Two old schoolfriends and I meet up annually - in a different city this time, and this year it was Bristol’s turn. Now living a long way from each other, we arrived in the city by car, train and plane. I arrived to find a parking space right outside the flat with a traffic cone it it, as promised, and picked up the keys from Johnie, who showed me round the flat, which is immediately above his own. He invited us to come downstairs for an evening of Argentinian tango music the following day. If you stay in this flat and are invited to a musical evening chez Johnie, DO TAKE UP THE OFFER!! We were treated to a really entertaining few hours in the company of an extremely friendly and very accomplished multi-national group of musicians, singers and dancers, and all we had to do was watch, enjoy, drink wine and then toddle up the stairs afterwards! This is the great advantage of Airbnb over staying in a hotel – you may get the chance to do something totally unexpected.

The flat is bright and airy and in a great location for getting down to the Bristol Waterfront attractions. It is also a quick and easy walk via Clifton Village to the Suspension Bridge. Bus links to the rest of Bristol, including Temple Meads station, are good, and Johnie gave me a quick route to the airport, avoiding all the confusing signs! He is a very thoughtful host and gives the impression that nothing would be too much trouble. We appreciated the extra touches he provided in the flat, such as flowers, wine and a large bowl of fruit, as well as the breakfast basics supplied. The second bedroom, reached by a wooden ladder in a room at the front, suffers a little with noise from traffic and late-night passers by, but the main bedroom is very quiet (provided you remember to turn the thermostat down before retiring, to stop the boiler bursting into life in the middle of the night!). The sitting room/dining was warm and cosy and larger than it looked in the photo, and the kitchen was modern and well-lit, with everything we required, except (being ladies of a certain age) a teapot!

Would we recommend this property for an Airbnb stay? Definitely!