TLDR; Shaun and Vanessa’s place was lovely, but not entirely what was expected. If like myself you’re willing to book a venue for an experience alone, the hot tub under the stars and fantastic outdoor views will not disappoint. However the stay was not what I would call “luxury”, and perhaps that’s okay too!
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My partner and I stayed one night with Shaun and Vanessa. The driveway is quite steep as others have mentioned, but my little Nissan March managed okay and check in was a breeze. Shaun and Vanessa were lovely people and clearly have a huge emphasis on hospitality and friendliness.
The out-door hot tub was a true highlight, and a fantastic experience which was worth the extra $30 charge. When we arrived Shaun and Vanessa had it all ready to go for us, and they gave us extra firewood to keep it going throughout our stay. The only nitpick with the hot-tub was that in the evening when we were enjoying the experience, I was very mindful of the fact the hot tub is right next door to rooms which I assume are the bedrooms of Shaun and Vanessa and their children. My partner and I were whispering as we didn’t want to disturb anyone late at night, and that did put a dampener on an otherwise great experience.
On this, the description of the accommodation being “an entire home” on Air BnB’s website is misleading. While the room is part of a unit which which is seperate from the house (as they say) the back patio of the unit is directly adjacent to the home, and while Shaun and Vanessa made sure to give to give us plenty of space, it is a bit closer to the other living areas than the listing suggests.
The furnishings in the unit are also not quite up the ‘luxury’ standard. The room which we stayed in only has one photo included on the listing, and the others must be of another space because I didn’t see that area. The bathroom was adequate, but both the furniture in the lounge and the bed itself were very outdated. The mattress was also clearly quite old and uncomfortable because of the fact that it was bending as old mattresses tend to. Fine if you are expecting this, but it left me feeling a little bit like I was staying at my Nana’s house rather than at luxury accommodation.
All in all though, I really thought that Shaun and Vanessa’s house was a lovely stay, with a stunning outdoor location, and should they update the furnishings a little I would be happy to recommend this spot as a “luxury” stay. Shaun and Vanessa went out of their way to be accomodating to us, and clearly have an excellent slice of heaven which they have worked hard to build. I really wish them all the best, and would encourage anyone to stay at their place so long as you are sure of what you are getting.