Vacation Rentals by Owner

It's A True Story, This is MOST IDEAL vacation rental!

Guest: Joe B. (Toledo, OH)
Date of Stay: 02/09/12 Review Submitted: 05/16/12

We are a group that travels a lot, and definitely have seen the good and bad when it comes to vacation homes and those that are managing them. This house truly met and exceeded our expectations. It was clean, warm as could be, had everything needed, and as some of the other reviews commented on, the owner was sweet and super easy to work with. He greeted us, walked through the hole house with us to show us how to use everything, and quickly left us in peace to enjoy a wonderfully relaxing weekend. The location of the home was also ideal in that it was super close to town but yet back behind in the hills enough to have a quiet, pleasant environment, with absolutely beautiful views to enjoy. In addition, all the beds were super comfy. HIghly Highly recommend this home!

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

Would Not Recommend - Part 1

Guest: Niki (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/27/12 Review Submitted: 03/09/12

We rented the house for a ladies weekend.A nice spacious house to get a group of people together under 1 roof but I would not go back.The general feel was the house was mis-represented.It is NOT the “5 Star Ultimate” luxury property “offering every amenity that a 5 star hotel has to offer";No 5 star hotel would have so many little things wrong, missing & not working/needing repair.On the surface & by the pix,it seems a luxurious house;in reality,things are on the decline & not well maintained.Upon arrival,Bobi,the mom met us @ the door & gave us a tour.I was disappointed Robert the son was not there b/c he was who I had dealt with all along.The tour was punctuated by detailed descriptions of why we could not use certain things;really just felt like she was trying to justify why things were broken.Some of these instructions were: the griddle on the stove is broken,the grande exterior deck on the third floor has water damage & is not useable,the sauna/steam room is broken despite having emails only 1 week prior saying it all works.The hot-tub was empty,full of leaves/dirt,& in need of cleaning, despite having confirmation from Robert that everything was working.This was frustrating/disappointing b/c it was one of our main reasons for picking this venue.I told Bobi we felt like we had been lied to b/c we had been promised the hot-tub would be ready and useable.I was met with argument,excuses & literally playing on words: Bobi says “No we didn’t lie..the hot-tub works and is functional.” I told her functional means it is cleaned, filled with water & ready to use.Then came all the excuses & argument..I was told that it was not their fault,that we had already gotten a good deal on the house (so irrelevant to the issue @ that point)& that “nobody uses a hot-tub in winter”.She told us to contact Robert & deal with him,so we wasted time dealing with the unacceptable hot-tub situation.After initial excuses, he sent his father Vaseli over to get it ready.On the plus side,the hot-tub ready to use within 1 hour (it is a high efficiency heater, so heats up fast).We were told the heater would go off once the tub reached 104.Once it reaches 104,the temp starts to go down & b/c there are no controls tub-side,you have go down to a dark,cold,moldy control room in the bsmt to manually turn the heater back on.In the end,the heater always turned off before the temp ever reached 104 & the water ended up being more like 97.Such a pain to keep going up & down,we stopped using it.

Recommended for:

PERFECT RENTAL HOUSE FOR OUT OF TOWN WEDDING PARTY

Guest: Jenny (Miami, FL)
Date of Stay: 12/14/11 Review Submitted: 01/04/12

This was the perfect home for our family to share for our son's wedding. We came from Alaska and Florida to attend our son's wedding. We were very comfortable (8 adults and one child) and plenty of bedrooms, bathrooms, hanging out space for everyone. Great owner. He provided everything we required and was most accomadating in our requests. I would highly recommend this rental.

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

Amazing & Luxurious

Guest: Jenny (Kirkland, WA)
Date of Stay: 11/11/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/12

The 5 star reviews and the photos don't lie...this house is perfect in every way! Every detail is beautiful and comfortable. After a long, arduous search for a Seattle/Bellevue area rental, this house was by far the best choice in terms of size, location and style. I honestly have nothing but nice things to say about it. We were 3 couples and a dog and we had a fantastic vacation. The property is on a quiet street, great for walking. It's also near Lake Washington beach (a mile away). We felt like we were in a rural area, quiet suburb but we were less than 1 mile from the freeway and downtown Bellevue. My husband and I wanted to show my parents, sister and brother in law all the wonderful things Bellevue and Seattle have to offer, but we felt like we would have been happy just hanging out at the villa. The beds were all really comfortable, there are flat screen TVs in each room, and the kitchen had everything we needed to cook a few meals at home. My favorite thing was feeling the breeze in the evening while enjoying a glass of wine by the fireplace in the living room or out on the terrace. Beautiful sunset views too! Robert, the owner, is awesome and did a great job of making us feel welcome. The place was super clean, well stocked and he even left us coffee. The water is all filtered through the Subzero top of the line fridge. Don't think twice, this is the best choice out of all Western Washington rentals, trust me, and I say that because I spent countless hours researching and was not let down at all throughout our stay. My family is still raving about it and asking when we can return!

