Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great

Guest: Patricia G. (Chicago, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 03/02/12 Review Submitted: 03/06/12

The house was perfect for us as it's close to my home and accommodates my big family from out of town. The beds were comfy. The owner notified me ahead of time of a few glitches like the intercom, the upstairs satelite etc. My family mentioned a few things in the end which the hot water was not consistent and there was a smell coming from the front closet we think was the vacuum (burnt belt).

Recommended for:

great spot for a family gathering

Guest: Jody (Rochester, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

Our family gathered in this large 5 bedroom home for our daughter's wedding in Chicago. It was so nice to have space to be together and more affordable than 5 different hotel rooms and no common area. We also shared our Thanksgiving dinner there and although I brought a roasting pan, there were lots of dishes and kitchenware to prepare the meal. One of the nicest features is a living room on both floors. While the guys watched football, another group of us could sit upstaires and visit. The highlight though? The master bedroom shower!! AWESOME!!! We also loved the short distance from the L. Our relatives took the L from Midway Airport and then walked the short block and 1/2 and it was an easy trip. The outside needs some work - the cover for the parking, front steps, etc. But don't let the outside fool you - it's lovely inside and that's what really mattered.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

Chicago Wedding Became Perfect Family Vacation

Guest: Pat (Gainesville, GA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 02/25/12

Our son was married in September and we found this house to be the perfect place for our extended family to gather. The furnishings were well appointed, the kitchen was a dream, and you can't beat the location. The wedding was held at the Dank Haus which was only 1 1/2 blocks away. Four couples, two teenagers, and an infant stayed in the home and there was room enough for all of us. We cooked breakfast every morning and had a lovely cookout one evening. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and so did the rest of our family. with two spacious living areas, no one felt in the way or felt like others were underfoot. Everyone flew into Midway and was able to walk to the L and make their flights home easily. We enjoyed many local restaurants, my favorite being PizzaArt's where everyone ate fabulous food for an extremely reasonable price - including a whole roasted octopus! We were glad to have an IT Specialist in the family to work all of the satellite televisions and sound systems and the air conditioner had a hard time keeping up... But it was unusually hot for the first week in September. As another reviewer stated, the outside could use some work - we replaced light bulbs on the dark front porch and cleaned and swept the porches and walks, but it was a gem on the inside. We loved it and would go back if given the opportunity. It was absolutely perfect for our needs.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great place for a group getaway

Guest: deb (indianapolis in)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 06/22/11

the house was beautiful, very clean and well furnished on a tree lined street of equally nice homes. The showers were awesome and the beds very comfortable, plenty of seating room for meals and socializing The only complaint we had was the second story bedrooms never cooled down even though the downstairs was frosty. It made it a little difficult to sleep in a couple of the rooms. I would also suggest some outside seating would be nice. Overall though a great place to stay and extremely convenient to the brown line and a few local shops and cafes. I'd stay here again!

Owner response:If the group had bothered to call and ask, we wouldhave informed them that they only needed to adjust the thermostat on the second floor. The home has zoned heating/cooling for efficiency which only requires that you click a button to activate the control for a different zone. They were attempting to cool the entire home with just one zone which obviously doesn't work too well. Also, there are detailed home instructions provided to every guest via email prior to arrival which clearly details how to operate everything in the home.

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

Family Gathering/Cub Game weekend

Guest: Amy (Waunakee, WI)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/08/11

