I received an email from Hilary several days in advance with detailed information and instructions about arrival to her home. When the day came and my boyfriend and I arrived, things went as smoothly as can be. We were welcomed by Phil, who was very nice and accommodating. We met Bear, who was very sweet and playful, and then put our stuff in our room. We didn't spend much time at the house since we wanted to get out and see Portland, but the time we did spend there was comfortable and we felt very welcome the whole time.
We were only staying one night and didn't want to have to drag our luggage all around the city the following day, so we asked if we could leave our suitcases there for the day after we checked out, and Phil was more than happy to accommodate. We didn't end up needing to do this, but knowing that it was an option, and Phil's eagerness to make our stay easy was greatly appreciated.