Peace at last . . . .

Guest: Alaska Rich (Alaska)
Date of Stay: 10/18/09 Review Submitted: 11/01/09

Coming from Alaska we already knew we would enjoy the weather... but the accommodations were the best! It was just my wife and myself, but if I had a pose to bring, this would be well suited for that as well. Everything is clean and comfortable. We only had 4 nights so did not do much sightseeing - there is plenty to do in the area and the host provides one of the very best information books when you arrive if that's your thing. If personal security is important to you then this place has the bases covered. You can literally lock out the world with steel shutters (electronic - very cool) and you are in a gated community. We really liked meeting Jason - the manager. Very informative and accessible should you have any questions, and a great conversationalist to boot! You get what you pay for with this vacation home and more!

Owner response:Rich, Thank you for the nice response... save us a salmon or two when we come to Alaska... Cheers!

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

Not a Pleasant Experience

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/07/12

We have rented a number of homes from VRBO & have had wonderful experiences until this rental. This experience was a problem from the beginning & we felt scammed! Once we had signed the rental agreement & paid, we received constant request for payments we had already made. We had to send receipts showing that all payments had been made. Thirty days before our arrival we received a "Welcome Packet" that made us feel anything but welcome! Having already paid for the pool to be heated & a nonrefundable pet fee, we were then treated to a seemingly endless list of other possible fees in the form of deductions from our security deposit. These included not cleaning the BBQ grill, wearing shoes in the bedrooms, changing any of the settings on the entertainment system, pool system or heat. Our entire stay was regimented by what we could & could not do in the house. Even the heat was regulated,turning the heat above 68 degrees in the winter or below 78 in the summer was cause for a deposit deduction. Garbage bags and dishwashing packets were rationed. The attitude of the owner was anything but accommodating. The house was relatively new but surprisingly unclean. The rugs were all stained & the master bedroom quilt was stained. One of the back bedrooms was definitely substandard & all bedrooms except the master lacked TV service when we arrived. The exterior metal window shades that we were required to shut whenever we left the house, made coming into the house feel like entering a cave. The outside tables were coming apart & the exterior pool table was delaminating. The communal area had a single sectional in a house that sleeps 12 & only had 4 kitchen chairs. We did not have a large group, but even adding in the kitchen counter stools, only nine could eat at the same time. The sectional seating area in the communal area was inadequate for more than 5 or 6 adults & not very comfortable. The owners agreed to allow us to have our dog at their home and we paid for the privilege. My son brought his dog to the house for a few hours & we were told by the owners that we would have to pay another fee, even though they "'agreed that the dogs did not do any damage & the initial fee more than covered any additional cleaning required." This house looks great in the pictures, but it is not user friendly & neither are the owners. We would not recommend any Westwing Rental property to anyone & we will never rent another Westwing Rental property!!!!!!!!

Owner response:It must be noted that this guest asked permission for one small short haired outdoor pet. I accepted with an added standard non refundable pet deposit. A week before their stay, I received a call asking if I would allow another small outdoor pet. I agreed if they would pay a second pet fee. They declined to pay the extra fee. Well guess what I found when responding to a missing television cable Someone unplugged and removed. Two long haired dogs that were anything but outdoor or small. The dogs sleeping pillows were found inside the home which is a violation of the agreement. As was sneaking in a second dog. When I refunded the security deposit minus a second pet fee, that is when things got ugly. Here are a few of the emails from this guest before it was discovered that they broke the contract and decided to keep two large dogs inside without my knowledge or permission violating our policy. Guests emails, We have not tried all the sinks, bathrooms, outdoor areas, etc. but if we find anything that does not work we will let you know. So far everything is great. We love the house and are very happy here. Thanks again. s ps. I will be taking your lead on the activities book. It is a great idea. Also the tv, stereo, etc. information with pictures is excellent. You've given me some great idea for Tahoe. Thanks. It does appear that we have not paid the amount for heating the pool. I will take care of that today. sf Thank you b. We love this house and think it will be a wonderful place to spend the holidays with our family. It is a little disconcerting that your agreement says that your reservation is not confirmed until all payments are made and the itemized costs states that the final payment is not due until thirty days prior to occupancy of the property. Does blocking out the dates correspond to booking the property? I really don't want the property to be rented from underneath us. Can you confirm that this will not happen? Thanks. s Here is a copy of the guest's original rental inquiry. Guests 5 adults, 0 children. It is a shame that the seating for 9 was inadequate for the group of 12. Where did the other 7 guests come from? I think we are starting to see the real picture here. We always strive to provide clean and comfortable homes to rent. Unfortunately, some will always be unhappy.

