Vacation Rentals by Owner

Amazing Place!

Guest: Lisa (Windsor, ca)
Date of Stay: 02/03/12 Review Submitted: 02/25/12

We spent a few days at the river house and had a fantastic time. The yard is so beautiful and relaxing! Having access to the river right on the property made it so easy for us to enjoy the river anytime. The house was clean and had everything we needed. Can't wait to go back again. Thanks!

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

Lovely location, and very comfortable

Guest: British family (UK)
Date of Stay: 08/04/11 Review Submitted: 08/26/11

We enjoyed a week's stay in August at Tree Frog. The view from the living room and deck was just beautiful, we enjoyed kayaking up the river, followed by hot dogs at Dons Dogs in Monte Rio. Everything was clean and comfortable and I'd recommend Tree Frog River House. We would also recommend Up and Away balloon tours and Sonoma County Zip Wire Centre, both of which are fairly close by.

Owner response:Hello Yvonne, I'm glad you enjoyed our little piece of paradise here in the coastal redwoods. Cheers ~ Ralph

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Love the garden and the river activities

Guest: Cynthia (Palo Alto)
Date of Stay: 06/14/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

We had a wonderful stay at the Treefrog River House. Everything was just as it was promised. The house was clean and the garden was just magnificent. I practiced Yoga on the deck every morning. My kids loved the river and the kayaking. The 2nd room is small and the loft has very low ceiling. That's probably the only issue we had with it but it's still a great place to stay. Oh, yes. Our dog loved it too. The best vacation she ever had. The place also had two BBQ grills which we used one evening when we didn't feel like going out. We liked having dinner overlooking the river and the fully stocked kitchen made it easy for us to prepare breakfast every morning.

Owner response:Glad to hear you had a nice time, hope you will be returning soon. Thank you, Ralph Beyer

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

Ribbit, Ribbit!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/22/11

Our stay at Treefrog was great for us humans and our dogs!! Luckily for us the weather was sunny and warm so we were able to take advantage of the kayaks and canoe. During the exursions we saw an abundance of wildlife. We even waded out to the island with the dogs and a bottle of wine. The yard was gorgeous, the hot tub perfect, and the couch so relaxing. The frog decor is extremely cute and appropriate and the owner's artwork throughout the house is lovely. The kitchen did lack a few basic items (previous guest's sticky fingers, perhaps?) like measuring cups/spoons, blender, etc. but at least the store and deli in Monte Rio is within walking distance. We've been to quite a few vacation rentals around California and The Treefrog House is definitely a keeper!

Owner response:Glad to hear you enjoyed your weekend, I recently bought a new blender but it might have been placed behind some bowls in the cabinet. Even I have a tough time finding things sometimes after items get moved around. I'll make sure it is there for you next time and the measuring spoons too.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

very nice gardens and river access

Guest: ejr (Sam Francisco, California)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/06/11

We recently spent 3 nights at the Tree Frog House. The Good: The house is located right on the Russian River, has great outdoor space including several decks with nice views, very nice gardens/lawns and convenient river access. Having the kayaks and canoes right in front of the house was a real bonus – and it made going for a paddle very easy. Unlike other house in the area, it is also very private and secluded. The hot tub was also nice and the house is pet-friendly. The Not-so Good: We were slightly disappointed with the “loft” as it is really not much more than a crawl space. Although we planned on putting the kids up there, it’s pretty hard to access (via a ladder in the ceiling) and felt it wasn’t safe for them if they needed to come down during the evening to use the bathroom etc... The owner should consider including a picture of the loft on the website. It has very little headroom (less than most tents). In general, the indoor space (including the kitchen) at the house is quite small, and was pretty cramped for 6. If the weather is good, most people would probably prefer to spend the time outside and the house does have a great table and deck space for dining/hanging out. However, it rained during our weekend and therefore we spent quite a bit of time indoors. If I were to stay again, I’d make sure to only have 4 people. As a side note, this house is somewhat different than others I have rented since the owner has really embraced the “frog” theme. The house is loaded with lots and lots of eclectic “frog” collectibles and other knick knacks that contribute to this theme. I realize this is a personal taste issue, but I prefer rental houses that are little more clean and simple (i.e. without plastic flowers/plants). The bathroom is adequate (we did not use the large tub) but the shower could also use a good dose of bleach. Finally, the owner withheld an additional $75 from our security deposit as he felt the hot tub was excessively dirty. Although we took care to rinse our feet before entering, after 4 days with 6 people using the hot tub, the water was admittedly not as clear as when we started. However, this can usually be resolved by using a hot tub conditioner after heavy use (rather than draining the tub as the owner chooses to do instead).

Owner response:Eric, I am disapointed that you rated Treefrog house with only 3 stars, it sounded like you had a great time but are disapointed that part of the extra cleaning deposit that you agreed on prior to renting the house was used to clean the hot tub that your group trashed. It would have taken too many chemicals to make it clean for the next guest's arriving that same day and I'm sure even you would not want to sit in a tub that was over treated with chemicals.

