We definitely had reservations about using Airbnb - this was our first stay, but WOW. Staying in Erika's apartment in Florence was excellent! The night we stayed there was the first of 6 nights in Florence (we booked Erika's apartment last-minute due to an unexpected night in Florence). After only a couple hours in the apartment, my wife was saying "I wish we had just booked this apartment for the whole week" (rather than the hotel). Clean, spacious, comfortable, safe (very secure doors), and quiet. The cost was comparable to a hotel of much lesser quality. If we ever make it back to Florence, we will definitely look into staying in this apartment rather than a hotel.