Prior to our stay with Melanie, we had booked a place with a very rude Russian host who directed us to bring a cash deposit which was a multiple of the total rental cost. We suggested doing it through the site and pointed out in a friendly way that a cash deposit was directly against the terms of Airbnb. Our effort was rewarded by a cancellation of our reservation the day before our arrival to London!

One day out the pickings were pretty slim, but we got very, very lucky! The cancellation turned out to be a blessing in disguise because Melanie and her husband were fantastic hosts. Their communication/friendliness was unrivaled and very welcoming especially after dealing with such a rat before them, the accommodations were great, and the location (despite being further from downtown than we had originally booked) was close to a train and tube stop which made it easy to play tourist. She had carefully noted from my profile that I am a glutard before stocking food in the coach house as well. I am a rookie to London, but I think it highly unlikely to find a higher quality experience for the same price point. Someone else put it best when they wrote something to the effect, "We are scared to write more for fear of finding availability there in the future!" Thank you for showing us an authentic London experience and the beautiful glimpse into life there and we hope we were as high caliber of guests as you were hosts!