I have stayed in Airbnb apartments in many countries now, from Australia to the Czech Republic to the US. And I have never had an experience that was so personal and so kind as I have just had staying at Jorge's place in Seville. My brother wrote in the guest book that Jorge and his parents made us feel like we were friends of the family, and that's exactly the way it was. It was a five-star experience in every detail.
To make that more specific, Jorge checked us in personally at the beginning to show us how everything worked in the apartment. And then, the next day when I had a question about how to work the heater, he sent his mother to help me, and she could not have been nicer. His family lives in the apartment upstairs and made themselves available to us, even inviting us upstairs to their terrace so we could talk with them and take photos with the backdrop of the Giralda tower on our last night there. And then at our checkout, Jorge and his father got up early when it was still dark to help us carry our luggage and wheel it to the taxi stand that is a very short distance away from the apartment. I have never had an Airbnb host take such care with helping us have a beautiful and carefree travel experience.
Oh, and I forgot to say that Jorge also booked us front-row seats at a fantastic flamenco show on our first night. It was an amazing, very special event.
All this is by way of saying that I've never had such a gracious, welcoming, friendly experience from an Airbnb. The personal care was remarkable, and my brother and I can't stop talking about it.
And the apartment: the place is incredible. The location is just a few steps away from the Giralda tower, so you are right in the heart of everything. There are shops and restaurants right downstairs, and you're within a few minutes' walk of basically anything you would want to see in the historic area of town.
The apartment belonged to Jorge's grandmother, and it still feels like a family home, not just a soulless rental. The place is very comfortable for modern travelers, with a fully modern and complete kitchen and a great bathroom, but it has a strong sense of history too. It was a fantastic blend of old and new.
In short, this was absolutely lovely, and I can't wait to go back.