We had an awesome time staying at this house for our family gathering, with family members coming from different states to meet and go to a Cub game. It has a big kitchen that opens up to dining area that was good for visiting around coffee in the morning. Plus two living rooms, so kids and adults had separate areas to hang out and watch TV. Its in a very nice neighbor hood with groceries, bars and coffee shops right up the street. The Rockwell el stop is maybe 3 mintues away. You can take it to Belmont stop and walk to Wrigley Field and cool shops on Clark. The house is beautiful and pristinely clean and the pictures don't do it justice. The bathrooms are particularly ornate. There are three Queen beds, a double bed, a twin bed and a double fold down futon, plus a sectional upstairs that can sleep two kids and a very comfy down stairs couch that will sleep one. Our favorite thing was the master bath shower. It is amazing, with jets coming at you from all directions and a steam feature, so don't miss it! It's like being in a sauna and a jacuzzi tub standing up. The kitchen is well outfitted. Nice gas stove. The fridge is large and has water and ice dispenser. I was surprised to find a wide variety of spices and vinegar and oil and basic things like sugar so we didn't need to bring those things with us. Also, there were plenty of wine glasses and coffee cups. I was glad that there was a main level bedroom, so the older parents in our group didn't have to go up and down the stairs. We had no problems getting into the house and the owner was quick to answer any questions I had. I would definately reccomend this house to anyone having a group gathering, family or otherwise, as it is so nice to have space for hanging out together and being able to make dinner and breakfast together, versus hotel rooms.

Recommended for:

A Perfect Visit

Guest: Chris (Brooklyn, New York)
Date of Stay: 10/15/10 Review Submitted: 10/19/10

Nine college friends and I reunited at this lovely home for an October weekend and enjoyed all that it offered. The rooms were exactly as pictured -- tastefully furnished, very clean and very comfortable. We spent more time talking and cooking than watching TV, but for those who want TV, there were three of them. Only one guest opened her computer but it worked fine, as did cellphones. Kitchen had enough dishes and utensils for the 10 of us, and the dishwasher worked fine. Beds were comfortable, and bathrooms were very clean. The Lincoln Square shops were enjoyable to visit, and we had a wonderful dinner at Bistro Campagne on Lincoln. We would definitely return.

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

Wedding Weekend - perfect

Guest: RSM Sr (Indianapolis, IN)
Date of Stay: 10/15/09 Review Submitted: 10/27/09

We stayed at this beautifully restored "brownstone" for the weekend of my son's wedding. I had arranged for my daughters, brother (and kids) and other family members to stay with us. We were all so comfortable we felt like we were home. All the adults had bedrooms and the kids "roughed it" on comfortable sofas and a futon. With 3 full bathrooms even the ladies were happy! The kitchen has everything you'd need. We made full breakfasts for the group and it was perfect. The property is within walking distance of Lincoln Square and a wonderful array of shops, restaurants and parks. It is well maintained and has plenty of linens and other supplies. The fully loaded laundry room came in handy too. The kids had all the HD TV's going - all the time, and the WiFi came in handy on occasion. In all, this property was everything the owner described and more! We'll be back and I would recommend it without hesitation.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great stay on marathon weekend

Guest: Jaron H. (Frostburg, MD)
Date of Stay: 10/09/09 Review Submitted: 10/14/09

12 of us stayed here on marathon weekend in order to avoid the downtown area and relax. The house was everything and more that we had hoped for. We were able to relax and sleep well every night. There were absolutely no problems with the house. Entry to the house was smooth. There we no issues with hot water as mentioned in previous reviews. We were able to walk to a number of nearby restaurants and had very easy access to the Rockwell station on the Brown Line. If I ever get to Chicago again, this is where I will stay.

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

A perfect place to stay

Guest: Gene S (Omaha, NE)
Date of Stay: 07/23/09 Review Submitted: 08/13/09

The house was great. It made it one of the best trips to Chicago that I have ever had. We have a large group of guys that go up every year to see a couple of Cubs games and the house was perfect for us. It had enough space that we never felt crowded, top notch amenities and was so convenient. We used the ‘L’ to get to the game and were at Wrigley in about 20 minutes. We’ll definitely be repeat customers

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

Great house....not so great customer service

Guest: Nebraska Travelers (Nebraska)
Date of Stay: 06/10/09 Review Submitted: 06/25/09

