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Explore a Mexico City Airbnb–Meets–Magical Wonderland

September 14, 2023

Would you sleep in this snakelike structure on the outskirts of the capital metropolis?

by Brooke Porter Katz
Imagine looking outside the window of your Airbnb, only to see the head of a colossal serpent—albeit one covered in thousands of multicolored beads—emerging from the trees. Welcome to Nido de Quetzalcóatl (or Quetzalcóatl’s Nest), an otherworldly, twisting, turning, kaleidoscopic, iridescent structure built in 1998 by Mexican architect Javier Senosiain. It’s home to 10 apartments, each measuring around 2,200 square feet—one of which houses a museum with models from the architect’s career and another that’s used as an Airbnb rental starting from $213 per night. (A second Airbnb rental, with space for six guests, will be listed soon.) It’s all located inside an expansive private park 15 miles from Mexico City’s historic center—far enough away to feel completely removed from the hustle and bustle.
The campus is filled with exotic plant species and water features. 
Photo: Courtesy Nido de Quetzalcoatl/Javier Senosiain
The awe-inspiring building is a prime example of Senosiain’s organic approach to design, which takes inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, Luis Barragán, Juan O’Gorman, and Antoni Gaudí. “It’s a philosophy of architecture that seeks or promotes harmony between the habitat of man and the natural world,” Senosiain says. “O’Gorman noted that organic architecture takes into account the geographic conditions of the place such as the topography, the orientation, the views, and the environment, as well as the cultural conditioning factors.”
A living room. 
Photo: Courtesy Airbnb
The Airbnb comes complete with five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and enough space for up to eight guests. It’s not fancy—the apartment is simply designed and some rooms are pretty bare—but what it lacks in flash it makes up for in the sheer feeling of wonder you’ll feel just being inside. Look closely, and you’ll notice that there are practically no hard edges; the windows, sofas, and even the fruit and magazine holders are rounded. As Senosiain puts it, “The right angle is an invention of man,” going on to cite examples—everything from a crib where a baby first sleeps to an iPad.
A close-up of the snake head. The design was inspired by traditional Mexican Huichol bead art. 
Photo: Courtesy Nido de Quetzalcoatl/Javier Senosiain
Guests can opt to take a tour of the grounds with the host, Patricia, an associate of Senosiain’s who also lives in Nido de Quetzalcóatl. It’s worth the nearly four-hour journey through the 1.2-acre park, which is accessible only to residents—at least until the under-construction visitor center and separate public entrance opens in the next couple of years. There’s a greenhouse, various gardens (cactus, herb, mineral), ponds, a grass-covered amphitheater, 10,000-plus trees, and more than a dozen structures in the form of snakes—from waterfalls to walls—covered in painstakingly created mosaic patterns. And if the magic of Nido de Quetzalcóatl and the surrounding park isn’t enough, you can also request a tour of Senosiain’s former home, a short drive away.
The light-filled living room at nearby Casa Orgánica, the architect’s former home, which is open for tours. 
Photo: Francisco Lubbert
This article is originally available in www.architecturaldigest.com