We have always used hotels when traveling, but after hearing all of the hype regarding Air B&B, my boyfriend and I decided to give it a go. We probably spent 2-3 hours searching through all of the available hosts in Portland (and there are a ton), but Lisa’s definitely stood out. Luckily for us, her home’s description more than met our expectations! A couple days prior to our arrival, she sent us a couple emails detailing how to get to her house, get inside, etc. We had no trouble finding the house and parking was readily available along the street. The separate, back entrance to the house led us straight down to the basement apartment. I was very impressed with the great attention to detail Lisa obviously took when furnishing the room. She had local magazines that outlined the best food and beer in the area, plus, maps and schedules for all of the area bus lines. Since we had no familiarity with the area prior to this trip, these helped tremendously. Lisa also left plenty of “treats” for us, something my boyfriend especially appreciated when our jet-lagged selves slept through dinner. She had mini pastries, fresh fruit, cereal & milk, candy/chocolate, cheese, yogurt, juice, and even a couple beers! Even the bathroom was stocked with any and all necessities you may possibly need: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothbrush/paste, hair dryer, mousse, aspirin, band aids, and all those other little things you don’t necessarily remember to bring while traveling. I love to bundle up in blankets, and I had so many to choose from. The bed was so wonderful . . . so, so wonderful. My mattress at home is super firm, and typically I don’t get the same comfort when traveling. The adjustable firmness of the mattress only added to our comfort.
We only got to interact with Lisa a couple times, but from what we experienced, she is super friendly and accommodating. She encouraged us to utilize the two umbrellas she left for us (which came in handy later that afternoon). While her house is roughly 15-20 minutes from downtown, there is a ton to do in her area of the city. Our first full day was spent exploring all of the shops, coffee bars, and restaurants within walking distance and a few miles. On our final morning, we took one of Lisa’s breakfast suggestions for a French patisserie, and it ended up being our favorite meal of the trip.
Overall, I would highly recommend anyone traveling to the Portland area to consider Lisa as their host. We traveled across the country to explore a new city. Both the hospitality and the city far exceeded our expectations, and now we are considering a move! There are no accommodation improvements I can imagine for Lisa to make. I just hope she knows what kind of bar she set for any future Air B&B hosts!