Ok, get ready. I love writing reviews ☺

We only stayed here for one night, but soaked up as much of the airy, clean, cozy studio as we had time for. After a morning of wandering around San Francisco with really heavy backpacks, I asked Mark and Shara (via Airbnb message) if we could somehow drop off our backpacks around noon and then return after our 3pm check in. Graciously, they said we could just check in early! That lifted a huge weight off our shoulders, literally and figuratively.

Getting settled was simple and easy—not like a five page document that some Airbnb's provide upon arriving. We never even got to meet them, but they were so responsive to questions/messages. They were perfectly available, but not pervasive.

Now about the studio. It was so wonderful! The bed was made when we got there, with an awesome memory foam mattress pad, which made the futon feel as comfortable as a real bed! The skylights were such a lovely thing to wake up to, with clouds drifting by above. The windows allowed privacy, but also lit the place perfectly. The bathroom felt so clean and modern, and that shower! The water felt like really heavy, thick rain. I never wanted to leave that shower. We didn't use the deck much, but it was really zen and spacious. We actually let our doors open onto the deck for a little bit, which was so nice. Oh, and the iMac was so big that we were able to watch Netflix from our bed. Overall, one of my favorite Airbnb spaces.

Now the location. We didn't walk around much in Temescal because we were only there for one night and opted to spend most of our time in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley (a 30-minute flat walk or a 10 minute drive, only $5-$6 UBER ride). When we did ride through Temescal, the area seemed very family-friendly and safe, not to mention just beautiful. California has such diverse plant life! Northern California is georgous.

Such a wonderful retreat! Thanks Mark and Shara!