What a gem.
The location simply couldn’t be better. We loved the proximity to a brewery (check our Sisyphus! We went for a beer and ended up shutting the place down!) restaurants, the Walker Art Center, and it’s only 2.5 miles from downtown! We chose to Uber there and back for a show, so we didn’t have to mess with traffic and parking and so we could both imbibe, and that was under $30 with tip round trip.
The space is lovely. Knowing the location, we read available, free parking and wondered what getting a spot would be like. It was never a problem, there was always a spot available right in front. You do go up stairs to access the door, and then you go down the stairs to access the space, but we knew about this in advance and it wasn’t a problem for us. Everything was well lit, even arriving back at midnight. The car was wonderfully safe and we felt safe walking wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. That was nice.
The space was SPOTLESS. Not a crumb, dust bunny, or cob web in sight. No mold or mildew. Tons of natural light, and ceiling lighting and wall sconces and thoughtfully placed lamps. The space smelled fresh and clean. Considering this is the basement of an old home, that’s some dedication to maintain that level of cleanliness, which we really appreciated.
We had everything we needed. The space was beautifully outfitted with nice linens, a comfy bed, a little table and chairs where we enjoyed delivery from Yeah Yeah Taco (highly recommend!) a little kitchen with a nice touch of water bottles and snacks, and a super clean and adequate bathroom.
Three things to note - the lock in the front door can be sticky! We called Talia and Craig at 6 on a Friday night, and despite being out with their family, they answered right away and were patient with us as we fiddled with lock. It finally opened, and we didn’t have a problem the rest of the weekend. There are two kids in the main house above. They were up early daily, and you can hear them running about and laughing, but we knew about this, and we’re early risers anyhow. We’ve also been stuck under and besides SO much worse in a hotel. The noise was not a factor for us at all. Being an old house with some quirks, the water pressure in the shower is lower than desired.
We travel to the cities from Bemidji often (sometimes, you just want really good, not American food and something else to do!) and I can say without hesitation, Talia’s and Craig’s will be our first choice!