Great summer cottage!

Guest: Ron and Mary Wilson (Phoenix, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 09/14/11

This is the ideal place for our family. We've come here for a week in the summer for several years now and love the accommodations. Perfect, quiet location on the water and at the same time close to main street. The house itself is very comfortable and well decorated and has a great front patio and dock as well as a BBQ area on a side patio which is more secluded when you feel like some privacy. The owners and property manager are super pleasant and easy to work with and do a great job in making this vacation rental feel like home. Oh, and thanks for the addition of the bicycles! Great way to get around the island or for a longer ride to back bay or Corona Del Mar.

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

Balboa Cottage was terriffic

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/08/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

This was the most relaxing place to stay. The cottage was well appointed and very clean with everything we needed, 2 BBQ's, bikes, beach chairs, well stocked kitchen, and plenty of chairs for the patio. We cooked and ate outside on the patio, loved being able to walk and ride bikes everywhere. We took the ferry to the beach and the Fun Zone, ate and shopped right around the corner. We rented an Duffy boat and cruised around the bay. Our friends and relatives that we usually visit preferred to come to the cottage to see us which saved us time not having to drive. The owner, John, was so helpful and always responded promptly to any questions I had. Being right on the canal was a lot of fun. People are always walking by or paddling by on the canal. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation. The only complaint I have is I wish there was more than one restaurant/bar that stayed open past 9pm on the island.

Owner response:This was this guests first stay at the Cottage and I hope they make it an annual family affair, even without another bar). The two beach cruisers were a recent addition and have been a big hit. As for bars and restaurants on the Island - there is one and will probably never be more. The bar scene is on the Peninsula across the ferry and most residents and guests want to keep it that way - the Peninsula is for the party animals, the Island is for families.

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

Christmas at the Beach

Guest: Lynn (Sacramento, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 12/20/09 Review Submitted: 07/06/10

The property on Balboa Island is a delight! Cute and cozy with clean red, white and blue furnishings, you feel like you're right on the beach with its nautical theme. The lights on all the houses were sparkling, adding a festive glow that could be seen through the front dutch door. The main bedroom had a very comfortable bed which is important to us. It was a special time for us as our family had not been together in a long time, so all three of our children were with us. They did have to share the couch as the other two beds were not workable for the extra person. However, the owner was very accomodating in letting our 3rd son join us. The owners answered all our questions and were very welcoming as was the caretaker who left us our privacy after letting us in. I would recommend this property to a friend or relative. It's near the little town, and we had fun at the Olive Oil store (I still go back there to get olive oil!) and the Stabucks around the corner woke us up every morning with pastries and the New York Times! We watched the Christmas Boat Parade which was great fun, and took the car ferry over to the Peninsula. Just walking around the neighborhood looking at all the great houses is a good time. We rented a Duffy boat and took a picnic out on the bay one evening which I highly recommend. I hope someday we can return.

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

Property 20833

Guest: Idaho kid (Coeur dAlene, Idaho)
Date of Stay: 02/26/10 Review Submitted: 06/08/10

This is a wonderful location, with a cute, cottage atmosphere with a fireplace and great charm. We were only a block from the main street. The on site assistance was fabulous. We would strongly recommend this to anyone

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, age 55+, sightseeing.

Guest: Ron (-)
Date of Stay: 10/10/09 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

"Thanks for all you do to keep this place so warm and inviting, we just don't feel right anywhere else".

Recommended for:

Guest: Mary (-)
Date of Stay: 06/06/09 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

"Balboa is amazing and I am loving it here?

Recommended for:

Guest: Stuart (-)
Date of Stay: 02/06/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

We wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed your lovely cottage, the location, and the weather - we would be interested in coming back again next February.

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