We stayed with our extended family (13 people total) for a week in Chicago. We all traveled from out of state. We were told before we arrived that we wouldn't be able to check in until 4pm because the cleaning crew needed extra time. When we arrived at the house we saw that big hole in the front wall and we were actually unsure that we were in the right spot because that certainly didn't match the pictures of the interior we saw on the website. When we walked in the house at a little after 4pm it was very evident that the cleaning crew had not been there.....a huge pile of dirty linens, beds totally unmade, dirty bathrooms, dirty dishes, dirty floors, etc. I made several calls to both Megan and Dan and could not get ahold of either of them. When we finally spoke with Megan she told us it was Dan's deal to set up the cleaning crew. Finally at 6pm we had to start cleaning up ourselves because we had 5 beds to get made, kids to get fed, etc. At about 6:30 we finally made contact with Dan who was unapologetic for the problem and refused to take responsibility to fix the problem. About that time the cleaning crew showed up and started cleaning up around us which was awkward and bothersome. After we discussed leaving the property to go somewhere else, Dan did apologize and offered to resolve the situation to which we agreed. The last bed was finally made after 9:30 The house itself is very nice. The rooms are spacious and the two levels make it very nice for families with children. Even with 13 people I never felt like we were tripping over each other. Access to the washer/dryer, vaccuum, and cleanup supplies was a definite plus. For 13 people it would have been nice to have more towel sets. The kitchen was really nice and having a grill to use was also a bonus. Like other reviewers mentioned, showers had to be staggered to have enough hot water for everyone. We did also have to dig around to find the information sheet about how to work the tvs, heating/cooling, how to lock up, etc. There was also a very strong fume/odor coming up from the basement rental property. The location was perfect for us. The brown line stop was so close and there was a grocery store and a walgreens close by. For the children, there was also a small playground within a 2 minute walk. Staying at this house with this large group was definitely better than staying in a hotel.

Owner response:It's important to notice that the review still says 4/5. There was a scheduling error with regards to the cleaning crew which was immediately (within 30 minutes) handled. Upon hearing the home had not been cleaned, we immediately offered compensation to the guests, it did not after threat of leaving. As seen with the other reviews, excepting one, we are responsive and courteous to all of our guests, as is clear from the other reviews posted here. There is a reason the home remains booked throughout the year, it's an incredible bargain for all the amenities, location and conveniences and we work very hard to make certain all our guests have a great stay.

Recommended for:Families with young children, tourists without a car.

Great house, great location

Guest: Eric B (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/21/09 Review Submitted: 06/06/09

Our group consisted of 3 siblings and their spouses, each family having 2 kids between 5 and 8 years old. Grandma and another family friend came along as well. We all live in different parts of the country, so we were really hoping that this house would let us all spend more time together than past trips where we've stayed in hotels. The kids absolutely loved having their own "sleeping porch" where they could watch movies and hang out with their cousins upstairs and sleep on air mattresses at night, away from the adults. The set-up of the house made it great for the grown-ups to be able to stay up, play cards and hang out until the wee hours with the kids fast asleep upstairs. The kitchen was stocked with everything you would expect and then some. We pulled the gas grill out of the garage and cooked up burgers in the courtyard one night. I just wish I had a grill like that one at home! My single complaint would be that we did have to space our showers out a little bit so everyone could have hot water. But, with 8 adults plus kids I wouldn't expect anything other than that, and by the second morning we had it figured out. I had to call the owner a couple of times (to ask if we could use the grill, and to ask a question about the TV/remote programming in a bedroom), and he was helpful and available whenever we had a question. The neighborhood was great, with a nice grocery store a block away (Harvestime Foods, great produce and meat selection!), and a lot of restaurants a few blocks away in Lincoln Square. Our favorite restaurant was "I Monelli Trattoria Pizzeria" (Italian if you couldn't guess), and the desserts at Cafe Selmarie were unbelievable. Some of the ladies found a nearby morning yoga class that they enjoyed. Gross Park was a block away and was perfect for letting the kids blow off some steam too. Really, anything that we needed was easily found within a 4-block radius. We never had any problem with parking our cars nearby, but then again we did more walking than driving. The brown line stop being a 2-minute walk away was really convenient, and we were able to make it to the heart of downtown in 30 minutes. In all, the house was clean, beautiful and in a great neighborhood. It was everything we had hoped for, and we will definitely stay there again the next time we all meet up in Chicago.

