Great for families, careful with toddlers

Guest: COGal (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/12/11

Our extended family (9 adults and 4 kids) stayed in this house for a few days. The house was plenty big for all of us and included more than enough linens, dishes, etc. It was very clean and comfortable, though some of the towels were a little mildewy, not very surprising for the humid climate. We enjoyed the town very much - not much to do, but fun to walk around. There's plenty to do at the house, so you may not want to leave anyway! There's a great farmstand right off the highway as you enter Bolinas. We went there a few times to get some fresh produce and eggs. The house is just a few steps from the beach. Too cold to swim, but we had lots of fun playing in the sand. The owner was very responsive through most of the contact I had with him, but failed to respond to three different emails I sent. I had to write again at one point and call his cell another time. He also was about a week late in getting our deposit back to us. Generally speaking though, he was pleasant to work with. We booked this house because so many of the reviews mentioned that it is great for kids. Originally, we planned to have the couples with children sleep in the upstairs bedrooms and have the kids sleep in the extra beds in the upstairs living areas. But because of safety issues, the families had to trade rooms with 2 of the downstairs couples and have the kids sleep in the bedrooms (upstairs bedrooms not big enough to fit children on the floor). We had a crawler and a toddler in our group, and the upstairs was NOT safe for them. The stairs are super steep and the baby gates provided leave a big gap which a small child could easily fit under. The upstairs windows are very low to the floor and have no screens, so we didn't want to open them, even though it was really hot up there. There's also a very strange door in the bathroom that, when opened, drops off 10 feet or so. It all worked out well, and the kids loved the place (lots of toys to play with!), but we didn't feel comfortable letting them play upstairs. If anyone in your party will be taking naps or sleeping late, I would recommend that you bring a white noise machine. There are beautiful wood floors throughout the house and it can be a bit noisy. All in all, a great house. We had a wonderful time.

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

Great Place! Loved the House!

Guest: kbell (North Tonawanda NY)
Date of Stay: 07/14/11 Review Submitted: 08/03/11

Had a family vacation with all of our children and grandchildren. Loved the house. The grandchildren loved the upstairs with so many places to sleep. Owner very friendly and available. Loved the area. Would recommend to large family with lots of kids.

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

Excellent place to stay

Guest: John (Mill Valley, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/18/11

Our family of fourteen, three generations, ages 77 down to 3, stayed here for 4 nights. The place is just as advertised. It was squeaky clean. We had a fine time. We are all local, so the iffy weather was not unexpected. The location is perfect--a short walk to a really fine beach, or to downtown. We did take our own food and drink.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, age 55+, sightseeing, families with young children.

Perfect spot in Bolinas

Guest: Rob17 (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 03/05/11 Review Submitted: 04/15/11

This house is awesome. The ground floor is perfect for large group gatherings, with a spacious kitchen, dining area and living room. There are provate bathrooms off of all 3 bedrooms on the ground floor. The upstairs is more of a large bunk room with little cubbie holes off the sides with a bunch of beds - a perfect place to put all the kids. The house has a great location in between the beach and the town (a couple blocks from each). Front porch, sunny back deck, hottub....what more can you ask for?

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

amazing house!!

Guest: meredith (san francisco)
Date of Stay: 10/18/10 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

we have stayed twice in this house- once with a large group and once with just our family and it's amazing! such a classic beach house complete with an attic full of magical nooks and crannies for sleeping or playing hide + go seek. and there is truly no bad bedroom- they are all full of charm. the kitchen is fantastic for cooking and the dining area is large enough to accommodate a mess of people when you do. oh and the hours logged in the hot tub- we barely made it to the beach! when you do though, you can walk to everything. i couldn't recommend this house more.

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

Serenity in Bolinas

Guest: SF Family Fond of Bolinas (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 02/22/11 Review Submitted: 03/14/11

This is the first online review I have ever written. My family has been to this Bolinas house half a dozen times and will continue to return. Although we're always drawn to its ideal location near the beach, downtown and tennis court, it's kitchen, hot tub, fireplace and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms draws us in to hang out, cook extensive meals and invite friends and family to join us. We feel so lucky to have "our place" to go to.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, age 55+, girls getaway, people with disabilities, families with young children.

GREAT family vacation house

Guest: ruthie (nola)
Date of Stay: 01/06/11 Review Submitted: 03/13/11

we stayed at this home with our 2 small children and 3 other families and it was PERFECT! the house is huge and very colorfully decorated. there are lots of different sleeping nooks (in addition to the 5 bedrooms) which the kids loved!! it was spotless upon our arrival. the hot tub is fantastic, especially on a clear night. the owner was super helpful as we planned our trip. he gave us insider tips on where to get the freshest crabs and oysters and on good tide-pooling spots. he was also available to answer questions during our stay. i can't wait to come back to this wonderful house in bolinas.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.

Home by the Beach

Guest: J. B. (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 02/22/11 Review Submitted: 03/09/11

We've stayed here a couple of times and it is the perfect getaway. It's clean, nice, and home-y. Great kitchen, with plenty of room and utensils, and a 48" Wolf stove. Giant dining room table for great meals with lots of friends. It's a block from the beach or the little "downtown" of Bolinas. There are walks in the area, and on the beach of course. You can rent a wetsuit up the street (and they have kid's sizes). Lots of nooks and crannies for people to sleep or read in. If you don't know how to get to Bolinas, make sure to do your research - the locals take down the road sign from Highway 1, so you have to know where to turn!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, girls getaway, families with young children.

Great place for large families and small retreats

Guest: DK (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 08/26/10 Review Submitted: 02/15/11

This was an amazing place to spend a summer week with our huge family of all ages....its really close to the beach and to the cafe/store/Smiley's. The kitchen is very well stocked and the owners were really helpful and the house-wide stereo system kept everyone happy.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

So misleading

Guest: Elvis (Bay Area)
Date of Stay: 04/09/10 Review Submitted: 04/14/10

This house looks gorgeous in the pictures, but upon arrival we found it to be different than expected. The downstairs looks ok; however the pictures are misleading.The couch isn't cream anymore, its stained brown. The main bathroom down here has a tub and a shower head, no curtain, no glass, and almost no way to really shower in it. The upstairs (attic) was reminiscent of a college fraternity house, with two makeshift bedrooms. Another "bedroom" upstairs is nothing more than a closet with two mattresses thrown in, a curtain as a door, and also a skylight 3 feet above the beds. There is also a 5th bed wedged in the corner of the upstairs, on the floor. I think this house has great potential, but needs a lot of TLC. The nicest item in the house, the stove and the washing machine. The hot tub did not look clean, maybe just in need of new water and chlorine. There is one true shower upstairs, however it also needs to be redone. My biggest complaint would have to be the sleeping accommodations. Some of the mattresses were on the floor, several of them looked as though they were purchased used. Kids may not mind it, but I wouldn't recommend it to an adult.

Owner response:This renter desired a luxury weekend getaway in Napa-like setting with 15 of her older lady friends. This is not what this house is about - this is for good friends and multi-family visits to enjoy the beach, Bolinas, food and good music. We're not a stuffy, luxury resort and the house was never intended to be used as such. SO, if the renter had been honest about her intentions, I would have told her to go to Napa!

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