I had a very late arrival, so Tom sent me a message with instructions on how to get in via a lockbox and messaged me to make sure I got in okay. This was much appreciated.

The apartment is spacious and clean. You can tell a lot of work has gone into making a very old building/apartment into a modern living space.

Based on the pictures, I didn't realize I would be staying in Tom's full-time home (it looked like a second apartment just for renting/airbnb). As such, there are handy printed instructions on cabinet/closet doors, walls, etc with specific instructions throughout the apartment. For example, the main bedroom closet asks you to keep it closed and use clothes hangers on the door instead. These notes were very helpful (as opposed to putting all of them on a single piece of paper).

I really appreciated Tom leaving out towels, some basic toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner), coffee for my use during my stay.

One negative experience (although not the host's fault): when I booked a stay in Portland in June, I was assured by many Portland residents I knew that the lack of A/C was a non-issue. As it turned out, my two-night stay were days that reached well over 90 degrees, and the apartment was very uncomfortably hot, even at night. Tom went out of his way to procure fans in all the rooms, but even with the windows open and fans running, I was very uncomfortable. I personally ended up staying at a hotel for the second night while my friends stayed at the apartment.