Vacation Rentals by Owner

Ocean Front Home - Between Big Sur & Carmel-by-the-Sea [#248786] | View Property

Big Sur
House, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths (Sleeps 6)
$192 - $732 per night (USD)
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Traveler Reviews (16)

• Girls "Camping" Trip

  Girls "Camping" Trip

  • Guest Frannie
  • Date of stay 02/27/13
  • Review Submitted 03/22/13
  My friends and I decided to get together to do a girls "camping" trip without really having to camp, and decided Big Sur was the place to go. We were not dissapointed!! The views from every room in the house gave us all the beauty of being outdoors without having to actually go outside! The views were absolutely amazing and perfect for our outdoorsy themed girls weekend. When we arrived at the house there was a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers and a jar of cookie mix waiting for us in the kitchen. What a treat!! We were able to enjoy the cheese and wine in the living room sitting in front of a huge window and enjoying the perfect sunset. A great house to get together for a relaxing retreat to get away from it all and still be comfortable in an amazing house. Will be coming back for sure!!

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Started a tradition

  Started a tradition

  • Guest Myron
  • Date of stay 02/07/13
  • Review Submitted 03/22/13
  I surprised my wife for her birthday by taking her to Big Sur. I had mentioned that it was her birthday to Elite Carmel when I was making the reservation and was touched when we got to the house and found a bottle of champagne, a birthday balloon and a handwritten birthday card! My wife and I were amazed at the gorgeous views from the house and we didn't leave during our entire stay. I definately did a great job picking this house and will now be returning every year for my wife's birthday.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Stunning views from practically every room!!

  Stunning views from practically every room!!

  • Guest Vickie
  • Date of stay 01/03/13
  • Review Submitted 03/22/13
  The pictures do not do justice for the fantastic views from nearly every single window in this house! My husband and I got to the house and left our bags in the car for hours because we were just in awe of the scenery. The house was in great condition and very comfortable. It is a great place to go if you want to enjoy loved ones in beautiful surroundings. I will definately be coming back to this house!!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Beautiful views, great stay, small problems with the kitchen need to be addressed

  Beautiful views, great stay, small problems with the kitchen need to be addressed

  • Guest Trey
  • Date of stay 12/23/12
  • Review Submitted 12/27/12
  I don't mean to sound like I wouldn't recommend this place, because I absolutely would. However, a few minor fixes to this place and it would be perfect. I'm writing this in hopes that they fix these issues for future visits. This place is gorgeous with views everywhere. It's everything you expect from a Big Sur house but there are some significant shortcomings with the kitchen that negatively impacted our stay. The first and most important was the refrigerator. To save energy, they turn off the fridge between rentals. There are actually two very small gas/electric refrigerators side-by-side. We turned them both on but only the left side worked at all. The right side was completely non-functioning. The freezer in the left quickly made slush of the melted water that already existed in the freezer. We took this to mean that the fridge also worked. After noticing that everything was getting warmer, we cranked up the fridge to MAX to see if that would work. The freezer doubled down but the fridge never worked. We eventually decided the "I think it's working- there's ice in the freezer" and then went on a day trip and forgot it. When we got back to the cabin many hours later, it was obvious that it did not work. As a result, we lost some food to spoilage. Had we known about this, we would've kept everything in the cooler and brought more ice. The second kitchen related problem is the sink has no water pressure at all. The rest of the house has ample water pressure, but the kitchen sink barely spits on your dishes. As a result, everything is flavored with a hint dish soap. One more small complaint- the instructions for finding the lock box with the key are misleading. We arrived in the pouring rain and dimming light. The instructions said the utility closest was 5 feet from the door. The problem is the utility closet door looks exactly like the siding to the house, has no handle or visible hinges and it's easily more than 10 feet from the door. Between the bad light, the incognito closet, and the poor instructions it took us a long time to find the lock box. The road to the house is a little harrowing at first, but after you've done it once it's no big deal at all.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• House in wonderful spot but needs new managment company- Elite Carmel not so elite...

