James’s place satisfied me and exceeded expectations. I found the studio clean, modern and very comfortable. The mattress, in particular, surprised me for its quality. The studio is small, but the space is well used, so it does not feel cramped. When I arrived, it had some food basics (salt, oil etc.), water and soft drinks in the fridge, shampoo and soap in the bathroom. There is a small selection of pans, which met my needs. There was no noise from the street or neighbourhood and only minimal sound from the hosts themselves, so I slept very well. Austin is hot in the spring, but the studio has a good air-conditioner, which was already on when I arrived. Operating the appliances was intuitive and I did not need instructions. James was very polite and considerate. He made himself available by e-mail and phone and always responded my queries within minutes or even seconds. The whole process, from booking to check-out, was smooth.
Some words I would give to other travellers: while I suspect the studio is close to downtown Austin by American standards, it is not close by European standards. There are no grocery shops, cafés or restaurants nearby and one needs to drive or take a bus to do any of these. Also, the place might be more suitable for solo travellers, rather than couples, as it only has a desk and one chair, with no other space to eat.
In all, it had everything I needed and I was fully pleased.