This was my sixth Airbnb experience, all of which were very positive—but the few days I stayed with Juan felt a little special; in my opinion he represents the ideal Airbnb host. Hosting is more than just a business to Juan; he is generous of spirit and has a good heart, which become apparent after just a brief time speaking with him. Juan clearly cares about how his guests experience his adopted city. I have visited Barcelona several times before, and, as I was just passing through for two days, I had no particular plan for how I would spend my time. During a brief conversation, however, Juan strongly encouraged me to see a few sites that were not on my radar. Similarly, he shared some of his favorite restaurants with me, where the locals go – unique sites that I never would have found on my own.
Consequently, Juan exposed me to the insider’s Barcelona, and greatly expanded my view of and my love for the city. His apartment is tastefully furnished and centrally located, and it worked very well for me on several levels.
In our very first conversation, Juan cleverly used the word “home” to pinpoint his apartment on the map he furnished, and I immediately picked up on this subtle point as his way of making me feel welcome right from the start. It is typical of Juan’s commitment to the Airbnb project. He is the best, and I cannot imagine doing any better that working with Juan to discover the joy of this magical city.