  House in wonderful spot but needs new managment company- Elite Carmel not so elite...

  • Guest lionel+jean
  • Date of stay 11/05/12
  • Review Submitted 12/26/12
  I would like to say that I always am very positive and enjoy my time traveling and make the best of wherever we find ourselves. This was not the case in our recent visit at this property. We arrived and the place was a total disaster with all rooms being quite dirty and especially the kitchen and bath areas with food on the counters and hair in the tub- not a pretty sight after traveling for over 10 hours! My wife and I started cleaning and finally the maid came and said that Elite Carmel management had not even booked her for the day!!! To further issues we were not told ANYTHING of the scheduled construction on our visit and it made going into Carmel for dinner almost impossible. We had an 8:30 pm curfew every night as Highway 1 was shut down from 9pm to 7 am every day!! I found this out the hard way when my wife and parents tried to go through and were turned back to get a hotel in Carmel as the detour is 5 hours around!!! I called and politely but firmly complained about the property and the road closure and also asked for help with the internet. I was promised a call back that day and didn’t hear from Elite Carmel Management for over 21 days !!!!! Elite Carmel Management has failed miserably with this one and I was only emailed after disputing the charge as NOT ONE PERSON every email or called back… I have read many negative reviews about Elite Carmel Management on VBRO and even Google searches and I am planning on contacting the BBB and California Tourism Board as I have NEVER been treated like this in my entire life. Truly unacceptable… and either Elite Carmel is so inept on carrying on business or giving any customer service or they are too stuck up and simply feel they have the right to disregard clients. I encourage the owner of the property to call or email me as I would love to tell him the real story that went on here. If I was the owner of this property I would be fuming mad about how my guests were treated. The house is in an amazing spot but the management team is just useless… Maybe Elite Carmel Management should be renamed – Substandard Carmel Management??

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 11/11

• Dirty upon arrival

  Dirty upon arrival

  • Guest A guest from San Angelo
  • Date of stay 08/16/12
  • Review Submitted 06/17/13
  Rating Details: I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. I was more than happy with the location. The vacation rental was very dirty. The property manager was very helpful. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We arrived at the rental property late evening and found dirty bedding on the floor with no sheets that fit the bed in the master bedroom. Dirty dishes were in the kitchen in the sink and counters. No toiletries available in the bathroom. Upon calling and texting the company, they first offered another rental property further north. Of course it was too late in the evening to pack the car and find another location, so she offered to compensate us by not charging us for that night and having the cleaning crew out the next morning. We had to leave once they finally arrived so that they could clean. The second night was lovely with a cleaner house and available necessities. The staff was highly professional and quick to respond. Had the cleaning crew had the house prepared for our arrival, we would have had a better experience. It should be noted that there is a loose metal material on the roof of he house that needs repair. It banged all night. Its a shame that such a lovely property was not cared for as it is a beautiful location. But the stay was certainly ruined by the poor maintenance of the property.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Joan

  Joan

  • Guest Joan
  • Date of stay 07/09/12
  • Review Submitted 07/16/12
  Lacked light bulbs in some fixtures. Many spiders. No internet, no cell service, no tv reception. Lacked comfort, very sterile. Hard to enjoy the outside, very windy and foggy. We would not recommend.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/8

• Mother's Day Memories

  Mother's Day Memories

  • Guest Big Sur Fan
  • Date of stay 05/10/12
  • Review Submitted 05/22/12
  Big Sur was on my mother's bucket list so my husband and I decided to take her this year for Mother's Day. We feel so fortunate to have found this property to be our home base. First, 5 days here just flew by. Who could ever get enough of the views! Mom will have lasting memories of this vacation largely due to where we slept each night. The location between Big Sur and Monterrey is fabulous. The grocery store is only about 15 minutes away and in the same center there is a fresh seafood shop where I purchased the best fish I have every prepared (local sea bass). One day we even saw two different gray whale moms with their calves migrating northward very very close to shore. We drove to Watsonville and bought a row of wood so we had a nice warming fire in the beautiful stone fireplace each evening. It is an hour away but the scenery is nice and you can enjoy Castroville artichokes too. Thank you for sharing your peaceful, comfortable, oceanside oasis.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Incredible Views

