Recently my husband and I went on a cruise (more on that later!), and we left from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our plans were to arrive a day early so that we could explore the city. I decided to surprise my husband (his name is Earl) with our very first Airbnb experience – it was definitely one of a kind! 

I was a bit nervous booking our first Airbnb.

I’ll definitely admit that! But the things that stood out to me while searching were the number of photos and also the number of reviews (in the positive direction, of course!). I adore things that are different, so having an experience and being in the heart of Old San Juan was really important to me. So, when I found a reasonably priced (I was searching for under $100 in total), location marked “funky rooftop shack” you better believe I clicked on it!

Let me also pause a minute to chat about price. Honestly, this is the ONE THING that has kept me away from booking an Airbnb in the past. You see, when searching, you can think you found a good deal, but some hosts (and this is up to the host) add in large fees. Our location was listed at $65, and the with the fees and taxes, the total was $77.69. A similarly priced one listed at $70 ended up being $144 when it was all said and done (I didn’t book that, of course!). So, I was attracted by the fact for the one I chose, the price was basically the price, and there weren’t hidden fees. That gave me additional confidence in booking.

Ok, now on to the location…

It was fairly easy to find, but we took a taxi from the airport. There were a lot of one way streets, so we finally just had our driver drop us off when we were close by – we literally kept circling it and could see it, lol. Remember that I said I surprised my husband with this stay?? Well, he full well was expecting a hotel. I actually was a bit nervous!

A passcode quickly got us into the front door (see below!) of the Base Hostel. We didn’t stay at the actual hostel, but we had to walk through it to get to our room on the roof.

We took our luggage up, up, up and entered the main open area of the hostel. And then I saw what absolutely sold me on this choice for our first Airbnb. The swinging bridge! See it in the photo below? My poor husband had to carry our luggage across – ha – but he was a good sport. The atmosphere was so fun!

Here are a few views looking down from the swinging bridge onto the open area. It was so natural and beautiful in the middle of the bustling city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. There were also some pretty art pieces, and you’ll catch us posing on the bridge below.

Now on to our first Airbnb room.

The room and area itself was made with reclaimed materials and had a rustic, artsy vibe. It may not look like there was a lot of privacy as the areas are fairly open, but we felt completely safe in staying there and even leaving our luggage in the room while we walked around the city. Clean sheets and bath towels were provided, and the bathroom was urban but totally cute in its own way.

The bedroom area was made of old wooden doors with panels that could be opened along with other reclaimed pieces. The bed was comfy and covered in mosquito netting (although we didn’t see any mosquitos). It had a roof but was open to enjoy the city and the elements (noise and temperature). It actually cooled off to a perfect temperature at night, and I didn’t mind hearing the sounds of the Old San Juan nightlife. What a great place!

So, all in all, our first Airbnb stay was a big success!

I knew I was taking a risk booking the type of place I did, but my husband thought it was such a memorable experience. I’m so glad!! I took a fun video of the whole place, which does a lot more justice than the photos do. I hope you enjoy it below!

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