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

First Impressions & Customer Service are key...

Guest: Displeased Traveler (Saint Louis, MO)
Date of Stay: 04/17/09 Review Submitted: 05/01/09

My girlfriends and I stayed at this property to celebrate a friend's upcoming nuptials. The first group to arrive was unable to access the property per the instructions provided by the owner. They had to wait because the cleaning crew had not followed proper procedures for locking up the property. When they were finally able to enter the proprty, the door knob to front door had fallen off, posing an extreme hazard in the event of an emergency, and they had to wait for the repairman to come (delaying their plans). There was an unsightly hole in the front of the property...mind you, first impressions are everything..The description says the home sleeps 9-11, with sleep being the operative word...it did not provide adequate hot water for 9-11 people. Most of us had to take lukewarm and/or cold showers because the hot water had run out after the 2nd or 3rd person showered. The parking on the street was horrible...The trash bins in back of the property were full with trash from a home do-it-yourself project, so we were unable to dispose of the trash that had accumulated during our stay. We were forced to bag the trash and leave it in the house to keep from putting it outside and having rodents/animals get to it. The traffic in the area was horrendous and we had to travel out of the area to find good restaurants, shopping, etc...Our group has stayed at other vacation home rental properties throughout the country and this by far was our worst experience. Grant it, the property was nice on the inside, the master bath was gorgeous, but in the end first impressions and customer service are what really matters... I would not recommend this property to any of my friends, family or co-workers...

Owner response:We felt the need to respond to your review as we feel it was written out of spite - to give people the wrong impression of our home - because you were charged for the damages that occurred to our home during your stay. We regret that you did not enjoy your stay with us & that you felt it was necessary to leave a negative & extremely false review on the site. In response to your issues gaining access to the house, we have a Resort Lock on the back door which is for your convenience incase you should lock yourself out of the property during your stay. We issued an access code prior to your check-in. You had difficulty using the resort lock & after making a phone call to us, had access to the property within 10 minutes upon arrival. With any property, unfortunately there are occasional maintenance issues such as the door handle. We had a repairman at the house in under an hour to fix the problem. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused you. To address your issues with the house, the hole is for the intercom system to be installed in the future. Most of our renters have been more concerned with the appearance, cleanliness & comfort of the inside of the house which all of our guests, including you, have found to be excellent. There is an 80 gallon water heater in the house & you claim that this was only an adequate amount of water for 2-3 people to shower. None of our guests have ever complained of parking issues. Chicago requires parking permits in the neighborhoods with parking issues, such as the Wrigley Field area, so that residents can find parking. Being that Lincoln Square is not a congested area, it does not require any street parking permits. There are 3 64 gallon trash bins & 2 64 gallon recycle bins. We were not undergoing any do-it-yourself projects & I am shocked that with 320 gallons of trash space that you were unable to dispose of your garbage. Lastly, Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood is known for it’s quite & calm atmosphere – hardly the horrendous traffic you describe. As stated in other reviews from guests, all claimed the property to be conveniently located & close to shopping & restaurants. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience caused with the door handle and that you did not feel our response time with that was good customer service. As to your other claims, I hope any prospective renters will read the many reviews from guests who completely contradict everything you have stated in yours.

Recommended for:

Marathon Weekend in Chicago

Guest: Peter G. (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 10/09/08 Review Submitted: 11/02/08

Megan and Dan- Thank you so much for a great weekend for our family in Chicago. It was much more of than we ever expected and we felt so at home and comfortable. The house was absolutely beautiful and had ever amenity we could have hoped for! We look forward to our next trip to Chicago next year and will definitely be recommending your house to our friends! Thanks again!

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