Vacation Rentals by Owner

Apartment In the Hills

Guest: Ed (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 02/24/12

My wife and I spent the month of January at this apartment in Berkeley. It definitely enhanced our stay in the area. Accomodations are very good and the owner is very helpful and gracious. The windows offer a great view of the bay and the veranda has the view as well a good spot to have lunch. The apartment is also well located near two shopping areas and close to Starbucks and a great bakery. And, if you want exercise, turn left out of the building and head up. Heart rate increases in minutes. We have family in the area and plan to stay here on future visits if it is available. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to stay in the Berkeley area.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Christmas and New Years

Guest: Jackson (Edmonds)
Date of Stay: 12/17/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

What a wonderful spot with the most charming hosts. Our kids live in Albany, nearby, so the location was just what we needed. It is also close to a number of charming Solano Street restaurants in Albany as well as many Berkeley favorites. The apartment is comfortable and beautifully decorated with a super view of the bay. Quiet and peaceful, it was perfect for the two of us. The neighborhood is very nice and a great place for a morning walk with the extra benefit of hills and some relatively flat areas. We were there over two weeks and will undoubtedly make plans to stay again.

Owner response:Dear Guests- My wife and I are delighted that you were pleased with your accommodations. We look forward to your return in a near future. Kirk

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

FABULOUS STAY IN BERKELEY

Guest: TRAVELER FROM MIAM FL (MIAMI FL)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/14/11

MY WIFE AND I STAYED 4 NIGHTS AT THIS LOVELY APT FOR OUR FIRST VISIT TO BERKELEY CA. THE APT WAS PERFECT AND HAD EVERYTHING YOU WOULD NEED TO HAVE IN YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME. THE LOCATION WAS GREAT VERY CLOSE TO SHOPPING ,RESTAURANTS, FOOD STORES, AND THE BART TO SAN FRAN.. THE OWNER KIRK WAS A REAL PLEASURE TO WORK WITH. THERE WAS A BOTTLE OF WINE AND PASTRIES ON THE TABLE WHEN WE ARRIVED WHAT A NICE TOUCH !!! THANK YOU

Owner response:Harvey- It was a pleasure meeting you your wife. Also thank you for the constructive comments from both of you just before you left. one request has already been taken care of. The enclosure for washer and dryer is being planned also.

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

Quiet Luxury with all the Amenities of Home and More.

Guest: Diane (New Hampshire)
Date of Stay: 11/13/11 Review Submitted: 12/02/11

My business partner and I had the good fortune to stay at this lovely apartment for 3 days. We were in town for work, which had us busy all day and it was such a delight to go back to this tranquil place, as it was not a box-like, sterile hotel environment but more like a vacation retreat outfitted with luxuriously comfortable amenities. The wireless was excellent and the HD flat screen television had all the major channels. The location was convenient to the "gourmet ghetto" with great shops and interesting eating establishments. The owners are very gracious but not interruptive. I would say that the apartment with one master bedroom is more conducive to a couple or a couple with children/teenagers versus 2 professionals since one of us had to sleep either on the air mattress or on the sofa bed in the living room. But we much preferred this wonderful place than a hotel.

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

Fantastic Apartment!

Guest: Barbara Jorrisch (-)
Date of Stay: 09/28/11 Review Submitted: 10/11/11

This rental apartment has EVERYTHING you could possibly want or need in a rental. It is immaculately clean, quiet and comfortable. It's a first-class apartment in all ways. The hosts are available if you need them, but your privacy is complete. We highly recommend this lovely place for a year-round vacation in the beautiful hills of Berkeley, and just a short ride to San Francisco.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful Place!!

Guest: lulu (orange county, ca)
Date of Stay: 07/21/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

We thoroughly enjoyed staying here. The place is recently remodeled, and extremely clean. It is located in the hills of Berkeley, in the best neighborhood across the street from a park. We had 2 adults and 2 teenage girls, and this apartment worked fine for us. There is room for a queen size air mattress in the bonus room..or there is also a sofa bed available. There is also an extra half bath in the bonus room that was very convenient. The patio is very big, and private. We BBQ'd a couple nights during our stay.. enjoyed the patio very much. This place is definetly worth the price. UC Berkeley is a 5 min. drive.. San Francisco is a quick 15-20 min trip across the bridge, and Sonoma/Napa is about a 35-40 min drive. Would recommend to anyone looking to stay in the Berkeley area

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful place!

