Tanja & Noel's place was a good home base for exploring Portland. Public transportation is close by though we only used our car, it was good to see it was an option. This basement apartment does require going down some carpeted steps to get to but moving with care does the trick. Additionally Noel was there when we checked in and graciously assisted us. The bed was comfortable with plenty of blankets to use on those deliciously cool Portland nights. The back and front yard/gardens were fantastic. The day's got warm but a provided floor fan and/or opening the small window portion of the basement's six windows allowed fresh air and cooling. Noel and Tanja grow beautiful shrubs, flowers and lots of vegetables in their sunny backyard. Who knew Portland summers are generally very sunny with no to little humidity?The kitchen had just about everything to make basic meals, and there was ground coffee available, along with some other food items. The latter most likely varies. The kitchen had a coffee maker, a toaster oven, a full stove, fridge with ice maker and a microwave. We tend to stock up and eat in, then sightsee. But that's our routine, even in view of the foodie scene Portland represents! There are multiple Costco and Trader Joes available by car. There's a Fred Meyer grocery store very close by. The hosts provided basic toiletries such as shampoo, dishwashing liquid, paper towels and some spices. The shower only bath was quite nice with good water pressure. The washer/dryer was a real boon for us., and there was free and clear laundry detergent. There is a TV in the living room/bedroom area. While there was a pool table and a table tennis table we didn't use those. The wifi was strong and secure. There were no strong perfume smells from air freshener or fabric sheets used in drying linens. The space was generally quiet at night and definitely by 11 pm. Just remember it is a basement apartment and you can hear footsteps, music and some muted conversation overhead. It was not enough for us to say it was a negative it just bears noting. Our host Tanja sent lots of information regarding events in the area. As a result we were thrilled to attend a performance as part of the Mahler Festival, which was very good. We also visited the Sunday Craft Market on the waterfront and enjoyed the food trucks available at that time. Tanja had lots of great information for the Portland area. She has compiled a very detailed notebook. One day we drove out of Portland to see the Cascade Locks, multiple waterfalls, and then using Government Camp Road saw AMAZING views of Mt Hood and Mt Adams. This was fantastic for me and my amateur photographer husband! Other than seeing Noel upon checking in and texts and emails from Tanja we had little interaction with our hosts, though we knew there would be immediate assistance should we require it....