Overall, this home is as advertised. It's spacious and has a nice layout for large groups. The kitchen and open areas are great for shared meals, games, etc. Garage a plus.
However, there were several issues with the home...
TLDR: The value of the home did not match the price, but there are a lot of positives for a large group.
Primary Concerns to Note:
1. The rules and surveillance are not conducive to a welcoming environment. There are a lot of rules, and they are communicated many times over (e.g., at time of making reservation, in confirmation of reservation, in the "welcome" message at check in, in a message on the first night to reiterate quiet hours, etc). It was a lot. There's also a feeling of being watched at all times - mostly because the hosts essentially state as such. The home is equipped with decibel monitors inside so they can track your noise level, and there are cameras at each entrance to see who is coming/going from the home. These measures appear to be geared more towards tracking guests than providing them with a sense of security during their stay. It's a weird vibe and did not make my family feel very welcome.
2. Temperature control was very difficult. The home has 3 levels, with bedrooms in the basement and 2nd floor. Overnight temps were uncomfortably warm on the 2nd floor, so after the second night, we contacted the host to see what could be done. The host indicated that the problem was with the thermostats - they are nest thermostats, which need to be charged (not hard wired). And they were not charged. So, we had to find a way to charge them ourselves. Even after following the host's recommended troubleshooting, they only worked intermittently. We ended up having to move thermostats around, but this meant some floors could have comfortable temp control while the other floors suffered.
3. Several minor maintenance needs and opportunities to make small investments to improve value/quality of stay. For example, the curtains were too small for the windows, and there were no shades on the skylights directly over the beds. So, rooms were very bright when trying to sleep (bring sleep masks!). Several bathroom towel rods were broken, and there were many scuffs and plaster marks on the walls, etc. All doors could benefit from WD40. And water pressure - especially in the upstairs primary bedroom - was a bummer. Couches and rugs were stained, and there was only 1 towel provided/person + only 1 hand towel/bathroom + only 1 towel in kitchen. This could be okay for only 1-2 nights, but my family stayed for 4 nights. We had to bring extra towels to the home because there just weren't enough - especially in bathrooms and kitchen. Beds did not have mattress covers. And there were no recycling bins for home in alley, even though taking out recycling is requested as part of check out.