Selina Cancun review for digital nomads Mexico
When you think of Mexico, digital nomads probably aren’t the first group of people you imagine, are they? While it’s true that Cancun is definitely focused towards holidaymakers and party tourists, Selina set up a coworking space here and I stayed and worked there for three weeks to review the experience.
Why choose to work at Selina in Cancun?
I found myself in Cancun to meet up with some friends from home. Selina allowed me to have a base outside of the main strip, with an encouraging working environment and some spicy crocodile encounters!
To be honest, Cancun isn’t really a town known for remote working. But if you’re looking for a touristic destination with plenty of western amenities, it’s a nice place to stay for a week or two.
Note: I stayed at their “hotel zone” location rather than the Selina downtown Cancun.
- Wifi speeds 80%
- Community events 65%
- Coffee 10%
- Accessibility 80%
- Price 70%
- Overall Value 70%
About
Cowork Review is a site built to help remote workers and digital nomads on the move. We review coworks in all areas of the world, usually staying between 2 weeks and 1 month for a fair trial.
All opinions are our own.
How much does it cost to cowork at Selina Cancun?
Working at Selina costs $120 for a one month membership. This includes the cowork, some weekly wellness events and is supposed to include a discount to their onsite cafe – although this was refused. It seemed to be a common theme at Selina’s in Mexico, as their Playa del Carmen destination couldn’t even provide access to filtered water at times!
Here is a breakdown of the membership prices in Selina Cancun:
Monthly
(USD)Monthly
(EURO)Monthly
GBPHow long did I work there?
I lived and worked from this location for three weeks recently.
What are the opening hours?
This Selina was a weird one for opening times – it was supposed to be limited but the lock facilities didn’t work so technically, people could access the cowork at all times. The staff didn’t seem too bothered about that.
What is Selina Cancun like for digital nomads?
Working at Selina Cancun was an “average” experience, as far as coworking goes. It certainly wasn’t the worst experience ever, but it also wasn’t anything to write home about. There were not too many other coworkers during my stay. This meant there was a good space-to-people ratio, with two call booths that were readily available.
The space was kept cool with a couple of aircon units, which made for comfortable working. Plus, there were lots of outdoor areas, including a shaded pagoda-type building, and an outdoor cafe. As previously mentioned, as part of the membership, guests are told they will receive a discount on the cafe food and drink. This was refused, and there was no free tea and coffee provided, which was frustrating. It’s pretty basic.
There was a good community atmosphere at Selina Cancun as long as you enjoyed partying. With onsite DJ events and plenty of external clubs and bars, many of the group activities followed this theme. So if you’re not one for lots of partying (or if you struggle with staying motivated), this might not be the place for you.
What amenities does the Cancun Selina have?
Selina Cancun had one main coworking area, and two soundproof call booths. They also had an onsite kitchen which was clean (hallelujah!), and a huge pool complex. Externally, there was a yoga area and plenty of greenery to walk through.
Selina in Cancun was more of a hotel complex than a coworking destination. Bear in mind that it’s much more catered to hotel guests or spring breakers than remote workers. An onsite speakeasy was also launched during my stay. It was a very cool addition, but further fueled the drinking atmosphere.
Do they run any community events?
Most of the community events at Selina revolved around drinking, or happened during the day which was not so compatible with those working. This was unfortunate, as the community manager at Selina Cancun clearly put a lot of effort into their job.
I would like to see more sober events like their yoga sessions, which were more friendly to those of us working.
What are the pros and cons of working from Selina in Cancun?
Working from Selina Cancun was a pleasant experience overall. The main benefit was the onsite pool, which was easily accessible and added value to my coworking experience. The biggest negative was probably the lack of willingness from reception staff to help out and actually provide the benefits listed in the membership. It was frustrating.
Here are some more pros and cons of working from Selina Cancun:
Pros |
Cons |
| Huge onsite pool complex which broke up the working day and made it easy to stay active | Frustrating staff couldn’t provide all of the benefits listed in the membership |
| Wifi worked great and the air con made it comfortable | Lots of events focused on drinking |
| Lots of space, call booths readily available | Not too many others working so forming connections was hard |
Recommend working at Cancun’s Selina?
If you’re just looking for a place to be productive, Selina Cancun could work. But I wouldn’t recommend those wanting to connect with others and feel at home in their remote working set up because Selina Cancun just isn’t focused towards coworking.
Are there any alternatives for digital nomads in Cancun?
Unfortunately Cancun still has a long way to go to connect with remote workers. As a party place though, it’s great! There’s no real alternative to Selina so I recommend you choose to visit other Latin American destinations if you want to be a digital nomad in Mexico.
Summary
- I lived and worked at Selina Cancun for three weeks recently
- The coworking space itself was comfortable, with plenty of light, space and places for private meetings
- There were hardly any other remote workers at Selina Cancun and most of the events catered towards spring breakers