Two Taylor Swift fans from Buffalo, New York, had a rocky start to their ‘Taycouver’ experience over the weekend when their downtown hotel reservations were unexpectedly cancelled.
“At this point, when I looked at places to stay, options were very limited, very expensive. We realized we couldn’t afford it,” Becca Perry told CityNews.
That’s when Perry and her friend Julia Niedziela came across a North Vancouver listing on Airbnb, called The Homestead, run by Mick and Branda Webb.
Perry and Niedziela didn’t know what to expect at first, but it ended up turning into a stay they won’t forget.
“The atmosphere and environment was out of this world, that was the best Airbnb experience that we could’ve ever imagined,” Niedziela explained. “They set umbrellas for us when it was raining. One of the best things was Mick offered to drive us to the bus stop because he was worried about us getting to the stadium on time.”
But the Webb’s don’t think they did anything particularly special.
“We really didn’t do any more for them than anybody else. It’s what you do – you try and help people out,” Mick said.
Over tea and biscuits, the Webbs tell CityNews that they started hosting through Airbnb to supplement their pensions. Over time, they found that they loved welcoming people into their home.
“A lot of the reward for us is people being happy and what we read in the guestbook, it makes us feel good,” Mick explained. “They were almost feeling like they’re our daughters.”
“They were so enthusiastic, they were so excited over the Taylor Swift, that you couldn’t help but be drawn into it,” Brenda added. “She was playing Shake it Off, and we were dancing to it at 7 a.m., and I think she loved that.”
To show their appreciation, Perry and Niedziela gifted a friendship bracelet to Brenda and then shared their experience on X, which now has over 400,000 views.
The New Yorkers are already planning their next trip to Vancouver to visit their “Canadian grandparents.”
“We’re grateful Taylor Swift brought us to Vancouver but more so lucky that our hotel cancelled on us. I do believe that when our hotel cancelled on us, we were meant to meet Mick and Brenda, and they literally changed our lives. It couldn’t have been a better trip,” Perry shares.