Great location, perfect size for a family of 4, needs a little TLC...

Guest: pgasys (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/20/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

Howdy! Due to last minute changes to our vacation itinerary, we were very thankful to find this upstairs condo in this quiet Pleasure Point neighborhood tucked between Santa Cruz and Capitola. You will need to take your car to the Boardwalk. You can easily walk to 41st Avenue and Portola Drive where there are some great cafes and shops. Whole Foods Market is further down 41st, across from the Capitola Mall. For a family of four, the covered upstairs deck had plenty of outdoor seating, and the kitchen table and living room sofas gave us plenty of room inside to relax- even though there are a LOT of potted plants to navigate around. Please note that it is a covered exterior stairwell up to the second floor and that you must cross a small part of the backyard to get to it. Hopefully the downstairs residents have remembered to secure their dog who will otherwise “greet” you at the backyard gate. This rental is in need of some TLC: the bathroom sink faucet fully swiveled, the towel bar brackets needed to be tightened down as well as did the heavy shower glass door handle. We were also disappointed to discover the high number of chipped and cracked dishes, broken cooking utensil handles, and a disproportionate level of wine glasses to regular drinking glasses- ALL a first in our VBRO renting experiences. And I really think that the owners should have a discussion with their cleaning staff as we had to scrub off some sort of BBQ sauce splattered on the kitchen walls, refrigerator door and handle, and stovetop. Cookware was put away dirty and had to be re-washed before using. Laundry was left in the dryer, and not much laundry soap was left for us either. The bed linens were clean and beds freshly made. The bath towels were clean too, however, they should be replaced as they are worn and beginning to unravel. In sum, it’s a fair rental space, great location and nicely sized, but with a little attention, could be stellar.

Owner response:We appreciate the guest feedback from the Leubsen party, but are frankly surprised that the Guests never made any attempt to contact us during their 4 night stay. And to be blunt, the guests claims below are simply exaggerated and/or misleading. It felt like the guests were trying to compare our home away from home to a 5 star hotel. Irrespective, we took the feedback seriously, whereby we did indeed have a couple of chipped dishes that were disposed of. The sink faucet and one towel bar were tightened down. The Cleaner will also be more attentive to the dishes coming out of the dishwasher to ensure they are clean, regardless of the challenge we face with a calcium enriched water supply. We would have very much liked to have made personal contact with the guests versus receiving a review like this. And in fact all our other reviews have been quite favorable. We pride ourselves on providing a quality home with superior amenities, and will continue to strive to provide a relaxing, clean, and enjoyable get away.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

perfect size and location for a family

Guest: Family of Four (Az)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 06/27/11

The photos and description are right on the money. Everything was clean and comfortable. The neighbors living downstairs were very nice. You really can see the ocean and watch the surfers just by walking a block or two. There are great local places to eat within walking distance. Pleasure Point Pizza is so good we had it twice while we were there. We like to buy food at the local farmers market and cook in, rather than eat out everyday of vacation. It would have been nice to have some more cookware. We would recommend this rental to our friends and relatives and hope to be back sometime soon. The Boardwalk is near by and Monterey is nice drive that does not take long.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect getaway!

Guest: Madison travelers (Madison, WI)
Date of Stay: 02/09/11 Review Submitted: 02/17/11

Spacious, clean, comfortable in a quiet neighborhood. A large, lovely deck with many species of birds drawn to the surrounding flowering shrubs. We saw humming birds, finches, warblers, mocking birds, doves and many others. A short walk to the beach and a great location near shopping. Owner was easily reachable by e-mail which made it simple to set up accommodations. Unlike staying in a motel this felt like being at home. We will definitely be back!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

Great for Gals Getaway

Guest: Terri (Pleasanton, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/11/10 Review Submitted: 11/20/10

This place was perfect for a Gals get-away! There is plenty of room and seating in the living room and also on the deck. We enjoyed it and the ocean view in the morning for coffee and then in the late afternoon for wine. The beds were comfortable, in fact one of the gals has a bad back and she raved each morning about how well she slept. The bath & kitchen upgrades are great, this definitely feels more like a home than a rental. Exceeded my expectations and would rent it again.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

The best birthday EVER was spent here!

