Vacation Rentals by Owner

Shelly and Mac

Guest: Shelley (Oregon)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 11/02/11

The Vista de Oro is a magificent mansion that sits on a hill with an incredible view. Each room has a view and the villa is beatifully decorated. It was very clean, the beds are super comfy and the kitchen was well equipped. We had a great time and we were able to visit the beaches, Hollywood and Disneyland becasue the location is great. We want to come back!!!

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

Nebraska

Guest: Jack (Gibbon, Nebraska)
Date of Stay: 03/22/11 Review Submitted: 03/24/11

My family and I had a wonderful time at the "Vista de Oro". The villa is beautifully decorated and is very impressive. We visited Disneyland, Newport Beach and went to see the stars on Hollywood Blvd. What a great time we had. Julie, Ben and the staff we worked with at the villa were all so nice and made us feel at home. We really enjoyed the spa at night with the view of the city. We want to come back! The price is so low compared to a hotel and so much better. The house is huge but very comfy. We cannot wait to return!

Owner response:You were great guests. Would love to have you back anytime!

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

The Hensleys

Guest: PJ (Ocean Shores, WA)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/05/11

"Vista de Oro is a grand old gal. The photos are accurate. She gave us the best Christmas memory anyone could ask for. We rented it to house our whole family for Christmas. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm are close by, along with other fun attractions. The views are amazing as she sits atop a high hill. We watched the fire works from Disneyland every night. The house is old and has some issues but it was minor. Most cd’s and DVD’s are missing from their jackets probably due to sticky fingers from past guests. I give the house a 5 star, but I give the care of the house a 4 star. For instance, the Tuscany queen bedroom had filthy carpets and the dresser was candy sticky as were the knobs to the drawers and the carpet below. The cleaning crew could do a better job. I would have liked to have the use of a vacuum cleaner from time to time but could only find a tiny broom. I wanted to respect the house by keeping it clean everyday while we were there. The pool heater is broken so we couldn’t enjoy the pool. My advice is to rent her and enjoy her, but respect her. A great time was had by all, even the dogs loved it."

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

Best Christmas Ever!

Guest: Sheraine (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

My family and I just spent an incredible Christmas at Vista de Oro! This is the first Christmas we have ever travelled away from home and it left us wanting to plan our next Christmas away! The problem: It's going to be near impossible to equal this experience, much less beat it! When you start with the best, how can you possibly settle for anything less? The house is incredible. We felt like movie starts for a week, and my kids didn't even complain about leaving the majority of our presents at home to open after Christmas (a carefully calculated move to lure them back home, and it almost didn't work!). Not only WOULD I recommend this wonderful home to friends, I HAVE! Maybe I can work some magic and get one of them to invite me to tag along on their trip... Hahaha Thank you for sharing your home with us.

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

The Hensleys, Ocean Shores, WA.

Guest: PJ (Ocean Shores, WA)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/01/11

Vista de Oro is a grand old gal. The photos are accurate. She gave us the best Christmas memory anyone could ask for. We rented it to house our whole family for Christmas. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm are close by, along with other fun attractions. The views are amazing as she sits atop a high hill. We watched the fire works at Disneyland every night. The house is old and has some issues but it was minor. Most cd’s and DVD’s are missing from their jackets probably due to sticky fingers from past guests. I give the house a 5 star, but I give the care of the house a 4 star. For instance, the Tuscany queen bedroom had filthy carpets and the dresser was candy sticky as were the knobs to the drawers and the carpet below. The cleaning crew could do a better job. I would have liked to have the use of a vacuum cleaner from time to time but could only find a tiny broom. I wanted to respect the house by keeping it clean everyday while we were there. The pool heater is broken so we couldn’t enjoy the pool. It cost $ 50.00 a day extra to use the hot tub which seemed silly to me. That should be included in the price. My advice is to rent her and enjoy her, but respect her. Bring your own soaps. I think Hedda Hopper still resides there because we heard doors slamming from time to time. Once while we were all at the pool we heard a door slam and even saw the windows shake…..No one was in the house at the time. That was awesome. A great time was had by all, even the dogs loved it.

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

Cindy and the girls

Guest: Cindy (Huntington Beach)
Date of Stay: 11/12/10 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

We stayed at the villa for 3 nights as a women's retreat. It was our second time as we just love it! The villa, we call it "the mansion" is very unique. It has a great feel to it and the walls are the very thick old walls so it is quiet and you cannot hear people in other rooms. Even though most of us on the retreat only live within 50 miles of the villa, we felt like we are on a vacation in Tuscany due to its old world charm. We really like the outdoor kitchen, with the spa overlooking the city heats fast and is fabulous. The villa is immaculate and kept very well with beautiful furniture. I am so in love with it that I booked it for my daughter's wedding in September.

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

David and Kathy Wedding

Guest: Kat (Downey, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/05/10 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

I had my wedding at the Vista de Oro and the location was breath taking. The Villa is a Mansion that is exquisitely decorated, very impressive! The owners and the staff were wonderful to work with. We hired Niki, the recommended event coordinator and she is incredible. She took care of every detail and made me feel pampered and worry free. Our sunset wedding overlooking the city with a panoramic view along with dancing to the light show in the pool and the aroma of the beautiful flower arrangements made our Wedding so memorable. We couldn't ask for more!

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

Guest: Tim Reed (-)
Date of Stay: 02/04/10 Review Submitted: 02/04/10

Our stay at the “Vista de Oro” was absolutely incredible, definitely some of the best money I’ve ever spent. The house was so large it gave our families plenty of room to spread out. Carol was a great help in getting us everything we needed for our stay. Thanks for sharing your home with us!

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Guest: cristie wilson (bowling green, ky)
Date of Stay: 07/06/09 Review Submitted: 07/06/09

What a wonderful place to stay. We were in town for my son's wedding and the villa made the entire experience just that much better. Would definitely recommend to anyone wishing to escape the busyness of life. Truly a paradise!

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Guest: Farris (Springfield, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/24/09

This is not a home that you would normally find for rent. It is very private and secluded but not isolated, unique but not wierd. There is plenty of seating for dining and visiting and it has magnificent appointments throughout. I told the owner, Carol, a professional business woman, that she should be charging more for rent because I looked at many homes for rent for our extended family vacation and most of them were $800 and up per night or tract homes on small lots. This place is like living in one of the guest homes at Hearst Castle. It is perfect for two or three small families or one extended family. The gardens and grounds are extensive. I would stay here every opportunity I had.

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Guest: Michael (Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/22/09 Review Submitted: 06/22/09

The "villa" exceeded all of our expectations. The home became the headquarters for our family reunion and everyone loved it. The interior decorations/furnishings were great and the lush landscaping made us feel like we were in paradise. There is too much about the home to list everything we enjoyed; however, the pool/spa, BBQ, veranda, and exercise room were some of the many favorites. The pool table and game room were quite popular with the teenagers. The views of the city from the various patios and balconies were spectacular. Carol, Niki, Julie, Patty, and Mark were responsive to our needs, and provided us with everything we needed...and welcomed us with freshly cut flowers and even had freshly baked chocolate chip cookies available! We hope to visit the area again in the future, and we'll make sure our planning includes another stay at the "Vista de Oro." Anyone looking for a quiet (except for the howling coyotes that everyone loved hearing) and a place to relax after a long day at Disneyland...this is the place.

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