Vacation Rentals by Owner

We loved it!

Guest: lizmas (Miami, FL)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 07/19/11

Our family stayed here in early June on our first-ever visit to Toronto. Chris and Mary were wonderful! They were extremely helpful and available to help us find our way around, as well as being so hospitable and welcoming. (Mary is an amazing baker and so thoughtful!) The apartment was the perfect size for our family of 4, and it was wonderful to have a full kitchen with dining area. The location is also very central and there's lots of places to explore (and eat!) right outside your door! It truly felt like a "home away from home" and we enjoyed it immensely.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

Nice apartment in convenient location, reasonably-priced

Guest: Julia and Nick (Québec)
Date of Stay: 05/09/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

This was a nice basement apartment, not luxurious but clean and well-maintained, close to public transport, shops, bars, restaurants etc, and conveniently-located for visiting all Toronto's many interesting attractions. The hosts, Chris and Mary, are really helpful and welcoming and will arrange on-street parking if necessary. I spent the week there with my son, who was working, but I had a really nice vacation in great spring-like May weather! Mary baked us some lovely cookies and gave us some sticky rice balls from her mom! All-in-all, a great place to stay and I'd recommend it for a couple, a small family or even 2 couples (there are 2 bedrooms).

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Excellent Experience

Guest: AMBAR (Leeds, UK)
Date of Stay: 02/24/11 Review Submitted: 04/08/11

At the outset let me take this opportunity to thank Chris and Mary for the excellent hospitality provided during our stay last month. You pampered us with your excellent homemade cookies and cakes. The house is excellent, very well maintained , clean and very close to almost all the city attractions. Highly recommended for travelers who are going to reply on Public transport. I along with my wife and son travelled from UK and stayed in this house for one month. It was indeed an excellent experience, Chris had provided everything, actually much more than what I was expecting. Very carefully and meticulously Chris and Marry have maintained the house. Although it was quite cold in Toronto (Feb), the house was very warm and cozy. All the grocery shops are on a walking distance. Chris and Mary are extremely helpful hosts. Fortunate enough to find such a good accommodation, online from UK. We definitely recommend this apartment to anyone who wants to stay in Toronto for a short term. The next time we are in Toronto we are definitely going to stay here again. Thank you very much Chris and Mary for making our stay memorable

Recommended for:Families with young children, tourists without a car.

What a wonderful find!

Guest: Tal & Israel (Israel)
Date of Stay: 10/23/10 Review Submitted: 11/03/10

Thank you, Chris & Mary, for the great time we stayed at your apartment! The apartment has a perefect location: close to everything touristic in the city and to the convenient public transportation, very nice and safe neighbourhood. It is clean, nicely arranged and comfortable (although tall people should take extra care on their head in the bathroom hallway, as mentioned by the owners). But most of all, the real jem, are the owners - Chris & Mary, who welcomed us warmly with fruits and home-baked cookies, spoiled us with Mary's delicious bread, and were very helpful. The next time we are in Toronto, we'll be happy to be back : ))

Recommended for:Families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Rendrag

Guest: Rendrag (Nepean, ON)
Date of Stay: 08/20/10 Review Submitted: 09/03/10

Our party of four adults stayed here for four nights in late August. The apartment is in an excellent location, very comfortable and quiet. Public transportation is nearby which enabled to easily get to and from Union Station and to all the areas we wanted to visit ie. North York, the CNE, Second City, and Kensington and St Lawrence markets. Our hosts Mary and Chris provided us with a huge fruit basket on arrival, a delicious cake and bagels. The apartment is well equipped with an abundant array of appliances, cooking utensils, cutlery and dishes. This accommodation is excellent and good value. We definitely would stay with Mary & Chris when we visit Toronto again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Wonderful experience!

