Claire (and her Mum) were fantastic hosts. The previous guest had left with the parking permit so, when we arrived with 2 children under the age of 3 after a 28 hour flight and after the airline losing part of our buggy, it wasn't exactly the best start to our Australian experience being told we had nowhere to park. Claire was overseas for the duration of our trip but about an hour after we arrived she magically made her lovely next door neighbour Kate appear with a key to unlock the gate into the driveway so that we could temporarily park there. The next morning, about 12 hours after we arrived, Claire's Mum arrived at the door with a brand new permit (having got up at the crack of dawn to get an early train so that she could get to the council office when it opened). We were very impressed and grateful!
The reason I booked the apartment was because of the photo of the cot and the promise of toys, high chair etc. The apartment did not disappoint! It has every thing you could possibly need for a stay with small kids. My daughter was particularly taken with the Superworm book which, after 3 weeks, we both now know by heart (and I am secretly delighted to be leaving behind)!
The washing machine broke down in the middle of a load of washing the first week we were there. I researched the error message displayed and when I told Claire she said it was probably best to buy a new one, which she did! It was duly installed a few days later!
Other highlights were how clean the apartment was, the fantastic shower in the ensuite and the super-comfortable bed in the master bedroom. We needed to extend our stay by a few days at the end which was absolutely no problem for Claire.
The apartment is well-located with a tram stop just nearby and the beach just down the road. St Kilda is a lively spot at the weekends and all week long apparently during the summer. Grey street is a little too lively and colourful for us though (infamously so, although we weren't aware when we booked). I didn't like, or feel particularly safe, walking around after dark on my own. My husband didn't mind though.
The apartment is on the first floor and there is no lift, a minor draw back. The dining table is in a carpeted area-it was stressful trying to keep it clean with small kids.
We had an ongoing issue with noise from the neighbours directly underneath us. We tried unsuccessfully one night to ask them to turn down the music (they wouldn't answer the door). Claire emailed the owner on our behalf and things improved a bit after that.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay. The hosts get top marks. I would recommend the apartment, however, the downstairs neighbours and neighbourhood took the shine off the experience.