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

Absolutely the best! The house was a big part of a wonderful wedding celebration in Seattle!!!

Guest: Lidia (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 10/28/11

In October, we hosted 12 guests for our daughter's wedding week. And the rental was truly fabulous. Some of the highlights we enjoyed: - morning coffee on the deck - A LOT of privacy as the mansion is secluded from most neighbors - loved the high tech kitchen and professional coffee maker with enough utensils to feed our gang - every family could retreat to their own bedroom and have privacy yet join up in the spacious main floor area for conversation by the cozy fireplace or the long kitchen counter when they wished - kids enjoyed the movie theater room downstairs (very large screen & nice sound system!) - evening sleeps were peaceful & comfortable - laundry was so convenient! - ample closet space - even for wedding gowns and tuxedos! - street parking for our guests was not a problem which is unusual - we enjoyed bratwurst on the gas grill out in back - large dining table (it looks as though it belongs in the White House) with plenty of chairs was perfect - lighting and sound system made it very festive - Finally, our host/landlord was easy to reach and responsive to any and all questions & requests. It was such a wonderful experience we're going to do it again! We would recommend this property to anyone who would like to join family and friends together in a comfortable and elegant setting.

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

Excellent Property

Guest: Ron (San Antonio, TX)
Date of Stay: 09/26/11 Review Submitted: 09/28/11

This was a remarkable property and situated in a perfect location. The house is so lovely and well appoointed in every regard, full of charm and friendly luxury. The amenities are unbelievable!! You have privacy and but very easy access to activities. The nearest grocery is fabulous. The property was also perfect for my aging mother that was with us on the trip as there is a mother in law studio on the premises. Robert was an amazing host and attentive to every detail. You will be thrilled with this property, no hesitations.

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

Almost Heaven

Guest: Mary (Tucson, AZ)
Date of Stay: 09/08/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/12

My family of 6 adults stayed here for a long weekend. We had a wonderful time within this beautiful space. We were close to shopping, beach, wineries, great restaurants, and came back to this awesome Villa to rest, relax, play some pool and cards and watch movies in the theater room. It was perfect! The beds and linens were luxurious and the kitchen and outside grill were wonderful to cook in. I would recommend this property to friends for sure!

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

Highly Recommended!

Guest: Adrian (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/28/11

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our 5-night stay at the beautiful Bellevue area house. It was very easy to get to both downtown Bellevue and downtown Seattle and was actually cost-effective, especially when compared to the two nights we spent in a downtown Seattle hotel. We had the perfect amount of room for our family - my parents, me and my husband, and my sister's family of four including a preschooler and infant. The kitchen had wonderful top of the line appliances and we saved a lot by cooking at home several nights. The bathrooms were spotless and everything was in great condition. In addition, Robert was very responsive and helpful. I would highly recommend this house to anyone traveling with several people in their party, including young families (great steam washer/dryer and there's a nice fenced backyard to run around in).

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

Great, great birthday

Guest: Brian (Napa, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

Beautiful, tranquil, elegant, modern…your place is all of those things and more! Thank you so very much for opening your doors to us for Gina’s 35th birthday. This weekend will be in our memories as a fun home away-from-home experience thanks to you!...

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

Above our expectations

Guest: Sally & George (Woodinville, WA)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

Hi Robert, We loved our stay in your home – it more than met our expectations! You have done a wonderful job in all aspects. The interior is beautifully decorated and very comfortable – felt like we were staying in a Tuscan villa! All our needs were well met from a well-equipped kitchen, to comfortable and attractive furniture/beds with flat screen TVs in each room, to lush towels and linens! The exterior is equally appealing. And, as the saying goes – location, location, location. The home couldn’t be better situated! Obviously from the above, we would love to come again. We, of course, had some good dining outings too. Thank your for allowing us to stay in your truly lovely retreat.

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

Amazing wedding place

Guest: Fred Goldman (Kirkland, WA)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 09/02/11

My wife and I held our wedding's reception at the European Villa this summer and I must say that was the best idea we've had! This mansion is immaculate! From the finishes, to the appliances and equipment and amenities it has to offer, our guests and us felt like we were at a celebrity's house. The owners were very welcoming and did everything possible to accommodate us the best they could. Take a tour of the property if you can, I've asked Robert to let me take a tour before I booked it, and you will see for yourself all that this property has to offer. My wedding guests still mention it now, weeks later, how much fun they've had and how we couldn't have picked a more perfect location for the wedding and celebration.

