My husband and I have used Airbnb several times now, and I will have to say this was the best experience thus far!

The HOSTS: Jenelle was extremely responsive and provided a great deal of information early on and during our trip when we asked for recommendations. We had some really great, authentic experiences based on those recommendations. She greeted us upon arrival and gave us a tour of the unit. You could tell she is very thoughtful as, prior to our arrival, she had intentionally turned on accent lighting, had local music playing in the background, and even surprised us with a bottle of wine and cupcakes to celebrate our mini-moon trip...all of which made us feel very welcome.

The HOME: Jenelle and Matt have a lovely home in which a courtyard separates their main home from their two rental units, which are on separate floors. Entrance is through a locked metal gate that meets the bottom of the stairs to the guest units. We occupied the top unit which has a living room, bedroom and bathroom. I was pleased to see that everything was neat and tidy and ready for receive guests. My husband noted that there wasn't a TV (we always have a TV on for noise at home), but were actually grateful as there was a radio and we were able to tune into the local New Orleans radio channel to better "immerse" us into the city's culture as we were resting. Jenelle has a cute food/beverage station set up complete with a mini fridge, microwave, coffee, fruit and snacks, utensils, etc. In the bedroom, the bed is very comfy and spacious for two. We were also able to do some of our laundry, which came in super handy given the summer heat.

The Marigny NEIGHBORHOOD was just perfect...a good mix of mostly homes plus local businesses. The best way to describe the feel is "historic hipster"...there's a sense of historic preservation within a renovated neighborhood. Breakfast at Cake Cafe and coffee at Orange Couch is a must. The French Quarter is within walking distance, and the neighborhood is very central to everything around the city. It felt very safe and folks were friendly.

To sum it up, my husband communicated that "we were very lucky to have found this Airbnb," which is huge as he is usually "neither here nor there." Enough said!