My far-and-away favorite way to travel is as a duo. They say the world is built for two—and for me, this definitely resonates when it comes to trips, especially compared to slightly lonely solo journeys or overly complicated group treks. And while the old phrase typically refers to couples, for me it resonates even more deeply regarding friends. So when I was at JFK boarding a plane to Puerto Vallarta last month, I was thrilled to be meeting my close friend Ally for a one-on-one long weekend in Sayulita—a small, laid-back surf town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
I knew it would be a memorable one because seeing Ally is never boring. When we were in high school, she talked me into my first kiss and into getting a number of piercings. And when we went to Florence and Barcelona together in college, I had some of my most—let’s say most “eventful”—nights out. Now, although she lives in Austin and I live in Brooklyn, we’re still both in the same place: this time not in school, but reveling in being newly single and prioritizing friendships. We decided peaceful, budget-friendly Sayulita would be the perfect place to do just that, and that Nico Loma—a newly built, architecturally impressive mini hotel that we found on Airbnb—would be the perfect place to stay. It more than delivered.
Our experience with Nico started a week before we even arrived, when the venue’s hired hospitality service, Sayulita at Your Service, invited us to join a group chat on WhatsApp. We got the low-down from Gabbi Villarrubia and Nick Sherman, who have lived in Sayulita for more than a decade. They helped us arrange a morning yoga lesson on the rooftop and a car to get us from the airport, plus sent us beach, hiking, surf lesson, restaurant, and bar recommendations. When we arrived, they gave us a complete tour and showed us the ins-and-outs of the house: the high-tech keypad locks on the room doors, the laundry room, the kitchen (which was stocked with beer, tequila, and snacks) and best of all—how to drive the red golf cart that was parked in the driveway.
Upon arrival, after driving from the main road up a precipitously steep dirt road, Nico appears in front of you as a striking, one-of-a-kind building. It’s an open-plan structure that has five stories, built from a tic-tac-toe pattern of concrete columns showcasing large squares of lush greenery and sky. It’s sleek and ultra-modern, with a stylish display of floating, zig-zagging staircases adding to the aesthetic. The unique architectural design is the result of a partnership between Seattle–based Hybrid Architecture and the Mexico City–based firm Palma. The newly built house has five suites and an array of communal spaces, including a rooftop terrace with panoramic Pacific Ocean views, two pools, and a long and spacious outdoor kitchen. Amenities include tons of fresh towels, mini french presses and coffee in the kitchen and the bedrooms, a fire pit, in-room safes, house-keeping, air conditioning, and extremely effective Wi-Fi.
