This trip was a gift to my parents to spend holiday time with family and in that regard it was successful. Overall the location is absolutely stunning, the house sitting on top of the cliff overlooking the other gulf islands, ferries passing by, and the forest with fabulous trails through the park up Galiano Mountain. Despite the chilly December temperature hovering close to zero, we had one day of warm sunshine that allowed us to enjoy the garden. Some outdoor cushions would have been useful, but we found garden chairs in the garage. The house is wonderfully cozy, eclectically decorated, and spacious. With ten people we never felt crowded. We were surprised not to find any extra blankets or pillows in the bedrooms, however, especially given the season. Also, decent lighting for reading and playing board games besides the soft mood and holiday lighting would be handy given the few hours of daylight.

Concerns and suggestions:

HOT TUB: A main feature of our stay: the slippers at the front door and lighted trail made going and coming easy. Cleanliness, however, was an issue. The peculiar smell should’ve been a warning sign that the water was not treated properly. Another tip besides clean water is to provide at least two towels per person – not having a dryer meant that dry towels were in short supply.

KITCHEN: It’s an open concept with a magnificent large dining table surrounded by windows, and we thoroughly appreciated the compost and recycling options. The vegan orientation was much appreciated, however, it should be clarified that mainstream diets are not supported. We took “fully-stocked” to include flour and olive oil. It might also be time to go through the various unidentifiable teas, grains, and general assortment of ingredients in drawers and labelling is always useful if you open your home to others. Given the eclectic arrangement of utensils and dishes labelling would also have made it easier to find those measuring cups under the sink. Fast-drying dishtowels were definitely needed.

A few other disconcerting details include the sewage-type smell in one bathroom, the somewhat unstable flooring under the carpet in the master bedroom, and that there was no mention of a cat potentially staying around.

COMMUNICATION: This was great in terms of organizing our arrival and answering any questions we had prior to arrival. We were contacted by phone to inform us the house was ready before 3pm - the ferry arrives at noon. We were greeted by Bernard who introduced us to the house and made us feel welcome.

I’m a regular user of Airbnb and have stayed in places in France, the States, Italy, England, and Eastern Canada and have never been disappointed. I think the disappointment with this particular accommodation was due to the high expectations based on the price and description. At half the price most of the concerns above would not have been an issue, but for what we paid, basic cleanliness and comfort are the least one might hope for.