Recommended for:Pet owners

Guest: Matt
Date of Stay: 05/17/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

Ralph; We've enjoyed our stay here at the Treefrog River House. Before we leave, I wanted to let you know about our busy night last night. Our little girl got sick and we had an ambulance, fire truck and Steve the fire supervisor here, and they took wonderful care of her. It was lucky the fire station in just half a mile away. We will flying back to Texas soon, we think we cleaned everything up from last night but if I have missed something please let me know and deduct the cleaning cost from our deposit. We will leave a bottle of wine behind for you, a merlot recommended by John. the wonderful proprietor at Sophie's Cellar in town. Thanks for the accomodations, the house is great. Should we manage to get back this way, we will definitly keep it in mind, and I will also recmmend it to anyone I know who may be coming this way. Ragards - Matt

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A magical area with all that you need

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/25/10 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

This is a well overdue review--we have stayed in Monte Rio for years, but our stay in Aug 2010 at Tree Frog was the best. Tree frog is a very well equipped home, everything that you could need--the ability to have kayaks right outside your door and the private river island access are unbeatable. The owner is very nice and accommodating. We are in the process of booking this year's stay at Tree Frog...a gem.

Owner response:Hi Bonny, thank you for your nice note. I'm always making more impovements and I hope your next stay will be even better. Peace ~ Ralph :)

Recommended for:Pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Extremely Clean for a Dog Friendly Rental... Awesome Place to Stay!

Guest: Oakley's Mom (Mountain View, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/08/10 Review Submitted: 03/16/11

The purpose of this vacation was for the dogs. My sister and I cannot trust our dogs to run loose and I wanted a "doggie vacation". I was on a search for a home, near a body of water and with at least 1 acre of land that our pups can roam free on. Turns out that a lot of homes up in Russian River don't allow dogs inside the homes or have a "small dogs only" policy. (What? A larger dog really makes a larger mess than a small dog??) Anyways, found this place! YAY! We just spent an amazing week here. The house was cozy (2 bedrooms, 1 loft and 1 bathroom) but it worked for us. Lots of steps to get down to the deck and to the yard... great exercise! The fenced-in yard was HUGE! It was pure doggie heaven. The dogs were overjoyed and had an amazing time. That's what counts. There's a dock, kayaks and a canoe. There's two islands in the river... both accessible from the dock. The island directly in front of the property is smaller, mainly just a mountain of pebbles and rocks, and the ducks like to sunbathe there (hence... watch for the duck poop!). The island to the left of the property is way larger with trees and bushes. You could play hide and seek... or do the "naughty" and no one would see you! Kayakers like to dock here and enjoy the island for a few hours. Back to the house: there's a spa on the top deck, and the bathroom had a sliding door that lead to the deck (great idea as it was easy to get rinsed in the shower without dripping throughout the entire house). The house was very clean (especially for being dog friendly). We've stayed at dog friendly hotels, B&B's, etc... and would sometimes find dog hairs on the bedsheets (eww). Ralph's pet policy is that you bring bedsheets to cover the beds and couches so that dog hairs don't get on them. This was a great policy to have as I'm a germaphobe and would hate to find other dogs' hairs on my bedsheets. It was even clean under the bed as well! No dust bunnies, human hair or dog hair! This is great since one might even find human hair and dust bunnies under the bed in hotels! He really keeps his place clean..., huge plus! The kitchen was fully loaded with pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, knives, utensils, etc. There are board games & puzzles, as well as cable TV and internet. The property is very quiet, serene and relaxing. We would most definitely return and cannot wait!

Owner response:Thank you Beverly for your uplifting review. The purpose of my riverfront vacation rental dream is to create a place where guest's can relax in a safe, clean and peaceful environment. Your kind words are very much appreciated. RB

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Treefrog Riverhouse = AWESOME!

Guest: Sheila S. (Bay Area, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/20/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

Hi Ralph, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for providing such a wonderful vacation retreat! We had a great time: canoeing, kayaking, fishing, BBQing and lounging, lounging lounging!! Everything was great and we are already looking forward to our next visit. Thanks again! Sheila

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Thanks again

Guest: NYNancy (NY)
Date of Stay: 05/09/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

Hey Ralph! We are back in NY and I just wanted to say thank you. Your house is lovely and it was the perfect place for us to relax for a few days. You thought of everything. It is comfortable, so nicely decorated and has all the comforts one could possibly want. We also enjoyed your beautiful artwork. For the record, Joe the local cat was a purfect gentleman and visited us daily but remained outdoors! Thanks, Nancy

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Guest: Patti 3 (Danville, Ca)
Date of Stay: 08/23/09 Review Submitted: 08/23/09

A wonderful place to stay! So peaceful, with kayaks and canoe provided, right on the river. We will be back next year! THANKS!

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Guest: Jim44 (California)
Date of Stay: 02/21/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/09

We had a wonderful rainy Valentine's weekend at treefrog, which is exactly what we were looking for. The town of Monte Rio is just our pace, went out to Jenner and even Fort Ross. Thanks again!

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Guest: Vivian6 (Australia)
Date of Stay: 02/21/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/09

We had a great time at the treefrogs house, very peaceful and private. The kids had fun all day in the river and the hot tub's great too. Cheers Mate...

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