Stylish Cottage Retreat by the Sea in Carpinteria

• Loved it!

  Loved it!

  • Guest Adam M.
  • Date of stay 12/27/12
  • Review Submitted 01/08/13
  The Holly House is fantastic! Took my wife there for a surprise trip and she loved it. The cottage is beautiful, and stocked perfectly. The location is amazing....a couple of minutes to the beach, downtown, train station, etc. Having bikes there was also great. Can't wait to go back!

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

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• Well-appointed, tastefully decorated and cozy cottage

  Well-appointed, tastefully decorated and cozy cottage

  • Guest Daisy5879
  • Date of stay 12/22/12
  • Review Submitted 01/02/13
  My husband and I, my 11-month old son, and another couple stayed at this vacation rental over the holidays. The photos definitely represent how the house looks accurately. Even though the square footage isn't huge (the owner even warned us it might be tight for our party) we found it to be just fine. The house is very well-located - only a couple blocks from the beach in one direction and a couple of blocks to town in the other direction. Here are our pros and cons: Pros: -Owner is responsive and easy to communicate with. She provides lots of information about where to eat and what sights to check out. -Very well-appointed house. We really had everything we needed, and we even had some basic cooking supplies like sugar, oil, coffee filters and plastic wrap left from previous tenants. -Good location -Decorations were minimal, tasteful and not kitschy. This was important to us because we have an 11-month old and we didn't have to worry about him knocking over antiques. We moved a few items out of reach and then we could all enjoy the open space. -The heat worked quickly and well - when we arrived it was 48 degrees in the house and it warmed up rather fast. -Great showerhead! -Good storage helped us feel less cramped and there was less clutter - important when you have a lot of baby gear. -The house had a great layout and was open and welcoming. Con: -The owner asks that you housekeep before departure. There is a list, and the owner requests that you sweep, vacuum, remove hair and soap from shower, wipe down counters, wash and put away all dishes, and strip beds of sheets/fold blankets. Usually I would be fine with this except that I had to pay a pricey cleaning fee prior to arrival! Besides do a load of laundry, I'm not sure the cleaning crew had very much to do after we left. If I had known I would be required to do my own housekeeping, I would have had issue with the cleaning fee. Other things to know (neutral): -There is an empty lot across the street, just recently razed. Worth it to inquire about future construction. -The owner cashes your security deposit. I've rented with many other vrbo owners and this is the first time where my security check was cashed instead of being held and ripped up after inspection. It was fine but surprising - just a heads up for future renters. -Trains roll by close to the house 2-3 times a day. Not a big deal for others but of course they were during my son's nap times which I found a bit of a bother.

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

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

• October RandR

  October RandR

  • Guest Vice Principal
  • Date of stay 10/26/12
  • Review Submitted 10/31/12
  Kathy was superb in making sure my husband and I had all of our needs met! We enjoyed a remarkably relaxing stay in Holly House, and we are looking forward to many more repasts there. The home is incredible! It is so well furnished and equipped with anything anyone would need from cooking to baking to beachcombing... We absolutely loved our time there and cannot wait to return to enhance what we just experienced! Thank you, Kathy and Jed for sharing your lovely cottage with us! Mike and Anne

  Recommended for: Families with young children, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway, sightseeing.

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• Perfection!!

  Perfection!!

  • Guest Milby
  • Date of stay 08/18/12
  • Review Submitted 10/04/12
  This cottage was adorable!! Every detail was attended to! The cottage is quite small but does not feel it at all! It was designed perfectly...and the furnishings were lovely. We were easily able to walk the block to the beach with our two small children thanx to the amazing wagon provided. Great beach! It was also a short walk into town to grab dinner. We absolutely LOVED the restaurant Corktree Cellars - we didn't eat out much because it was so charming at the house we preferred to stay in. There is some really great food in this town though. We also loved! the binder left in the house with all the information about Carpinteria...In it we found out about a water park in Lake Casistas(bout 20 miles away-maybe less?) It's more like a "playground" set in water with water spraying all over the place and also a lazy river to ride rafts in - Our 3 and 1 year old FLIPPED on it! It's geared for smaller kids but we would have never known about it without that handy binder. Communication was great with Kathy when we reserved all the way through receiving our deposit back. We definitely intend on returning!

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, families with young children, age 55+, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

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• Great vacation house!

  Great vacation house!

  • Guest B.R.
  • Date of stay 07/22/12
  • Review Submitted 08/07/12
  This place is such a gem! The owners did an amazing job on this place and it really feels like a home. Unbelievably clean and very spacious feeling. Clean linens and very well appointed kitchen. The yard is great, especially if you've got kids. Walking distance to the beach and downtown. Will definitely come back again!

