If you're visiting Austin, you should definitely stay here. The cottage is just off South Congress, which makes it convenient and walkable to restaurants, bars, music, and shopping. It has a super comfortable bed, and quirky decorations, and Chris has tricked it out with all kinds of stuff: Alexa and Nest and extra outlets and great wifi and basically everything you could need. The rental itself is great.

But really, what makes this place special is the fact that Chris is a fantastic host. He contacted us before we arrived to give us directions in order to avoid some construction-related traffic. When we arrived, he gave us a fun little mini tour of the area so we could get our bearings in a new city. He hooked us up with great recommendations for dinner and live music. He checked in via text a few times to make sure we had everything we needed and that we were having fun. By the end, he felt like an old friend. We definitely would stay here again.