Cancun couple become hospitality entrepreneurs thanks to Airbnb

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Cancun couple become hospitality entrepreneurs thanks to Airbnb

In 2015, while Diego searched for work as a chef in Cancun, Mexico, he suggested to his wife Mariana that they list a room in their house on Airbnb to make some extra income. Mariana, who worked in a local hotel, was skeptical and worried about her privacy, but she agreed to give it a try. As it turns out, they loved interacting with visitors and helping them shape their trip to the cityโ€”as well as the financial boost they got from hosting them.

 

โ€œReceiving our first guests from places like Germany and France was awesome,โ€ Mariana says. They loved hosting so much that they decided they wanted to help others share their homes, as well. โ€œThis would be a great way to be more economically independent,โ€ she says.

 

Mariana and Diego, Property Managers of Seahorse RentalsMariana and Diego, Property Managers of Seahorse RentalsThat single room became the cornerstone of Seahorse Rentals, a thriving property management company that the couple built almost entirely on Airbnb. It has allowed Diego and Mariana the flexibility they sought as they raise their young child (with another on the way). They quit their day jobs soon after starting the company and became full-time hospitality entrepreneurs.

 

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Seahorse now operates 37 listings, including two properties that the couple bought and others that they manage for friends and neighbors. It employs three people, all local residents, who help with maintenance and guest relations. Well over 90 percent of Seahorseโ€™s business comes through Airbnb. Diego and Mariana embraced the platform early on because its reach allowed them to attract guests without having to do any outside advertising. Due to their consistently excellent guest reviews, Mariana and Diego quickly built up a network of referrals on Airbnbโ€”both of potential guests and of other local homeowners seeking a company to help them host their own property.

 

Mariana believes they could not have accomplished such fast success by listing on any other platform. โ€œI just got another call from someone who got recommended to us to manage her house,โ€ Mariana says. โ€œWe have so many referrals now that I had to ask her how she got our number.โ€

 

If Mariana and Diego have an issue, they know Airbnbโ€™s host guarantee helps them get back the full value for any damage done to their properties, which gives them peace of mind as they continue to grow the business.

 

โ€œThe support and service and safety they give us is unbelievable,โ€ says Mariana. โ€œEvery time we think of listing our properties elsewhere, we think, โ€˜Is it even worth taking that step?โ€™โ€

 

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Between 2016 and 2018, Seahorse Rentalsโ€™ revenue nearly tripled. In the peak month of December it reached nearly 500,000 Mexican Pesos (roughly $25,000) in 2017 and 2018. Seahorse has partnered with local tour companies to offer discounted rates to their guestsโ€”as well as personalized shopping and chefsโ€™ services for the guests who want them. Mariana says Airbnbโ€™s presence has helped galvanize a new kind of tourism in a region of Mexico that was best-known for all-inclusive resorts.

 

โ€œWe can see a huge impact downtown,โ€ Mariana says. โ€œA lot of restaurants were starting to close because most of the hotels are all-inclusive.โ€ When people arrive at an Airbnb, she adds, โ€œThey really get to know the place theyโ€™re visiting.โ€

 

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Mariana says they want to continue to grow Seahorse through Airbnb but more slowly because they do not want to sacrifice their personal touch. They plan to only add about three properties to their portfolio each year. โ€œYou need to put a lot of attention into each one to make sure itโ€™s all working well for the guests,โ€ Mariana says.

 

That attention to detail has paid off in unexpected ways. Mariana and Diego have become friendly with many of their frequent guests, and last year Mariana visited with their first-ever Airbnb guest during a trip to Germany. โ€œWe donโ€™t get to see every guest, but we have some kind of bond with them just by messaging with them,โ€ Mariana says. โ€œAnd going forward, we donโ€™t want to lose the essence of what we do.โ€

 

 

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41 Replies 41
Kira32
Level 10
Canary Islands, Spain

โ™กBless you and enjoy hostingโ™ก

๐Ÿ˜Šgracias 

Diego and Mariana
Heather699
Level 2
Petit Valley, Trinidad and Tobago

Hi thanjs for this story.

I began in April this tear, renting one room in my home. How long did you rent your one room before you were able to expand? 

๐Ÿ˜ƒ we rented it for about 3 months. keep it up.

Diego and Mariana

๐Ÿ˜ƒ we rented it for about 3 months. you can look for us on insta gram as seahorserentalsmx ๐Ÿ˜ƒ will let you know more

Diego and Mariana

๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Diego and Mariana

๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Diego and Mariana
Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

@Diego-and-Mariana0 Love this story!  Which listing has the open patio?  And which one has the yellow beds?  Too many to click through :), but I'll save one or two to my Worldwide wish list.

Hinemoa1
Level 1
Rotorua, New Zealand

Wow what an inspiration, this lovely couple have given me so many ideas about how I could expand my own Airbnb business. Thanks for sharing your story!!!

An inspiring story! What a great job you guys are doing!

Matilda-and-Dennis0
Level 1
Sanma Province, Vanuatu

Thank you for great inspiration!! We hope to follow suite...

 

Philip386
Level 1
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Appreciate for the inspiring story, i believe we can follow their story and think of how to expand our Airbnb listing ๐Ÿ™‚ 

Weis-Ks0
Level 1
Ipoh, Malaysia

Good and thanks

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Diego-and-Mariana0 

Beautiful spot to be living and sharing.

Where is the bed linen from?

Those bedspreads are nice, how do you keep them immaculate?

 

All the best

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