We never had the pleasure of meeting Galina, but she and Tom were very responsive and quick to reply to our messages. They were also kind enough to let us drop off our bags early so we could go walk around town while waiting to check in. The place was spacious, and we really liked the food in the area. We had great Thai and Gyros. There is also a big grocery store right down the street. The apartment is also very close to the train (the train runs right behind the house, so it's easy to get to). The one issue I had was the internet. However, after staying in other places, including a hotel, I'm realizing that might just be Sydney? I think the internet would have been fine if it wasn't shared (at 5am it was faster), but during times when a lot of other people were logged on, it was hard to get work done.