Benefits of Coliving as a Traveler

And what is coliving?

I’ve spent my time in Mexico staying at Coliving sites and I keep getting the question, “What is a Coliving house”?

I like to describe it as a cross between a hostel and a hotel. You get the community vibe of a hostel, with the comfort and privacy of a hotel room. Ideal for remote workers, long-term travelers, or anyone craving connection on the road.

Here are the 8 main reasons I love staying in colivings as a traveler:

1. Built in Community

   As a (mainly) solo traveler, building community can be challenging when you spend a lot of time on the road. Colivings tend to attract like-minded travelers, remote workers, and creatives who actually want to connect. Colivings are usually anywhere from 7 - 30 rooms on-site meaning there is no shortage of people to hang out with, when you want some company.

2. Private Rooms
   Colivings tend to attract individuals in their late 20’s-50’s who value their own space. There are no shared rooms or bunk beds in site. Making colivings ideal for professionals, couples, and slow travelers.

3. Flexible Stays

   

   This is big one for digital nomads and slow travelers. Typically colivings offer discounts for monthly or multi-month stays, making them an affordable option. Some even have more generous cancellation policies or ability to apply credit to future stays.

4. Dedicated Work Spaces
   Most colivings not only provide a desk setup in your room, but also communal coworking space right on site. They know their audience and it’s typically professionals who need a good setup and quiet areas to work. Not to mention they’re usually set up with fast internet and backup generators in case the local power goes out.

5. Beautiful Locations
   Colivings are in places people want to travel to! From beach towns to big cities to coastal retreats, the sites are usually spectacular. Just look at the view from my balcony in Madeira.

   

6. OnSite Manager
   Some managers live off-site and show up during the day like a normal work schedule while others may live on-site. Regardless of the system, there is a dedicated person around to assist with anything you need. They also typically plan group activities like language exchanges, group meals, movie nights, etc to help bring everyone together.

7. Communal Spaces
   A living room, kitchen facilities, coworking desks and sometimes a rooftop or pool area are all common spaces you find in a colivings. Making them feel more “homey” than other types of accommodation I’ve stayed in.

   

8. Central Locations

   The idea behind colivings is living communally and that means having access to the local community as well. Most colivings with be located near markets, cafes, gyms, public transportation and other regular services. These aren’t remote facilities, they are houses built to bring people together and that includes with the local communities.

In total, I’ve stayed at 4 different colivings in 3 different countries. They’re listed if you want to check them out. And if you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment!

1. Outsite in Madeira and Mexico City (full Madeira tour on youtube)

2. RePeople in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (house tour on youtube)

3. Surfbreak in Puerto Escondido (room tour on tiktok)