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Perfect Vacation Home!

Guest: Connie (Calgary, AB Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/01/11 Review Submitted: 10/25/11

Thank you so much Brian for allowing us to rent your beautiful dream home! It was definitely a dream for us! This was the best vacation ever! My girls love Disneyland but both admitted, they REALLY LOVED staying at your home in Phoenix! Everything was as advertised....so beautiful......so private......so comfortable......so much fun in the pool with my family! We enjoyed a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving while staying at your home and it was just so perfect! Couldn't imagine it any better! I'm on this website typing away with tears in my eyes as I peruse the photos here. I see us there having fun outside....eating dinner at your beautifully crafted kitchen......my children even having a siesta in the evening watching Harry Potter on the big screen and the sectional.....we are now shopping for one just like it! Very cosy couch. Everything was just perfect! We will definitely be back and, yes, we would highly recommend this home to those who enjoy perfection at a very reasonable price! Thanks again!

Owner response:Wow! Although I am always appreciative of guest comments and reviews, I never thought that I would get choked up over one. You are certainly welcome anytime, and I greatly appreciate your thoughtful comments. We will look forward to welcoming you back soon. Please let us help make your next stay even better. Until then. Brian

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

GREAT HOUSE!!!

Guest: Rita M.
Date of Stay: 07/20/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

What a great house. We had 6 adults staying in the house and had 20 baseball players over for a BBQ one night and there was plenty of room. Fantastic back yard with everything that you need. The only thing I would suggest to the owner is larger pots and pans for the kitchen. We can't wait to stay there again.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Nice Home But Very Disappointed With It's Mngmnt.

Guest: Mary (Nebraska)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 02/04/11

The house is beautiful; however, I feel it is very poorly managed. Twice we had to call because the hot tub was not working and the third time it went out we gave up calling as we were leaving the next morning. We paid extra for having a heated pool/hot tub, but were rarely able to use it when we wanted to due to the temp of the water. The lights in the pool did not work the first night and two of the bathroom toilets did not flush properly. There was no soap in any of the showers or any laundry soap in the cupboard. The biggest issue we had was that half of our deposit was withheld due to alleged damage to the pool table. We did not even take the cover off the pool table during our stay, nor did we check it for damage as it wasn’t on the checklist. We were sent a photo with damage, but there was no time stamp or date on it to determine when the photo was taken. Make sure you use the checklist very carefully when checking in for damage upon arriving and look for things that aren’t on the checklist as you might be responsible for those items also.