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

Another Lesson Learned in Reading the Fine Print: Not Worth the Money

Guest: Shelly G. (-)
Date of Stay: 07/17/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

Our family traveled from many locations to meet up in Seattle for a July wedding. We thought a large house with a pool would be a better option than many hotel rooms. The house was not available for all our required dates, so we stayed at nearby luxury hotel for the first part of our vacation. Upon checking in at The European Villa, we immediately wished we could go back to the hotel. The owner of the home greeted us at the door where she proceeded to tell us what we could/could not do at the home. No shoes allowed. Wear the booties provided. The beautiful rooftop terrace in the photos...do not go out there, there was a flood, it has not been repaired and it is dangerous. You can swim in the pool, but it is NOT heated and in Seattle where the temp was not above 75 in July - the water stayed in the 60s. Needless to say, our pool "parties" were cancelled. The hot tub needed to be turned on from a room in the basement and it may or may not have be maintained, it was hard to tell. Not worth chancing it. Do not use the griddle in the kitchen, it is broken. There is soap in every bathroom, but it is the same soap bars left from each previous guest. The basement smells of mildew. The beds are horribly uncomfortable. The linens are old. The garage cannot be used. After just a couple uses of the downstairs toilet on our first night, it plugged. Upon searching, we found no plunger anywhere in the house. We were surprised and disappointed to learn the owner kept $300 of our security deposit in order to have a plumber fix the problem. Yes, it was nice to have the family all under one roof, but if we had to do it again, we would choose the hotel.

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Very disappointing

Guest: Renters Beware (Tucson, AZ)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 11/12/11

Our group of 6 couples in our 50's had a similar experience with "Another Lesson Learned's" review submitted on 8/20/11. We felt some of the information describing the house was misleading. The "mother in law apartment" ended up to be a fold out couch with an air bed and very uncomfortable. All the bedrooms lacked side tables and lamps and the beds were horrible. The house was very dirty and we required it to be cleaned again after we arrived. Even after the 2nd cleaning there was still used soap and cobwebs in the bathroom and old worn towels and linens. The workout room in the basement consisted of an airbed and a cardboard runner and the entire basement smelled of mildew. The owner stated we must all wear booties in the house which was not stated in the contract The pool had not been maintained and was green and disgusting and the third level deck was unusable due to water damage. On the plus side, the house is roomy, the location was convenient. We did use the theater room one night and the owners were easy to reach and did try and resolve some of the issues. Overall though we were very disappointed. .

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WOW!

Guest: Amanda (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/23/10 Review Submitted: 12/27/10

We traveled here from California and New Jersey. Two seniors, two 40 year olds and two 15 year olds! This home is amazing. We felt like we're in a 5 star resort and it was as comfortable as our own home. Everything is exactly as described. Great location and very gracious and attentive hosts. Kitchen very well equipped. WiFi was a nice plus. Extremely clean overall. We enjoyed our stay very much and look forward to returning.

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

Prom

Guest: Justin (Sammamish, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/04/10 Review Submitted: 06/17/10

Robert was kind enough to allow my Prom group to hold our prom at his Mansion. This was the best time we ever had, and couldn't be happier with the place. We all felt as though we were in a celebrity's house, or in something that was on the MTV Cribs show! I would recommend this to any group type, at any age range!

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

10 Year College Reunion

Guest: Jennifer (Bremerton, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/17/10

My girlfriends and I rented this home for our 10 year ASU reunion two weeks ago and we had the most fabulous time. The pictures shown on here don't do this villa justice. In person, this property is truly a mansion, offering almost any amenity one can think of. We spent a week there, and we would usually lay out by the pool during the days, get in the hot tub in the evenings and then watch a movie in the home theater room at night. The location is amazing, it really is 2 minutes away from downtown Bellevue and only about 10 minutes away from downtown Seattle, so it's very convenient to go out in the city, while still enjoying the quiet suburb feel. We had a great time, in fact we all hope that the European Villa will still be available in 5 years so we can do another reunion here. Greatly recommended!!

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

Guest: Adrian (Los Angeles, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/08/09 Review Submitted: 09/07/09

This home is absolutely lovely. I rented it for a family get together for a week after having seen it on the VRBO site. The photos of the property looked better than any other comparable rental, and let me tell you that the place in person is even better than what the photographs depict. The luxury and appeal of this place is unmatched by any hotel or other vacation rental that I have ever stayed at, and I've been quite a few places around the world. The owners of the property are some of the nicest people, they were there to answer any questions me and my family had and just treated us with utmost respect. I would recommend this place to anyone that wants to have a retreat they won't easily forget. 5 STARS!!

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Guest: John Mann (Midwest)
Date of Stay: 08/22/09 Review Submitted: 08/22/09

Our entire family greatly enjoyed a mid August stay at this magnificent residence. Our group of five adult couples had plenty of room and all of us enjoyed the various amenities of this property. As well, our hosts made sure that our stay was a delightful experience, Robert, Bobbi and Vasili took turns checking with us to ensure that our holiday was enjoyable. The location is very convenient to Seattle and area attractions. Highly recommended!

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