We had a last minute cancelation of our original Air B&B and I was panicked. When I saw Rico's listing I booked when he had only had a chance to upload a photo of the living room. We go amazingly lucky! This house was the perfect place for our extended family (my husband and I, our adult daughter, my parents, and my sister) for my daughters graduation from UT Austin.
Rico is an outstanding host. He thought of everything. When we arrived we found he had left us pizza in the freezer, two kinds of chips, hummus, salsa, etc. He was fast to respond to any concern we had (which was rare) and provided us with all of the information we needed to have a wonderful stay. He even provided a first aid kit that came in handy when my husband cut his toe at Barton Springs. If you haven't ever been, go! It is beautiful and we had a blast!
The check in is easy and efficient. The door lock uses a code that us unique to the guest and he reset it to be specific to us. I had a little trouble figuring out how to use it so we called Rico and he walked me through it quickly and easily. It isn't hard at all!
Once we entered the house we were amazed. It has just been remodeled and it is fresh, clean and beautiful. It is decorated in black, white and gray and is modern but comfortable and homey. The kitchen is a full kitchen with a stack washer/dryer unit and included everything we needed. Rico even provided a coffee maker, grinder and fresh coffee beans for us. There is also a Brita water filter pitcher in the fridge to keep everyone hydrated during Austin's hot summer. The beds were comfortable and the living area was large enough for us to spend family time together. We even played a game that Rico provided called "What the Meme". I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard.
The location is a little further from UT than we usually stay but the short drive is well worth it. It is close to St. Edward's University and there is easy access to I-35. SoCo (South Congress) is about two block away and is lined with boutiques and local restaurants. We had not spent time in this area before and really loved it. The neighborhood is quiet and the neighbor greeted us as we came and went. She was so sweet, it was sad to say goodbye to her (LOL).
We will definitely try to book this house again the next time we visit Austin!