This apartment, in a grand Belgian townhouse, is super cosy and comfortable and has everything you need: a full kitchen (with loads of pots and pans, plates, bowls, cutlery), fridge/freezer, bathroom with bath and shower (and fresh towels, soap and bath bubbles), a separate toilet, a main window at the front and a small outside area at the back which lets also in a little natural light from the back. It was absolutely spotless.

There was a quick 20 minute check-in where Nicolas showed me through the apartment, handed over a map, and told me some of his favourite places to eat, drink and visit. The neighbourhood is brilliant – really lively (but not noisy at night), with great bars and restaurants, a few posh interiors shops and galleries. You can walk into the old centre of Brussels in about 30 minutes (or a few minutes by tram), and it's a minute's walk from Avenue Louise, but the local neighbourhood is much more interesting.

Although Nicolas lives in the same house, you have absolute total privacy in this apartment – you enter the building through the main door, but then immediately find your own front door, punch in a key code, and you are into the suite – so you really have your own private apartment. Nicolas was very friendly and approachable – nothing was too much trouble.

There were a few extras too: a Nespresso machine and coffee, and there were beers in the fridge, and fresh flowers and some chocolates on the mantlepiece – how great is that?