Guest: jake_bw (Roseville, MN USA)
Date of Stay: 08/15/10 Review Submitted: 08/22/10

Our family of four had a wonderful 5-day stay in Chris and Mary's basement apartment during our first visit to Toronto. The apartment was a perfect home base for our daily outings to Toronto's museums, neighborhoods, restaurants, and other sights.. We were able to walk to most all of the must sees on our list, and when sights were too far to walk to directly, a streetcar stop was very convenient and got us onto Toronto's extensive public transportation system. Chris and Mary were great hosts. We felt very welcomed from the start. Upon our arrival, Chris was very friendly and helpful as he oriented us to the apartment, the neighborhood, and the city, and before we had even unpacked, Mary brought us warm banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. What a great way to start our Toronto adventure! During the rest of our stay, both Mary and Chris were helpful, without being obtrusive, in making sure our stay was going smoothly, even offering suggestions on (and some discount coupons for) additional sights they thought we'd like. The apartment itself was clean and had everything we needed for our stay. The kitchen was equipped with the essentials and we stocked the refrigerator (with purchases from the grocery store that was only a few blocks away) with what we needed for breakfast and evening snacks. With my two children (ages 17 and 20), wife and me, it was very convenient to have the sofa bed in the living room in addition to the two double beds in the bedroom. Overall, this apartment couldn't have worked out any better for us. We stayed in a great location with terrific hosts at a very reasonable rate. (Thanks much, Mary and Chris!!) On any return trip to Toronto, we'd stay here again without hesitation. Birdsall-Willett Family of Roseville, MN

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Toronto Touring!

Guest: Judy (St. Louis, MO)
Date of Stay: 08/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/03/10

Recently my husband and I had occasion to visit Toronto for the first time. Typically we look for apartments, condos, etc., preferring them to hotels. We were so fortunate to discover Chris and Mary's apartment. The apartment was well represented in the VRBO listing. It was clean and comfortable. The kitchen was well equipment, it had two great bedrooms, TV, and ample storage. It was very close to public transportation, and, being in Little Italy, extremely convenient to great restaurants. Two of the highlights of our visit were the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) where a display of the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors was being shown, and, St. Lawrence Market that provided several great meals both on site and back at the apartment. Go peameal bacon sandwiches!!! We found Chris and Mary to be extremely helpful hosts, providing cookies upon our arrival (YUM!) and gracing us with a delicious banana nut cake, still warm, our first evening. The apartment has two maps that Chris was able to use to help orient us and he provided first rate directions, too. Overall our experience was greatly enhanced because we had this comfortable and accessible apartment to come home to each evening after a day of exploring Toronto. Thanks to Chris and Mary our stay was memorable.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Wonderful host

Guest: defei (Paris,France)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/26/10

My family and I spent an amazing week in Toronto, in this apartment. It’s admirably well equipped, nice and clean. It’s close to the subway, the street car, restaurants and “downtown”. Chris and Mary are perfect hosts and were very helpful to us. Mary cooked an amazing cake and cookies for our arrival, we really appreciated that! We recommend this apartment to anyone. Thank you very much.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

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Guest: Chrisy (Ottawa, ON)
Date of Stay: 06/16/10 Review Submitted: 06/25/10

My friend and I stayed in this apartment for a week while on vacation in Toronto. The location was extremely convenient - close to street cars and walking distance to lots of restaurants in Little Italy. Chris and Mary were friendly and helpful, the fruit and cookies were greatly appreciated. The apartment was comfortable and clean, and it was nice to have a home to return to after a long day of sightseeing and concerts, instead of a hotel room. Would recommend this apartment to my friends, and will probably stay here again in the future.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Happy Holiday

Guest: Norrin (Scotland)
Date of Stay: 05/13/10 Review Submitted: 06/14/10

A big thank you to Chris and Mary the basement flat was very comfortable and clean, and joy of joys , we had air-conditioning during an unexpected heat wave in May 2010. They were there for us when we needed them and they made our stay stress free. So thank you once again, we can certainly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a holiday in beautiful downtown Toronto. The Crimin's from Scotland.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/16/09 Review Submitted: 11/16/09

