This was my first time using Airbnb. I'm a big fan of staying in bed & breakfasts, so when I tried to make hotel reservations in Boston for my son's Parent's/Family Weekend and found the prices to be somewhat exorbitant, I thought I would give Airbnb a try.

I truly didn't know what to expect, and chose Kelly's place based on its location, its reviews, which were plentiful, and its price, which was lower than what I would have paid at a hotel (particularly with all the extra fees -- although Kelly did charge extra per night per each of my additional boarders). We stayed two nights, and Kelly and her family couldn't have been lovelier. The house is charming, from the 1880s, and the rooms are located in a cozy attic, and, frankly -- I don't know if it was because I was just away from work, but -- I had the best nights of sleep I've had in a while. The two bedrooms are separated from one another by a hallway with a bathroom/kitchen, but the doors have locks (which we didn't even use), and everything was clean and "fresh," as my grandmother used to say. Free parking was available right on the street, and we walked to a nearby restaurant for a quick dinner one night. (Ask my kids: I'm still raving about the sandwich I had -- the Sicilian from The Real Deal.) I would most definitely stay here again, and now that my son is attending college in Boston, that should be pretty soon.