  Incredible Views

  • Guest Holly
  • Date of stay 05/06/12
  • Review Submitted 05/23/12
  Thank you. My husband and I were immediately taken by the incredible ocean views from every room. Hearing the waves crashing and the sea lions bellowing was amazing. The internet was down and we had no television reception and so initially we went into technology withdrawal, but we ended up loving the solitude and didn't miss our technology. There was cell phone reception. The road down to the home was a bit thrilling as it is very steep with switchbacks but it was worth every single turn. We hope to have an opportunity to return to this wonderful property soon.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• No heat

  No heat

  • Guest Joe
  • Date of stay 11/23/11
  • Review Submitted 12/02/11
  No house heat available for 4 day stay. Poor customer support. Reported problem but received only promisses.

  Owner response: Immediately after being made aware of the heat issue, we dispatched our handyman who determined that the valve to the pilot light had been damaged. (It was working fine the previous rental and we had no prior knowledge that it was having a problem). When the handyman left he had set the valve in the on position and the pilot was lit and the heater blowing good heat.... which should have sufficed until the appliance repair shop was open on Monday. Once open the problem was fixed immediately. I do feel bad that this guest experienced a problem, but the issue has been resolved.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

• A perfect secluded ocean getaway!

  A perfect secluded ocean getaway!

  • Guest lionel+jean
  • Date of stay 11/07/11
  • Review Submitted 01/15/12
  My wife and I stayed at this adorable home for a week in Nov. The managment was excellent and the views, comforts, and everything about this home was stunning!! A great cozy cottage home with amazing views from every room. We had a great time and would love to rent from again! Everynight with the crashing waves and a warm fire in the fireplace made this a place to remember. Very very comfortable and one of the best views on the coast!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

  UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

  • Guest Patty
  • Date of stay 10/14/11
  • Review Submitted 10/30/11
  We pulled up, dropped our bags, walked outside and sat on the wall for an hour with our jaws dropped. Best view ever!!!! Made us feel like we were someone important. We had tickets to the Carmel Film and Art Festival……never went. You’ll want to stock up on food. You won’t want to leave.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Post Rental Follow-up

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Post Rental Follow-up

  • Guest Christine
  • Date of stay 08/20/11
  • Review Submitted 09/03/11
  I just wanted to tell you that we had a wonderful stay at your Big Sur house, it really exceeded our expectations. The views are phenomenal and the house was very comfortable and nicely decorated. The rearrangement of the furniture in the living room ensured the five of us were all comfortable (the pictures only showed a futon sofa in the living room). ....... the place was magical. The surf, the sea lions, otters, dolphins and hummingbirds and a comfy home. We loved it, including the scary steep drive down to the house in our mini van.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• :-)

  :-)

  • Guest Doc Allen
  • Date of stay 07/01/11
  • Review Submitted 07/11/11
  From the moment i walked in the door, I knew this was the right place. So peaceful and serene. Waht an experience.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

• BEST RENTAL EVER!!!

  BEST RENTAL EVER!!!

  • Guest Devon
  • Date of stay 06/16/11
  • Review Submitted 07/11/11
  Wife and I wanted a romantic getaway and this was perfect. Quiet, secluded, GORGEOUS views.... great house, excellent service... HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• Stunning House

  Stunning House

  • Guest oakland
  • Date of stay 12/31/10
  • Review Submitted 01/03/11
  We just rented this house for new years and had a truly wonderful weekend. The views from the house are breathtaking, and the house is very nicely furnished, with a lovely wood fireplace. Because of the location on the side of a cliff there's not a whole lot to do without driving away other than just eat, drink, and enjoy the view, but that is plenty of entertainment given the views. We were also there during a storm which was very dramatic. I would highly recommend this house.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/9