The hosts, Catherine & Jim, are lovely. Their communication before, during and after the booking was top notch. As soon as my taxi arrived outside of the apartment building, Jim was there, hand out, helping me with my bags. They stepped me through everything -- how to use the key-fab to open the doors downstairs + elevator, gave me a tour of the fancy apartment, and even left me with some local tourist guides. They even have nice umbrellas (which came in handy during the rainy season).

The apartment -- wow. I mean, WOW. Ultra-modern everything. The kitchen has everything you'll need. Bathroom is very nice. The shower has a very posh rain-style head like you get in a boutique hotel. The bed was comfy.. they even had a toasty electric blanket in the duvet. The view is unbeatable. Outside of those windows is a gorgeous panorama of Melbourne's CDB (business district). Seriously, gorgeous. One of those views that will be your mental postcard of Melbourne for years.

The location -- PERFECT. Smack dab in the middle of everything. Trams in every direction (located right by the stops), shops, malls, restaurants (across the street is an amazing breakfast joint called Mai's), a 24-hour convenience store across the street (and more 7-Elevens near by than you can shake a stick at).

The location felt very safe, as well. I went meandering at night looking for late snacks, and never had any issues. The area is well lit and traveled, and just one block from one of the biggest retail areas in Melbourne. At night, you won't be bothered by noise. I didn't hear a peep from the neighbors, and the exterior city noise levels are low (there are no clubs downstairs thumping or bars with lines of loud people).

As I said, it's modern -- but it's still very cozy. There's a cute cow rug in the living room. Book case with books, and art. There's a washing machine, ironing board, iron, microwave, comfy couch (I actually fell asleep on the couch one night it). I may have used every amenity available in the few days that I was there.

Internet: blazing fast. I work in tech, and having a fast, low-latency connection is extremely important. Smooth sailing with Skype, FaceTime and GotoMeeting.

If I could give Catherine and Jim's apartment six stars, I would. They're warm, welcoming, genuine, stylish folks -- and their apartment is a reflection of them. Gems on Airbnb, they are.