Guest: Thomas&Linda (Vienna, Austria)
Date of Stay: 07/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/27/11

Elegant apartment in a beautiful, quiet and very green neighborhood of North Berkeley, with a view of the San Francisco bay and Golden Gate bridge. With luck, you can watch deer cross the street, and hear a rooster crow (not until 10:30 a.m., fortunately). Solano Ave with its nice shops (La Farine bakery; Pegasus books!) and restaurants (Rivoli) is within 15 minutes' walking distance, the Berkeley "gourmet ghetto" on Shattuck Ave can be reached in a 10-minute drive, the freeway (I-80/580) is a (leisurely) 15-minute drive. (Moreover, there is Lalime's on Gilman St: fantastic French-Mediterranean cuisine at decent prices, just a 10-minute drive away!) The apartment is squeaky clean and well-kept, fully equipped and has all amenities necessary for even a longer stay (in our case, a whole month). Certainly worth its money, especially compared to hotels in the Bay area. The hosts are charming and generous (on entering the apartment, we found on the table cheese and wine and lots of pastries for breakfast next morning!), extremely helpful and cooperative (we arrived at 8 p.m. - no problem!), at the same time respecting their guests' privacy. We really felt relaxed and comfortable throughout our stay and will certainly come back at some time! (It's been my 20th visit to the Berkeley/Oakland area since 1979 and this is certainly one of the top two places on my personal list of private accommodations)

Recommended for:Age 55+, sightseeing.

Great Place

Guest: Stephanie and Bill1 (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 06/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/23/11

We stayed in this lovely apartment for 4 nights. The place is well represented in the photos and is very comfortable. Kirk and Jaleh are kind hosts. They treated us on the first morning with some nice pastries, french bread, and delicious cheese. We were also welcomed with a bottle of wine. The place is immaculately clean. We were faced with unexpected challenges while there. It rained more than it had in 100 years, and we both had terrible coughs. It was a very nice place to stay given all of this, and we hope to return another time when we feel good and take more advantage of the beautiful neighborhood. I would happily recommend the apartment to friends.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

The Best of Berkeley

Guest: Nate (Dallas, Texas)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/11/11

My husband and I stayed at this property and it was more than we had expected. The listing description and photos were accurate but how can you describe the views and the exceptional host and hostess? The hosts gave us maps, books and so much information that made our stay so much fun. We could walk to parks, shopping and restaurants and the walks were beautiful through the best neighborhood in Berkeley. The property is so well maintained and clean, clean, clean. There was nothing that we lacked. Robes were provided and a delightful bottle of wine was waiting for us. I hestitated to write the review because I want to go back again and again and fear this great property will not be available. We have visited Berkeley many times and after this stay I refuse to stay anywhere else. This is a gem of a property!!!!!

Owner response:Dear Cathie and Jim- My wife and I really enjoyed meeting you and hosting you. Your comments are very gracious and you were the friendliest couple we have had here. Also We could not stop laughing because you were worried that the apartment may not be available when you want to pay a second visit to us! We will do all we can to accommodate you. We feel we have two great friends now. Kirk and Jaleh

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Extraordinary apartment

Guest: Maureen (Georgetown, Texas)
Date of Stay: 03/13/11 Review Submitted: 03/20/11

My family and I stayed with Kirk and Jaleh in March 2011. This apartment is lovely! It appears to be brand new, and decorated with great attention to detail. They spared no expense in creating a wonderful space. There is a terrific view of San Francisco Bay from the apartment and balcony and its location in the hills is convenient to everything. In addition, they are wonderful, thoughtful hosts who frequently check to make sure you have everything you need. We look forward to staying with them every year when we visit our son at UC-Berkeley (which is approximatley 10 minutes away).

Owner response:Thank you for the gracious comments. We are pleased that you enjoyed the apartment and my wife and I look forward to visiting with you and hosting you again.

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

lovely apartment

Guest: em (nyc)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/18/10

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed staying in this beautifully appointed home: immaculately maintained, luxuriously furnished and outfitted with everything you could possibly need for a visit. The location in the Berkeley hills has a great view from the deck -- of the Bay and the city. It is close to a nice park and to innumerable hikes and sight seeing opportunities. Our hosts could not have been more welcoming and helpful to us. We hope to return another time!

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

Our Best July

Guest: Dick and Marty (Palm Desert, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

Dear Kirk and Jaleh, We have had a wonderful month here in the Bay Area, visiting our family and sight-seeing. We loved the cool weather and it was so nice to come back to this lovely apartment at the end of the day. You have designed a wonderful living space and we were so comfortable. We had everything we needed. What was especially nice was having the half bath! Thanks for being such gracious hosts. We appreciate all the things you did to make us feel welcome. We already miss being here - it's 115 degree heat here in the Palm Springs area with a blazing sun. Fondly, Dick and Marty

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Sparkling Perfection

Guest: Sparkling Perfection (Burlington, VT)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

The large flat has everything one could possibly want or need. Every detail is perfect nothing has been overlooked. My husband and I traveled to see our daughter who is in grad school at Berkeley. We made day trips to the outlying areas, which were easily accessible. The property is better than the photographs. Kirk and Jaleh were extremely gracious, and have made a great home a way from home. This is the BEST "VRBO" home I have ever rented. You will love the location and the accessibility to the attractions in this part of California.

