Immediately after securing my reservation in April, I learned what an outstanding host Taras was. That afternoon, he alerted me to a faulty additional charge of approximately 80 dollars that was tacked on to my booking fee. With his dogged help in interfacing with AirBnB customer service, I was able to re-book without the mysterious fee. I was especially impressed with his integrity, because 1) the extra money would have gone into his pocket if he hadn’t brought the matter to my attention; 2) he spent nearly an hour on the phone with AirBnB on my behalf; and 3) he kindly assisted me with the re-booking on his end. Truly exceptional.
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My mother and I ended up thoroughly enjoying our stay in his flat in Toronto. It was clean, spacious, brightly lit with natural light, and warmly appointed, and there was more than enough room for both of us. The location on Bathhurst was perfect for walking to the Kensington Market, Chinatown, the University of Toronto, and more. Not only was it a wonderful place to come back to at the end of a long day seeing the city, but it was perfect for staying put and relaxing indoors on a cold and rainy day. We especially enjoyed the full kitchen, which helped us save money on food, as well as the washer and dryer, which allowed us to keep our clothes fresh throughout the week.
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For the duration of our stay, Taras was highly attentive, supplying us, for example, with high-end (!) toilet paper when we needed it, and patiently walking us, multiple times, through the ins and outs of his big flat-screen TV. He generously offered to let me use his printer when I needed it for my conference presentation. On our final night, he even offered sterile ear plugs to us, as dejected, stranded GS Warriors fans, while the city of Toronto went (understandably…) bananas for hours on end over its first NBA title, at our expense.
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In sum, Taras was fantastic, and anyone who stays at his flat is in for a real treat. 