Guest: Erin (Sacramento, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/08/10 Review Submitted: 10/19/10

I stayed here very recently, and I really can't rave enough about it! This loction is perfect if you're looking to be very close to the beach, in a great neighborhood, and not wanting to spend too much! The house was very clean, there was plenty of space for all of my friends (there was 6 total one night), and the downstairs neighbors were very friendly to all of us! I stayed there for 3 nights (only $129/ night!!!) and I would definitely stay here again!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/14/08 Review Submitted: 08/14/08

I just returned from a 4 night stay at the Santa Cruz vacation house on 38th St. My family and I loved the house and the location. The house was clean and had everything in it we needed for our stay. The location was very close to the ocean, a playground for my grandson,a great coffee house and my daughter's home. I would definitely return to this wonderful vacation house.

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Guest: Linda and John Howell (Longmeadow, Ma.)
Date of Stay: 07/23/08 Review Submitted: 07/23/08

We were at this apartment from July 7-13 and found it to be just right for our purposes. 4 of us stayed very comfortably and it was clean and well supplied. We loved its proximity to the ocean and enjoyed great walks, especially to Capitola for breakfast on the first morning. For New Englanders, this was California at its best! Watching hummingbirds on the bottle brush plant outside the large picture window was a special treat.

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Guest: Anna20 (Bensheim, Germany)
Date of Stay: 04/19/08 Review Submitted: 04/19/08

We are from Germany. We want to thank you very much for letting us have very enjoyable weeks in your beautiful, with modern , new interiors with ample real plants and very quiet apartment very near the Pacific ocean .We very much enjoyed the clean and very well taken care of bright rooms with expensive furniture, beautiful pictures on the walls and a very comfortable bath room. We always could have sound sleep in the comfortable beds. Every morning we woke up along with the bright California sunlight through the big, beautiful windows. We looked forward to taking a hot shower and leave for our daily trips. The location of the apartment is not only ideal for the beautiful, expansive beach but also for our daily trips to San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel, Gilroy and many more exciting and interesting places in the vicinity. And when we returned back “home” in the evening the big balcony, overlooking the beautiful backyard, was waiting for us to relax. And how much better can it be when you can see the ocean from the big balcony? It was just “PERFEKT”! And we could have walked every day to a “gourmet” restaurant! Thanks to all the spacious and very practical rooms as well as the availability of 2 TVs, Hi speed Internet, Wi-fi, multiple Telephones, and all the kitchen appliances, as well as a washer and a dryer, we could relax very well together with our three children. When we had a small problem with a fuse of the washer, your handyman came in a matter of hours to fix it. Because of the beautiful and spacious backyard and especially because of the two gates, which made it possible for our children to run around safely, we didn’t have to keep the kids only in the apartment. All we needed to do was to secure the gates so that they were not left open for the children to sneak out. Although most of the times we just ran out the door to the beach to watch the surfers and kite flyers. That was so relaxing! The entire family, including my husband, children and myself are going to think about our vacation in your apartment very fondly. We hope to be back very, very soon. Thanks a million for letting us stay in your absolutely gorgeous apartment, on the Pacific Ocean. Hope to see you soon. Auf Wiedersehen!Anna and Family from Germany

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Guest: Melissa38 (Oceanside, California)
Date of Stay: 04/19/08 Review Submitted: 04/19/08

We had a great time at your house. It was very modern, user-friendly, and included little extras like wi-fi, washer/dryer, and an extra tv in the back! We were able to walk to 2 of the best surf spots as well as a few restaurants. The backyard was perfect for a couple of toddlers to play without worry. It really did feel like our home away from home.oh--one more thing. We noticed the countertops were granite. We have granite as well, so we know how to care for it. But you might want to maybe leave some care instructions? hank you so much for opening your rental to us. Our trip was relaxing and we had a great time. We'll definitely spread the word to our friends, and will hopefully come back next year!! Melissa

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Guest: Jinny1 (Redmond,Oregon)
Date of Stay: 04/19/08 Review Submitted: 04/19/08

Hi Bill: We really enjoyed our stay at this vrbo listed house with the Search by VRBO # 161724. Chip and I, love the outdoors and we truly enjoyed the beach. Our work keeps us inland and away from the ocean for the majority of the year. Our stay near the ocean gave us an opportunity to spend quality relaxation time smelling and hearing the great Pacific. The house is beautiful and has all the amenities that made our stay very enjoyable. Thank you for the hospitality. We look forward to visiting this spot again someday. Jinny and Chip from Redmond, Oregon

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