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

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• Beach time with the grandkids

  Beach time with the grandkids

  • Guest donna
  • Date of stay 07/29/12
  • Review Submitted 08/06/12
  This was our second summer at Holly House. I didn't think it was possible but Ally, Tony and I had an even better time than last summer. The cottage continues to be a wonderful, relaxing place to come to after days spent at the beach, the zoo, the Natural History Museum or in downtown Carp. We also explored tidepools, saw dolphins swimming right by the platforms and hit all our favorite shops like the Curious Cup Bookstore. The 3 of us came a little later in the summer and, while there were more visitors in town, Carpinteria continues to be a wonderful "beach town" that has stayed true to it's roots, just like the cottage. We are already trying to decide when we can come back next year.

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

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

• Absolutely Perfect

  Absolutely Perfect

  • Guest JustDriftin'
  • Date of stay 05/13/12
  • Review Submitted 05/30/12
  Where to start......Found it on VRBO. Contacted Kathy and got the ball rolling. Transaction was handled perfectly.....tons of communication, follow up and follow through. The town of Carpinteria is ultra laid back, good food, good shops, the beach is excellent, and the micro brewery makes a good beer. Santa Barbara is 10 minutes, Ventura and Ojai are maybe 15 minutes. We were here for a week and it wasn"t long enough. The cottage itself is quaint, comfortable, really clean, totally equipped and a perfect place to relax and enjoy this beautiful section of California. If you are looking for a totally stress free travel experience.....this is your place. Don't miss it

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

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• Sparkling Clean Cozy Cottage

  Sparkling Clean Cozy Cottage

  • Guest wendy z.
  • Date of stay 04/03/12
  • Review Submitted 04/10/12
  I am a repeat vacationer of the Holly house and will stay here over and over again. This cozy cottage has every single detail carefully planned out for the ultimate beach experience. HOT OUTDOOR SHOWER is perfect to rinse off the sandy beach. Everything is in walking distance including a new awesome restaurant "Crushcakes". I took the grandkids on early morning walks exploring Carpinteria's Salt Marsh, to the "new" playground at the park, and beach daily. I am already thinking about a "girls" weekend get-away, relaxing and reading, dining, and antique shopping soon :)

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

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

• Perfect Getaway!

  Perfect Getaway!

  • Guest O&K
  • Date of stay 10/17/11
  • Review Submitted 12/27/11
  Once again, we were lucky to stay for almost a month at Holly House, which by now really feels like home away from home. The cottage has every amenity you can wish for and is beautifully decorated. If you are looking for a cozy place to relax and enjoy the sun, this has to be the perfect choice. Also, Carpinteria is a beautiful little town that has a much to offer (mile long beaches, shops and restaurants on Linden avenue). Thank you Kathy and Jed for another great vacation!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

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

• Stay during August 2011

  Stay during August 2011

  • Guest HB Family
  • Date of stay 08/27/11
  • Review Submitted 10/06/11
  Our family of 4 had a wonderful week in this cottage. It had just about all of the amenities we were looking for and the supplies provided for our beach outings were wonderful to have and, wow, this cottage is really so, so close to the beach! We were quite comfortable here, except when it came to seating. There is seating for 4-5 on the patio; however, there were a few mornings and evenings when it was chilly enough that we wanted to sit inside - inside, there is dining seating for only 3. Although the cottage is quaint and beautifully decorated, the cottage is quite small...smaller than the photos make it appear to be. If you are a family who enjoys to have family meals together, play games together and have a little more space, I would recommend looking at the sister cottage next door which does have enough seating to make these activities more comfortable. Otherwise, our family had an enjoyable week being so close to the beach and so many other attractions.

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

  Owner response: Thank you, Joyce. I appreciate your input. I just ordered a new dining table that seats 4 and am very excited about it. Thank you for the suggestion. Will post new dining room photos as soon as it arrives! We look forward to having your family as our guests again. Kathy

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

High-Season .. May 25, 2013 - Sep 7, 2013 ... $1850/week .. Sat. - Sat.
Off-Season ... Sep 7, 2013 - May 23,2014 ..  $ 225/night.. $1400/week .. $2650/mo
Memorial & Labor Day Weekend $275 per night, 3 night minimum
There is a cleaning fee of $125 and a 12% City bed tax (TOT Reg. #201141001)
NOTE:  All credit card payments will be charged a 3% bank
processing fee.  A $500 deposit is required to secure a reservation.  Upon arrival
deposit converts to a security deposit and is refundable, less any damages,
14 days after departure.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.