Owner response:The pool was heated as advertised to 84 degrees and was never a problem or an issue. The pool lights malfunctioned due to a GFI circuit trip. Once diagnosed, the GFI was reset and the lights worked as advertised. The hot tub was found to be in solar mode. The solar could heat the tub only during the day. The hot tub was correctly placed back into heater mode. It must be noted that the manager, the pool maintenance company and myself responded within minutes of the first call. Four more guests have stayed at the home with no issues. All pool equipment including heat are functioning normally. There was only one complaint about a toilet and that too was handled immediately. The problem was the chain became unhooked from the flushing handle. Our maintenance contract calls for changing the internal components once per year and the overall functionality was and is not an issue. We do provide soap and shampoo in each bath. We usually provide a few individual packages of laundry soap but do not provide an unlimited supply. With regard to the tear in the pool table felt, our cleaning staff check each item on a checklist and if something is missing or otherwise damaged, they take a photograph and report it. The same crew has been cleaning this property for 3 years. They know when things are out of place. To take no chances or make unwarranted assumptions, I personally check the past 2-3 reports to make sure that they checked that particular item was okay on the past reports. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt. We have to insist on a no breakage policy to ensure that each guest is presented with a clean and fully functional home. Sometimes things get broken. Things do happen and sometimes by accident. It's quite possible that teenagers do not always tell their parents when an item is broken. It's unfortunate when it does happen and we are fair and objective. One solution, especially if the guest is hosting a party at the property or has kids that are accident prone, is to forego the $500 security deposit all together and opt for the Property Damage Protection offered through Homeaway. That way the guest can rest easy if something is damaged, it will be fully covered and they do not have to wait for a refund. We pride ourselves in always improving each property and want to know how we can do a better job.

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So much more than the pictures show . . . .

Guest: Angela Gonzales (-)
Date of Stay: 01/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

We stayed here for the Fiesta Bowl. Close enough to stadium to be convenient but tucked away in a community so you felt like you were far away from the madness! The house was immaculate upon arrival and the amenities were more than expected. The owner has left nothing unnoticed or overlooked. We spent all of our down time hanging out by the pool and nobody wanted to leave for any reason - the house and yard truly have it all! Groceries, shopping and eating all close by with lots of choices. Loved it!

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Westwing Rental - Feb 2010

Guest: Christopher Craig (-)
Date of Stay: 02/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

I brought a group of 8 golfers to Phoenix for the 5th straight year. This was far and away the nicest rental house we have stayed in, and we never really got over what a great place this is. This house was completely decked out with the entire home being wired for sound, an excellent outdoor room including a spa, outdoor grill, swim up bar with stools, pool table, huge master suite and bath, comfortable beds, open layout... and the list goes on. I would be happy to recommend this property to anyone looking to enjoy themselves in a quiet area with easy access to so many things. We have always appreciated the high value of golf in the immediate area, but there is so much more. The owner has made the rental process very streamlined and they were very thoughtful in providing their guests with abundant information on the surrounding area. My group looks forward to renting again from Westwing Rental in the coming years. Recommended for: Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

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Great vacation

Guest: Sherri Oshowy (-)
Date of Stay: 10/01/09 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

We stayed here in Sept 09. The manager and owner were wonderful. The house was more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for letting us stay in your beautiful home! Recommended for: Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway

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Beautiful home, clean and comfortable

Guest: Lori Pitzer (-)
Date of Stay: 03/07/10 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

House worked out great. We were three couples and we had plenty of room. Three bathrooms was a plus. Enjoyed the back yard. Would like to take that home! Would come back again. Recommended for: Age 55+, Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Romantic Getaway

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No Disappoints Here!!!

Guest: Bryan Whipple (-)
Date of Stay: 02/28/10 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

I must say we had a great time on a golfing outing. The house as descibed and shown in the pictures is up to "PAR". The house was clean and neat on our arrival as expected. A few of the guys that went on the trip had only stayed in hotels on the previous years. I suggested the house. Everybody said that they would not stay in a hotel again for a trip like this. Bedroom accomodations were good. We had a couple of nights where we had a friend come in from another town and were able to let them sleep on the fifth bed. (Two full size beds in a room instead of the bunk beds shown). Plenty of towels for bathing and the pool. We paid to heat the pool and we used it every day. The hot tub is great and can seat plenty. Outdoor BBQ and firepit are great. The location of the house is in the NW area of the city which worked out fine for us since we did not have set hours for golfing days. We golfed every day and there are plenty of course to choose from. Theres already talk of next years trip and this house is on the list. The amenities at this house make this house a great value and we even rented at peak season (Spring training). Hope you enjpoy it as much as we did. Recommended for: Adventure Seekers, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Sightseeing, Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children

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