Silvio's home was the first place I had ever booked through Airbnb, and it certainly did not disappoint! My boyfriend and I were looking for a place to stay for one night after dining at Brae, and Silvio's home was just the perfect fit!
Location wise, his home is literally a five minute drive from Brae so it's very convenient for people who wish to dine there! As for the home itself, it is spacious and comfortable with lovely wood accents and nice homey touches, with interesting decorations! There's a huge outdoor compound and garden you can walk around, and even window seats by a window bay in the living room for you to relax and look out at the scenery. The bedroom prepared for us was big enough to sleep my boyfriend and I very comfortably, and I appreciated the use of our own personal toilet with soap and shampoo provided (and even shower caps and cotton buds and other miscellaneous items!) Everything was very clean and beautifully presented. We also appreciated the strong WiFi connection, because it's so difficult to get data connectivity in Birregurra!
Silvio is simply a wonderful host. Before we arrived, he was very prompt when it came to responding to all my queries and messages, and when I asked him to recommend some interesting sights and attractions around Birregurra, he was so helpful, providing useful links and itineraries. He was also very flexible with check in times, especially since I kept changing my mind about what time we would be arriving!
Throughout our stay, Silvio went above and beyond what we expected from an Airbnb host. He was lovely and warm in all his interactions with us, yet still gave us privacy when we wanted it (even though he stays in the house as well). He was also very considerate. Out of concern that we didn't drink rain water, he even thought to provide filtered water for us. He also gave us free reign of his home, telling us to make ourselves comfortable and encouraging us to watch TV and/or DVDs, and to help ourselves to tea/coffee and whatnot in his kitchen.
Silvio also took it upon himself to drive us to Brae and pick us up when we were done so we didn't have to drink and drive. To top it all off, he packed gingerbread and shortbread cookies for us to take with us on our drive back to Melbourne before we left. It's all these generous and considerate personal touches that really impressed us and left the deepest impression on us!
Bonus for dog lovers too - Silvio's dog Bella is an absolute sweetheart. My boyfriend and I loved playing with her!
Thank you Silvio for everything! Our dining experience at Brae was special, and so was our stay at your place! :)