I've been using Airbnb whenever I travel for years—this visit in particular was very, very special.
First, the place itself: This apartment is located at the very heart of Florence, just a 10-minute walk from the train station, a few steps away from the Mercato Centrale, and a 5- to 15-minute walk to all the great landmarks in the city. Despite being so close to the action, it still feels very quiet and peaceful at night. The most stunning part of the apartment is the rooftop terrace, which gives you an incredible, up-close view of the Duomo. The apartment is really nicely laid out, and Tina's stocked the apartment with lots of small touches (actually nice toiletries, cookies and coffee in the kitchen) that make it feel more comfortable than many entire homes I've stayed in.
But what REALLY made this visit special is the hostess!! Tina is awesome!! One of my favorite parts of my trip was having breakfast with Tina in the kitchen, sipping Turkish coffee, tasting delicious cherries from Tina's native Serbia, and talking about life. She's also full of good suggestions about where to go and what to do—when I had to hide away to do work, she recommended a super hip, cozy coffee shop with good, cheap drinks. I'd especially recommend this place to anyone who's traveling alone, like I did. You'll be in great company!