In the world of furnished rental properties in Medellin, a few select amenities can elevate a listing from “nice” to “must-book.” Among the most requested? Jacuzzis and air conditioning. Both add perceived luxury and visibility, but they also come with costs—financial and operational. Here’s a breakdown and some key things to keep in mind based on our real-world experience managing properties in Medellín.
There’s no denying it—a Jacuzzi instantly adds allure. It photographs beautifully, attracts attention, and appears as a filter in nearly every booking platform. In fact, many guests begin their search by ticking the “Jacuzzi” box first. For our own rental properties available website, we’ve added that as one of just a few searchable features – due to customer demand.
Pros
- Increased visibility and desirability: On furnished rental sites and Airbnb, listings with Jacuzzis can receive up to 20–30 % more impressions than comparable units without one.
- Higher nightly rates: According to AirDNA, jacuzzi properties can command a 15–25 % premium on nightly pricing, especially in the higher priced neighborhoods.
Cons
- Maintenance headaches: Few Jacuzzis run for months without incident. Tenants—despite the clearest instructions—inevitably misuse them. Water quality, jets, or electrical systems can all fail, especially in lower-cost units.
- Higher utilities: Power and water bills climb significantly. If the jacuzzi is electricial powered and used frequently, you could see the EPM bill as much as double (something we’ve seen plenty of times before and always to the dismay of the owner/investor. 30% higher EPM (utility) bills would be on the lower end for the type of increase you can expect. Keep in mind, however, that higher monthly revenue typically more than offsets this increased cost.
- Quality matters: A cheap Jacuzzi is a bad investment. Low-end models often fail within a year and can permanently damage your reputation with guests.
Investor Recommendation: If you invest, buy high-quality equipment with a solid warranty and maintain a list of several local technicians familiar with your specific model. And make sure you (or your property-management team) is responsive—because Jacuzzi repair calls never come at convenient hours and when a guest has specifically selected for this feature, they expect it to work
Air Conditioning: Visibility, ROI, and Local Realities
Unlike Jacuzzis, A/C isn’t about indulgence—it’s about visibility and search ranking. At Airbnb’s recent global summit, one of the key takeaways was “visibility equals bookings.” To stay on the front page, your property must check as many amenity boxes as possible—and A/C is one of the biggest.
The Data in Medellín Airbnb Searches:
- A/C is among the top five most-filtered amenities for foreign guests in Medellín, far surpassing requests for other Western electrodomestic luxuries that are uncommon in Colombia – such as dryers and dishwashers.
- Properties with A/C tend to have 8–12 % higher occupancy and 5–10 % higher ADR (Average Daily Rate) compared to similar listings without it.
- Just ticking the box for A/C is not enough; we’ve seen guests often ask where the A/C unit is located—bedroom, living area, or both—and won’t book until reassured by this placement.
- Don’t assume you can install it anywhere– many buildings have restrictions on their placement and some apartment layouts mean additing these units can require a fairly extensive intervention.
Interested in more data related speicifcally to Airbnb use in Medellin? Send an email to info@medellinadvisors.com mentioning this and we will send a recent report we received directly from Airbnb about trends in the market.
Operational Challenges
Medellín’s year-round spring weather means most locals don’t use A/C, so the service ecosystem is limited. Reliable technicians are scarce, and even with regular maintenance, units eventually fail.
In fact, we’ve seen this to be a key why many property owners eventually switch from self-management and hand over management to our company: they’re tired of emergency messages about leaking A/C units and notoriously unavailable and unreliable repair techs.
Investor Recommendation:
– Install high-efficiency inverter units with surge protection (unfortunately we have seen poorly installed A/C units wind up frying brand new TV’s, rendering them useless)
– Schedule quarterly filter cleanings, and
– Build a relationship with multiple dependable A/C technicians.
Over a two-year horizon, a well-installed A/C often provides the best cost-to-return ratio, while a Jacuzzi—though riskier and more likely to have significant maintenance issues—can help a property stand out in saturated luxury markets.
Need Help Upgrading or Managing Your Investment Property?
Personally, I don’t think A/C is essential for living in Medellín. The climate is so temperate year round that a simple fan or opening a window for breeze can solve the minor discomforts or temperature fluctuations. But for short or mid-term furnished rentals, perception is everything—and for many guests – especially first time visitors to Medellin who aren’t familiar with the climate, comfort means A/C. It is a dealbreaker for many people; plenty can’t imagine a sleep without it.
A Jacuzzi adds “wow factor” and can justify higher pricing, but it demands frequent attention. Both features can drive ROI if handled professionally—with things like EPM limits for longer term contracts, rapid problem solving from techs, regularly scheduled maintenance, etc.
Ultimately having a top-notch property management team can make either of these features work well for you. It is a dicussion worth having with your real estate agent before acquiring any place – and after taking a hard look at the #’s – decide if it is the right move.
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