popular for its own good, but once you see the Airbnb game there, you’ll understand why we can’t help but show them off as an Airbnb Hot Spot.
CASA XELVA
This place is everything we love about Mexican coastal design. It’s the white, wood and concrete of Southwest design but taken to the next level: plaster walls, wicker light fixtures, a modern pool and most of the time you can’t tell if the jungle is outside or inside. Call a locksmith, because we are so into this house we’re not sure we can get out of it.
CASA PALOMA
This house is so stunning, we had to collect ourselves before we could type. How do you even begin to describe perfection? Ok, lets start: the crisp architecture balanced seamlessly with subtle textures, neutral tones and imperfect natural elements nails EXACTLY where design is at right now. The indoor/outdoor living room that opens onto a pristine pool are icing on the cake and if this place was designed any less than two minutes ago, these people should open their own interior design firm for being so on the pulse that they must secretly own a time machine.
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VIDA SILVESTRE
This place is full jungle, and we can’t resist it. From the stone walls to the thatched roof to the impeccable outdoor fireplace, you will truly feel like you’re in another world, and yet this other world is so aesthetically seductive, you can’t believe you don’t already follow it on Instagram. We know it’s corny to say a place is magical, but grab the tarot cards and incense because this place is doing some serious voodoo on us.
NIMI
There’s next level, and then there’s Nimi. Sure, it leans more modern than what you might think as Tulum, but once you’ve laid eyes on it you can’t unsee it. And spoiler alert: it’s affordable! The concrete Brutalist architecture is so Maria Sharapova on the cover of Architectural Digest that we had to make sure this wasn’t actually her house. They’ve done such a killer job of balancing the modernism with wood, white linen and letting the outdoors in that somehow it still feels warm, welcoming and calm. How many awards did this house win? Because this performance deserves an EGOT.
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CASA ZABA
Our jaws have fallen and can’t get up. So earthy, this place should be an art installation but lo and behold, you can rent it on Airbnb. We’re not even sure if it’s real or if the Bachelor In Paradise built this set and then abandoned it. The location is right on the beach, the architecture is so definitively jungle that a set designer must have dreamed it up and the textural layering of plaster, rope, wood and mudcloth is beyond any we’ve ever seen. Kudos to the team behind this place because they’ve set the bar for fantasy and we’re not sure it can be topped.
Have any experience staying in these incredible places or know of another Airbnb Hot Spot? Tell us more in the comments!