Thanksgiving Stay

Guest: Captain Rex (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/29/11

Perfect location. Spacious, comfortable house that is clean and well stocked with fresh linens, and fully equipped working kitchen. House is as described and shown on the photos. The layout of the house is ideal and private. Charlie was efficient and responsive from the first inquiry of the house through checkout. Other than the pool not working in the late afternoon when we arrived (which Charlie took care of the next morning), we were not disappointed, and will definitely be back. Thanks Charlie!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Huge, spacious villa in prime location

Guest: Steve (UK)
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 10/25/11

I stayed here for 3 nights with my family and partner and thoroughly enjoyed it. The living room is most definitely the focal point of the villa, it has been beautifully decorated with large windows and is very spacious, as is the rest of the villa. The bedrooms are of good sizes, though the fourth bedroom is a bit out of the way (at the end of the house) and has the persona of a spare room. It also had some ants, but Charlie (property manager) was superb in addressing the issue and resolving it a.s.a.p. Charlie is an excellent property manager and was very prompt with all correspondence, including giving us tips on what to see and do throughout California. The kitchen was a little below the standard of the other rooms (it felt as if the villa had been refurbished but for the kitchen), but this does not mean there were any issues with it, far from it. We particularly liked the huge refridgerator and plentiful cutlery/utensils. It is more of a point to express how lovely the other areas of the villa were in comparison, rather than downgrading the kitchen. At first we were a little concerned at the air conditioning being unable to go below 68 degrees, but it did not matter too much in the end; any cooling was gladly received compared to the 100+ temperature outside. The villa is in a superb location and easy walking distance to N Palm Canyon Drive where there were plenty of nice restaurants and shops. We did have a car also to visit some of the other areas of Palm Springs (including doing a tour of the stars' former homes using the map Charlie had given us, we didn't realise just how close this villa is to them!). The pool and jacuzzi were great, albeit with a fair amount of bugs on the top and some sand deposits on the bottom. However this is to be expected in the desert and is in no way a reflection on this villa. Overall it was a great stay and all of the party agreed it would have been good to have spent longer there. We hope to come back soon! Thanks Charlie for a great vacation.

Owner response:Dear Steve; It was a pleasure hosting you and your family for part of your California vacation. Yes we are right across from the Taylor/Todd Estate and next door to The Gov. Reagan Home. I’m really glad you enjoyed your stay and that I was able to give you some pointers about things to see and do while here. I’d like to clarify a few things if I may: Due to our extreme heat (very different from England), we really cannot run the HVAC below 75, otherwise the coil will freeze up and the motor will burn out. This is the first complaint we’ve had for that. The fourth bedroom, or Casita, which is en-suite and is on the opposite end of the house from the three other bedrooms has its own entrance and is very popular for families with snorers a/o teenagers. After you alerted me to the ant issue, I replaced the exterminator we had on contract. Our groovy 1957 kitchen is one of our best features; we do have a nice sub-zero, but everything else is true to the original plans. As to the pool, you were here during cicada breeding season, so there’s not much we can do about bugs landing in the water, but we do have twice weekly pool service; I apologize for any inconvenience you and your family experienced. Thank you, Charlie M (Property Manager)

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Old Las Palmas Vacation Estate

Guest: aj (Los Angeles, Calif, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 09/20/11

Very accurate description of property, the house exceeded my expectations, great photos. The new management team has elevated the amenities and cleanliness to a higher level. They were very helpful and prompt. I would highly recommend this beautiful setting to anyone looking for a relaxing get away. They even provided a notebook with attractions, restaurants, and activities.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Vintage Old Las Palmas retreat

Guest: Mark&Tom (Alameda, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/07/11

Great mid-century house in the heart of the Old Las Palmas neighborhood. Pefect party house with lots of room. The large windows in the great room look out over the patio and pool/spa, and make the room very bright and open - just what a Palm Springs house should be. What we loved best was that we could walk to downtown Palm Springs in about 15 minutes. We will definitely be back.

Owner response:Thank you, Mark! Can't wait to see you and Tom again in November. -Charlie

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Greatest bachelor party ever

Guest: Bachelor Party 2011 (Orange County)
Date of Stay: 06/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/15/11

I held my bachelor party at this property and all I can say is-- amazing. The house is huge and the property surrounding it keeps it perfectly secluded from the neighbors and noise. The back yard is like a resort; just for you and 8 of your closest friends. The house comes very well equipped with EVERYTHING you need: towels (Bathroom and Pool), pots, pans, spices, a very large fridge with a pull-out freezer and even some bottles of liquor that previous guests had left. We will be staying here again hopefully very soon. Tip: Definitely bring bags of ice and a cooler or two as the fridge can fill up fast

Owner response:Thank you, Johann. Please let us know if you'd like to spend your Honeymoon here and we'll comp you a few nights.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with young children.

Huge house and great service

Guest: John (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/07/11

I stayed here with a few friends recently and we really loved the property. The house is spacious, the backyard is huge and beautiful, and the pool is great for lounging or cooling off. And this property is perfect for dogs! Ours loved running around the yard and lying by the pool. We had one issue when we first got here but it was handled immediately. We just called the property manager and he took care of it in a courteous, professional way. He was also friendly throughout the process and made us feel at home. We would definitely stay here again.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Paradise

Guest: suser (portland, or)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

My husband and I and our two adult children just returned from an incredible stay at this property. The location and grounds can't be beat. The pool and hot tub are delightful and there is no extra charge for heating--or for anything else, for that matter. It is so nice to return from vacation and not face a bill of hundreds of dollars in add on rental charges. Charlie, the property manager is a pleasure to work with and very responsive. We will be returning next year.

Owner response:Thank you, Sue. We can't wait to see you again next year :) -Charlie

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.