We are two couples who travel together often and this apartment rental was a perfect alternative to a hotel. Chris arranged parking for us so we could take advantage of public transit during our stay. And while we agree with many other guests that Mary's baking is wonderful, the fresh fruit was a thoughtful and welcome addition to the kitchen as well. Thanks Chris and Mary- we had a wonderful holiday!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/28/09 Review Submitted: 10/28/09

Betty and I spent our anual 2 month visit to Toronto here during July and August 2009. The apartment suited us admirably being well equipped, close to restaurants, public transport and within a good walk of "downtown". Chris and Mary are fine hosts and were most helpful to us during our stay without being intrusive. Also, Mary is a great baker and her occasional delivery of "goodies" were much appreciated. We can recommend this apartment to any visitor. Ross & Betty MacKenzie, Perth, Western Australia

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Guest: Mark103 (Edmonton)
Date of Stay: 09/28/09 Review Submitted: 09/28/09

I just wanted to say I stayed at the apartment from Jan/09 to May/09 while studying at UofT. The location was great and everything I needed was very close. Great location. Great hosts. Felt like home away from home for me!

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Guest: Judy B. (Philippi, West Virginia)
Date of Stay: 09/28/09 Review Submitted: 09/28/09

We had a great stay in Toronto in Chris and Mary's cozy apartment. The neighborhood is fun, with lots of shops and restaurants and not far from Kensington Market, Chinatown and other wonderful sights. We were attending the Toronto Film Festival, and we enjoyed coming back every night to the homey apartment, to discuss the films we had seen. There was ample room for two couples.Chris and Mary were very hospitable and offered useful information about Toronto. We hope to return next year for an even longer stay.Thank You Chris and Mary

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Guest: FAMILY LEBRUN (BORNEM (BELGIUM))
Date of Stay: 06/17/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

Last year (30 June/3 July 2008) we stayed at Chris place at the start of our trip through Canada. The welcome was great and Chris/Mary were excellent host. They delicious cake was awaiting us and they gave us all the info we were looking for to explore Toronto. The location of the flat is great for visiting the city close to public transport , and so is the flat where we stayed with 5. I can only recommend this flat to everyone. (Promised Chris last year to update this guestbook and realised now how important this is for other travellers).

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Guest: Dan Bendon (Glasgow)
Date of Stay: 06/04/09 Review Submitted: 06/03/09

We had a great time during our short visit, the appartment was very comfortable and gave us easy access to all the sights. The owners were very helpful and welcoming.

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Guest: Ryan Hosking (Cornwall,UK)
Date of Stay: 12/11/08 Review Submitted: 12/11/08

We stayed at this apartment for ten days and had a real wonderful time,the apartment is excellent and in a perfect spot for restaurants and downtown Toronto.Chris and Mary the owners are unbelievably friendly and their hints and tips made our holiday even better.Mary is also a great cook and made us a cake and biscuits when we arrived which was a nice touch as you wouldn't get this sort of service and help from a hotel,which are alot more expensive than staying in this apartment which had the same amenities.They just summed up what Canadian people for us,the most friendly nation on earth!!!We would definitely not stay anywhere else if we decide to ever return to Toronto.Thankyou very much,Ryan and family.

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Guest: Lorraine and Neil Edwards (North Wales UK)
Date of Stay: 11/20/08 Review Submitted: 11/20/08

We stayed in the apartment for two weeks. Chris and Mary were wonderful hosts. They provided us with invaluable information about the things to do and see in Toronto. Location was perfect, just arround the corner from the nearest Streetcar (TTC)that takes you straight into the shops and nightlife! As we stayed during November it was chilly at night, but the apartment was always warm and welcoming. Marys baking was wonderful. The chocolates on arrival were a lovely touch. A very comfortable apartment with everything you could think of needing. Excellent value for money. We would highly recommend it. Would come back again.

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Guest: Sarah and Gareth Hudson (Leeds, England)
Date of Stay: 10/08/08 Review Submitted: 10/08/08

We stayed here for our honeymoon and it was lovely! Chris and Mary made us fell at home with a lovely fruit basket, a bottle of champagne and of course some banana cake! Toronto was an exellent city and the convenience of the apartment to public transport into town made our decision not to hire a car the right one! The area was also love;y making eating out or in an absolue delight.