Owner response:Thank you so much for the kind words. You both were superb guests. We look forward to hosting you again in the future!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Annetteds (Redondo Beach, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/10/09 Review Submitted: 11/10/09

This vacation rental is beautifully decorated with every modern convenience. It has a full size refrigerator/freezer, gas oven/stove plus all of the utensils, pots/pans/baking pans that you need to prepare a gourmet meal, plus plates, serving dishes and wine glasses to serve it elegantly. This vacation rental even has the convenience of high-speed internet, which can be very important if you need to stay in touch with clients. It is so wonderfully quiet in Berkeley Hills -- truly peaceful and yet close to the action in Berkeley. Kirk and Jaleh are warm and wonderful hosts -- we truly enjoyed their company and they made us feel so welcome. One of our favorite activities in the evening was drinking a glass of California wine and watching the sun set from the balcony. We can't wait to return next year!

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Guest: Tori barr (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/21/09 Review Submitted: 10/21/09

This was a wonderful stay. Not really an apartment..more like a home. We have 2 teenage boys who enjoyed the living room and pullout coach. The bedroom was so comfortable. Everything we needed was available. Wonderful hosts and wonderful stay..we will be back! Thank You from the Barr Family

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Guest: Gaubert Stephane (Paris, France)
Date of Stay: 10/19/09 Review Submitted: 10/19/09

My partner and I stayed for one month with our two children (6 months and 9 years old) in Aug.-Sep. Staying here was a charming experience. Kirk and his wife Jaleh have been extremely kind and warm hosts. They were very helpful, always giving good advices (about food, shopping, sightseeing...) and making sure our sejourn was perfect. It was like staying in our family, although the privacy of the flat is complete (it is well separated from the rest of the house). The flat is arranged with extreme care, everything being new and beautiful, almost a luxury. The kitchen is very convenient (all the ustensils we needed were there). Having two children, the washing machine and the dryer (in a separated room attached to the flat so that you do not hear the noise) were specially useful. There is a large convenient dressing room (with linen, enough space to put luggage or clothes...) and several cupboards, so we could quickly put everything in order and feel like at home. We put the baby in a mini-crib in our bedroom, and our daughter slept on the convertible bed in the living room. There is a phone, and a fast internet (on a wire) with a desk which is convenient to work. In our opinion, this is an excellent place both for short term and mid term stays. We came to work at MSRI (Maths Research Institute, on the hill above the University), the location of the flat was very convenient (10 minutes drive), and it is also very convenient (same time) to go to the city center or to the University campus. The area of the flat is very nice (with a beautiful view on the San Francisco bay from the balcony and from the window, which is oriented to the west, and so particularly pleasant the evenings), and there is a garden nearby. There is much space to park the car (freely) in front of the house. In addition, there are excellent shops in the neighborhood, the restaurants of the gourmet ghetto are at five minutes drive, and there are excellent organic vegetables or good fish shops at the same distance. This is one of the most delightful experiences we ever had, both due to the place and to Kirk and Jaleh, and we recommend this renting in the highest terms.

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Guest: Ava4 (Santa Monica, CA)
Date of Stay: 07/01/09 Review Submitted: 07/01/09

My boyfriend and I stayed here for 9 nights in June 2009, and had a fantastic time! Kirk and his wife are very gracious, friendly, and welcoming hosts, and did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. It is a very spacious and sunny unit, and everything feels clean and new. The appliances in the kitchen are all new and great to cook with. There's a huge spice rack, with everything from dried basil to paprika. The bathroom is large and there is nice pressure in the shower. The bed in the bedroom is very luxurious, with nice sheets and lots of beautiful pillows. I particularly liked the walk-in closet and the standing dresser, because there was tons of room to store our clothes. There is also a fax machine, a phone, and fast internet, so you'll be set to communicate with the outside world. There's a washer, dryer, and iron, too. Perhaps best of all, the views out of the windows in the bedroom and the living room are absolutely STUNNING - you can see the San Francisco Bay and watch the sun set through the trees. The photos of the view on this site don't do it justice - you have to see it in person to believe it! We loved it here, so hopefully you will too! We'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

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