This home is very well appointed, comfortable and has a great socially oriented set up (plenty of room for seating/lounging/entertaining throughout). However, do be aware that the hosts are very conscientious of their rules and lodging standards being adhered to in the home, and the expectation of the guests is that they are equally as conscientious. That being said, if you are looking for an at-ease, do as you will, worry-free stay, these accommodations may not be your cup of tea….
If however, you do find that quiet and controlled structure is exactly what you need (a working telecommute trip, peaceful relaxing) then this place works perfectly!
A couple of comments/recommendations;
•Travel to this destination in smaller, compact vehicle/vehicles. The host REQUIRES guests to park on the property’s designated driveway, and the dimensions are uncomfortably narrow for a larger truck/SUV type car (the size of one of our vehicles). You may also discover (as we did) that there seems to be some conflicting information on the availability of street parking : The host does clearly outline the parking restrictions via correspondence and lodging contract. However, during our stay, we interacted with several neighboring residents who informed us that parking on the street in front of their homes was completely fine/permissible. In addition, we also consulted a local government website with parking restriction schematics of the town, which showed no restrictions anywhere in the neighborhood that the property is located in. Please note though, that the property is visually monitored during your stay, as the hosts redirected us to move our larger vehicle off the street and move it back onto the driveway, despite the difficulties of maneuvering around the tightly compacted landscaping framing the designated area.
•It would also be advisable to make sure you strictly adhere to the maximum allowable guest count of 6 people. Due to unavoidable family circumstances (that came up last minute), we unexpectedly had to exceed the occupancy limit by 1 person(a minor). We informed the host(s) within 24 hours after arriving, of the situation, and they were gracious enough to allow us to go over their occupancy guidelines for a an additional charge of $275. However, it still seemed like they remained unsettled about the adjustment? Having confirmed our headcount of 6 people, prior to check in (multiple times), an exact match of 6 sleeping sets/bedding and 6 towels were provided. When I requested extra bedding and towels for the aforementioned additional guest (based on an assumption that the request was reasonable with the modified agreement/payment of the additional $275 ), I was directed to use the existing towels initially provided and that there would also be no additional bedding supplied.
•As with most AirBnB and other ‘app-based’ lodging, there is typically requested/required housekeeping to be done by the tenants prior to checkout. This particular rental has a ‘chores list’ that is a bit more extensive than what we’ve previously experienced in our regular use of other AirBnB rentals. In addition to stripping all beds, sorting (recycling, compost, regular trash), removing trash from the home, making sure the refrigerator was clear and all dishes were washed and put away, there was also the expectation to wash, dry, and put your spa towels away (off putting to think you’re basically dependent on a previous guest handling these tasks for YOUR stay, considering that when we checked in, the compost bin had not been emptied from the previous renters and there was a bottle of white wine and steak sauce left in the fridge). As one can imagine, we were all scrambling around on the morning of check out to ensure we complied as directed, and ran about 30 minutes behind the check out time. At that time, we were all out of the home and my aunt remained behind removing the last bit of trash from the kitchen to the proper outside area, where she encountered the on-site, live in host (lives above the property). My aunt offered an apology to the host, informing them that we were all out and that we were just finalizing trash removal, to which the host responded, “It’s past 11am, you’re LATE” in a curt, borderline hostile tone. There was a brief, contrite dialogue before the host abruptly walked away, at no time offering any type of friendliness or even the polite “thank you” for our business with them.
Overall, the house is very beautiful, nicely furnished, comfortable and provided the necessary proximity to beautiful ocean beaches and public transport in to the city for the day trips that our group enjoyed. In retrospect, It definitely put a damper on our stay to be treated like a favor was being done for us, rather than the appropriate dynamic of clients paying for a luxury rental. This stay would have easily earned a five star rating with some simple added components of genuine customer service and care.