Paradise Close to Home

Guest: rubino003 (Houston)
Date of Stay: 10/02/09 Review Submitted: 01/05/10

My friends and I stayed in Bruce's house during ACL weekend. It was amazing. The house is absolutely gorgeous. We spent the first couple of hours going from room to room in awe. Every detail is well designed, from the fountains in the pool to the steam room in the upstairs bath to the hot tub on the roof. WOW! We spent the weekend relaxing in the open-air living room, eating nice meals we cooked in the well-equipped kitchen, and lounging in the hot tub. It was such a great weekend, and we all felt as though we were far away from home. What a treat!!!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Breath Taking

Guest: Matty (Dallas Area)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

We stayed at this palace for a UT football weekend and the house was more than we anticipated. There are few views in central Texas better than this. We stayed in November so we didn't think we would be using the pool, only the hot tub, but in hind sight we wished we would have taken Bruce up on heating the pool for a nominal fee. We will be back in the summer and will certainly utilize the pool then. Everything about the house was immaculate with such stunning decor. The master bedroom was amazing and there is plenty of room for a work outing or family gathering. Minutes from the lake and minutes from restaurants (Oasis, Iguana grill) and shopping (Galleria at 620 and 71). The 25 minute drive to the UT campus was well worth it and for us was preferrable compared to hotel prices and hassle downtown. I would certainly recommend this property to family and friends and will be booking a summer trip here soon with both. Thanks Bruce!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Beyond amazing

Guest: Rose (Sugar Land)
Date of Stay: 11/16/11 Review Submitted: 11/22/11

This house rocks! Not only it has everything one would want for a vacation house... it came with the best owner too. Bruce made it possible for us to feel right at home and everybody in our party felt the same way too. He was very accomodating. No one wanted to leave. I'm sure we will be coming back and hopefully we would be doing more of a real vacation to enjoy the facility as opposed to running around due to the event which brought us there.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Family Reunion

Guest: Michelle R.
Date of Stay: 10/14/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

Beautiful lake front home with plenty of beds and space for our family reunion. The kids had a great time in the pool, jacuzzi and canoeing on the lake. The elevator was very convenient for our aging grandmother. Great view of sunrise and sunset. Everyone had a great time and Bruce was very accommodating and helpful. I would highly recommend this place, well worth our money.

Recommended for:

2 thumbs up

Guest: Mike (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

The view, infiniti pool, & rooftop hot-tub are guaranteed to make your stay amazing. The house is finished out very well & has everything you could ask for. It's great for a group getaway. Definitely staying here again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Amazing property, outstanding value, great owner

Guest: Alan (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 10/14/10 Review Submitted: 10/23/10

Pictures do not do this property justice. This is an amazing rental and a fabulous location for a family get-together. Bruce, the ower, was very helpful and went out of his was to respond to questions and give us advice on a caterer for a family dinner. The house is gorgeous and well maintained. The amenities just go on and on. I would definitely go back to this property. My son and I had a great time taking out the canoe on the lake. My family also hired Bruce's boat for a few hours tour of Lake Travis and couldn't have asked for a better experience.

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

Beautiful Home

Guest: c&m (Dallas)
Date of Stay: 08/05/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

This was our 2nd time renting this gorgeous house. The house is beautifully designed with breathtaking views of Lake Austin & the Dam. The rooftop hot tub, gorgeous pool w/grill, well equipped kitchen, and access to the lake & canoe make it a lovely weekend getaway for a group of people.

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

Amazing Home

Guest: Lisa (Azle, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/09/10

Bruce has gone above and beyond with this home, the architecture and materials are just fabulous! Everyone in our group had wonderful beds, bedding and baths. The kitchen is so well equipped that you can bring in your food and feel like you are cooking at home - even a coffee grinder! I would highly recommend this place for a family gathering, a book club trip or 5 or 6 couples! It's just wonderful. The pool is on the second level overlooking the cliff but is fenced off and perfectly safe, we had a 3 and 6 year old and they were just fine. Walking the neighborhood with all the hills gives you a built in gym (what a workout!). We are already planning our next trip back! Thanks Bruce!

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

Great for girlfriends get-a-way

Guest: shirlgirl (Dallas)
Date of Stay: 06/09/10 Review Submitted: 06/24/10

With out a doubt the best VRBO experience I have had out of 5+. The view is spectacular, the home is luxurious, and the owner is extremely accomodating. 11 of us--women in our late 60's who went to junior/senior high together and do this every year--were very comfortable. We loved the pool and spent most of our time on the patio. Great inet connection. Easy access to Lake Travis for an outstanding boat charter, with the owner as the captain, in a 26 foot beauty of a boat. Great water for swimming. Just wish we could have stayed longer.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

An Interesting Experience!

Guest: FlyerMarine (Burke, VA)
Date of Stay: 04/21/10 Review Submitted: 05/29/10

In April, my family and I rented this property for 4 days to attend my son’s wedding. Within a short time after signing the rental agreement, the property owner followed with an egregious addendum to the contract that violated and eliminated renter’s rights, and gave the owner sole discretion to evict the renter at a moment’s notice, at any time without refunding rental payment or security deposit. The owner claimed bad experiences with previous renters required him to do so. I refused to sign the addendum and encouraged him to seek an attorney’s advice on Texas rental law to explain how to properly structure a lawful rental agreement, and why forcing a unilateral addendum to an already signed agreement was not binding and enforceable. After a late check-in the first night, we found no hot bathroom or shower water to the 3 bedrooms on the first floor, a terrible inconvenience for family members who wanted to wash-up or shower before retiring after a long trip, and upon awakening early the next morning. This was a major maintenance problem that the owner of a properly maintained house should have resolved prior to occupancy. Also, a convenient second key to the premises that the owner provided did not work in the lock. However, the most annoying issue was that the property, situated on a lake, has an infestation of bugs that swarm by the thousands, especially at night. Thousands of bugs cling to the exterior of the windows and doors each night. The owner has not provided screens for doors that are used to enter the house, the pool, or the balcony. As a result, many bugs fly into the house along with the occupants as they use the doors to enter or exit. At the end of the rental period, once the occupants depart, the owner deems it his prerogative to deduct a substantial portion of the security deposit to fumigate the house.

Owner response:If renters would have notified us of the hot water problem, we could have handled it that first evening. We didn't learn about it until after they left!! We have a very sophisticated solar system with backup On Demand hot water system, which is one of the best and most efficient. As for bugs, we can't control mother nature, but we definitely warned renters about the presence of these bugs and asked them not to leave doors or windows open at night. We only deducted a small amount to fumigate bugs and refunded balance.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.