Wonderful escape for the family!

Guest: Jonathan_HAC110471 (Roanoke, VA)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

Our family had a fantastic long weekend at Bella Casa! It was the perfect layout for us (my wife and I and our 2 kids, 6 and 8). The upstairs sleeping area worked out great for us, although I can relate to other comments about the lack of privacy. Our kids enjoyed exploring the loft area, loved the selection of movies, toys and games, and especially liked the hammock in the back yard. The view of the lake was spectacular, especially when the geese flocked to the water each morning. While we didn't use it much, the back yard is quite large and would be great for outdoor activities. Highlights for us were making smores on the rustic outdoor fire pit, hiking at the Cascades (a must-do that is roughly an hour drive from the cabin), playing games around the large dining room table, visiting Draper Mercantile (off of exit 92), geocaching, and of course a Virginia Tech victory on Saturday! Nobody wanted to leave and our kids begged to stay three more days! We will definitely be back for another enjoyable, relaxing, family bonding experience!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children.

R&R at Bella Casa

Guest: Suzi (Southern Shores, N.C.)
Date of Stay: 09/30/11 Review Submitted: 10/13/11

Our time at Bella Casa was so relaxing and enjoyable. This was our second year there for a week and we enjoyed every minute especially time on the porch, reading and enjoying the sounds of the New River. Thanks, Laura and Troy, for sharing your well-kept cabin with us. We hope to return again next fall. GO HOKIES!!! Sue and Jim Outer Banks, N.C.

Owner response:Thanks Sue and Jim! You know you're always welcome :) Laura & Troy

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Family Fun on--and in--the River

Guest: JH (Hickory, NC)
Date of Stay: 07/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/18/11

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The cabin is full of little extras, including a closet full of toys and games that delighted my 6-year-old twin boys and my four-year-old daughter. A high chair and pack-and-play are also available for babies. After I got over my initial trepidation about letting the children climb the ladder to the loft, the loft area became a favorite area for quiet time: reading, coloring, or doing summer workbook. Bigger kids would delight in sleeping there. The kitchen was much better equipped than I expected, and a wood-burning stove in the dining area was cozy on the one cool morning we had. The dining table seats 8, so we ate and played games with plenty of elbow room. The stone fire area right outside the back deck was an enjoyable place to spend the evenings, and all of us enjoyed the screen porch. The lawn between the cabin and the river is reasonably wide and level: a great place to run around and catch fireflies at dusk. The unique upstairs sleeping area is divided by a half-wall: on one side are two double beds, and on the other are two twins very close together. While it might feel a little tight (not a lot of privacy), all of us enjoyed sharing the sleeping space as family bonding time. A separate window air conditioning unit ensured that the upstairs stayed very comfortable. The highlight for our family was the river. As a previous reviewer mentioned, there is a small island in the river kitty-corner from the cabin area. This configuration provided a protected section of river for us to explore. River access was a tiny bit challenging, but the river itself is never over thigh-deep and the current, while strong enough to carry you downriver on an inner tube, was not very swift. You can also swim in the deeper water on the far side of the island. Bring water shoes! Of the four places I've reserved through VBRO, this was hands-down our favorite. Perhaps the best endorsement: the only critique that my mother could find was that she thought the toilet paper holder was installed in an awkward place!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Family Retreat

Guest: Rachel (Athens)
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

Overall, my family and I had a very pleasant stay at Bella Casa. It was pretty much as described--very clean, beautiful cabin right on the river. If you're looking to get away from it all, this is definitely the place!! It was so nice to sit on the screened porch at the end of the day (or any other time) and do nothing!! The kitchen is totally equipped for cooking, and there's a propane grill as well as a more rustic charcoal grill. The river is great to play in, tho for very little kids it's not really safe because of the muddy/rocky/slippery bottom. My 4 year old loved it! We rode bicycles on the New River Trail which was really great, tho it did take about 15 minutes to drive there. The only other thing about the house is that sleeping is somewhat communal, as there's one large room upstairs with 2 double beds and 2 twins. There's a pull-out sofa downstairs. All in all, we had a relaxing weekend and enjoyed our stay.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Cabin

Guest: Brooks (Lewisville, NC)
Date of Stay: 06/24/11 Review Submitted: 07/04/11

Cabin and views exceeded our expectations. Wonderful place to get away from it all - peaceful and quite. Screened in porch overlooking the river was our favorite place to relax. We look forward to returning in the near future.

Owner response:Thanks! We're so glad you enjoyed your stay :)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, families with young children.

Our Relaxing Graduation Celebration at Bella Casa

Guest: Linda (Ashburn, VA)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/17/11

What a pleasant surprise! Bella Casa is just beautiful. The quiet, peaceful surroundings could not have been better. The online description of the cabin was right on point. Clean, Clean. We visited for the weekend of our son's graduation from Radford. We had no problems with the stay at all and the owners were very accomodating. We wanted to have a cookout and the owner personally went to the cabin prior to our arrival to make sure there was enough propane for the grill. Prompt refund of our security deposit as well. I would highly recommend Bella Casa.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Take a breath

Guest: Alex (SC)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

We had a really good time and enjoyed the cabin and this area very much. This is the perfect getaway to relax and take a breath. The cabin was very clean and comfortable, the beds were really warm even at the cold winter days after Christmas.

Recommended for:Pet owners, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

a great place

Guest: randy (mayodan nc)
Date of Stay: 10/17/10 Review Submitted: 10/25/10

Thanks Troy & Laura for opening up your home to us.We had such a great time.We have stayed in the area many times before,but never knew that this great place was right under our nose.We will return. THANKS AGAIN ROBERT & SHIRLEY MAYODAN N.C.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

October 2010

Guest: Patrick (Richmond, VA)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 10/14/10

A great opportunity to visit our son at Virginia Tech and spend the weekend at this beautiful place. The cabin sits right next to the river at a most picturesque spot. My daughter's first words upon entering the cabin were "we should buy this place!" It was clean, comfortable and well stocked, though the gas grill was out of propane and I could not find any charcoal. A minor inconvenience at best - my wife arrived with charcoal upon coming back from Virginia Tech. My 81 year old mother who came with us loved the place - she could not remember ever seeing a more beautiful river. Most of all we enjoyed the screened porch - an ideal spot to eat, relax, play games, read, think, or anything else. The only drawback to the whole weekend was that a number of boys just up the river shot off fireworks all Sunday afternoon - not as peaceful as it would have been otherwise. Still, we would like to visit again when we are able. The website photos do not do the place justice. In a word - Bella Casa is wonderful!

Owner response:Thanks Patrick! We loved having you, come back anytime :)

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Bella Casa Cabin

Guest: " the TEXANS" (P.O. Box 517 Sweetwater, TX 79556)
Date of Stay: 09/26/10 Review Submitted: 10/04/10

The charming cabin went beyond our expectations! It was cozy and comfortable, and completely furnished with all kinds of cookware, dishes, nice appliances, comfortable warm beds, beautiful quilts to wrap up in during the cool mornings, and everything we needed to make our stay enjoyable. Even firewood for the wood stove was close at hand and ready. The screen porch was exceptionally lovely, and with the river right there within a few feet (and the wonderful geese), what more could we ask for! Our stay was most enjoyable, and we would definitely recommend Bella Case to others. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful place - and allowing us to bring our two spoiled family dogs!! That made everything complete!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.