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Guest: Bruse (Eau Claire, WI, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/18/08 Review Submitted: 08/18/08

I just got back from Tononto today and I stayed 5 nights at this apartment. It's a really great cozy place, economical, and easy access to all the attractions. Chris went way out of his way to make me feel welcome and was incredibly helpful with the suggestions of places to visit and things to do. If you're planning on visiting Toronto, I really don't think you could find a better or friedlier place to stay for such a reasonble price.

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Guest: Kyung Yoo (Boston MA)
Date of Stay: 08/14/08 Review Submitted: 08/14/08

We (2 adults and 3 children) spent 4 nights in Toronto and the apartment we rented from Chris and Mary gave us nice space in a great location in Toronto. Hospitality was great, Chris and Mary were great explaning how to get around the city and Mary's banana nut bread was the best we ever had (my daughter loved it). The place was neat and clean and equipped with everything we needed including tooth paste and cooking oil. However, we wanted to write a comment on the guest book in the apartment to express our appreciation but we could not find a pen. (Chris make sure you have the pen in the apartment)

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Guest: Tim, Ali and Amy (Edinburgh, UK)
Date of Stay: 08/06/08 Review Submitted: 08/06/08

We had a really good time staying in this apartment. The location is brilliant, right in the middle of Little Italy with easy access, either walking or by public transport, to the rest of central Toronto. For a small family the apartment is ideal and there are a number of parks nearby for little ones to burn of some energy! We were made to feel really welcome with home baking and excellent advice on places to go. We would definitely recommend this apartment to anyone looking to explore Toronto.

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Guest: Lena and Anders Maltesen (Beijing, China)
Date of Stay: 08/06/08 Review Submitted: 08/05/08

Chris and Mary are fantastic hosts! They baked 2 cakes when we were there with our 2 teenage daughters. The apartment is well equipped with board games, videos and even popsicles and popcorn. Located in an area with restaurants and walking distance to main shopping districts. The rooms are well lit and spacious and thoughtfully laid-out ; it is like living in a friend's place rather than a rented property.

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Guest: Sue29 (Ocean Springs, MS U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 07/11/08 Review Submitted: 07/11/08

My daughter and I had a wonderful time and this apartment couldn't have been nicer, cleaner or more convenient. We would gladly stay here again! The home baked banana bread upon arrival got us - hook, line and sinker!

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Guest: Catherine & Joe (Boulder, CO)
Date of Stay: 07/03/08 Review Submitted: 07/03/08

What an absolute delight! Very pleasant & extremely clean & cozy basement rental in fantastic location, once we parked we never even used our car for the entire weekend! Appreciated the kitchen & goodies waiting upon our arrival, as well as having 2 bedrooms which fit our small group of 3 perfectly. Walked to dinner every nite around the very cool & safe neighborhood, plenty of cafes & restaurants & bars to try. We really enjoyed your rental & would return in a heartbeat! Til next time, take care!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/13/08 Review Submitted: 06/13/08

Very nice apartment in an ideal location! Chris helped us get oriented for our first visit to Toronto and made some excellent suggestions about how to get around the city. We enjoyed the bagels and fruit. It was especially nice to be so close to the street car line. We felt safe in the neighborhood and enjoyed people-watching in Little Italy. Bed was comfortable, and the apartment was very clean.

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Guest: Katsu Funai (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 05/10/08 Review Submitted: 05/10/08

We had an absolutely wonderful time here. They went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and at home. I don't even know where to begin. My wife, my one year old son and myself stayed there for 4 nights in May. The day we got there, they had prepared baked goods, fruits, maps, toys for our son, token for a subway, etc. They also recommended us several nearby hot places to eat, and they were all really good. They even had a birthday present for our son (he was turning 1 on the week we were there)! Rooms are comfortably furnished with everything that is necessary. It has a separate entrance so it was like a nice 2 bedroom apartment to ourselves. The location is very good, safe and convenient. Thanks! We loved it.

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