Sally was our first AirBnB host and she set a great precedent. We had exchanged mail a couple of months in advance of our trip, in which she assured me that the location was convenient, that she would be happy to accommodate dietary issues for breakfast and that my very tall husband would be comfortable in the sleeping space. We booked, she gave us her contact info and address and that was that.

As it was busy season in Edinburgh and Sally had back-to-back guests, it wasn't entirely shocking or particularly inconvenient that she had forgotten all of this before we arrived. We got to the flat (she had forgotten she had given us the address and nervously sent a voicemail when I texted her that we had arrived) and made our way with bags in tow up the flight of stairs.

When I talked to her again about the dietary stuff and the tall husband stuff, she told me that if I had spoken with her sooner it would have been worked out. We had spoken about it earlier, but whatever. Not a big deal. Once she had the information again, she mobilized: She set up the larger bed (which was a loft and so you have to climb a ladder and squeeze through a small-ish hole in the platform to get there); picked up a surprisingly delightful assortment of breakfast items that I could enjoy (being as I am soy and lactose intolerant, it did take some special effort); provided us with a pile of maps, fliers and festival brochures; and even set chocolates on our pillows.

There is only one bathroom, next to the kitchen (where Sally slept), and when we were there it had a flimsy sliding door, but we were assured that was being replaced. The room itself wasn't huge, but was quite comfortable and had some available closet space. We were in town for the festivals and the flat is incredibly convenient to the Pleasance, BBC and Underbelly venues. There's an entrance to Holyrood park just up the road, and that makes a wonderful morning's hike. It is also convenient to a major street with plentiful shopping and restaurant options. I would definitely contact Sally if planning to return to the area.