Vacation Rentals by Owner

Heaven On Earth Aug2010-May 2011 &Aug2010-May 2012

Guest: Graduate Student, NY, NY
Date of Stay: 02/15/12 Review Submitted: 02/16/12

I was lucky enough to find the perfect place to live during my 2 year stay in Berkeley. This beautifully and comfortably furnished and appointed 2 bedroom flat, is the perfect respite if you're looking for peaceful surroundings while being close to all the amenities one could ever need..the drive is quick and easy to both San Francisco, Marin and the Peninsula.There is no question in my mind that if I needed to find a place to hang my hat in Berkeley, that this would be the place.

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Fantastic Home, Spectacular Views

Guest: Jim, Lesa, Megan and Matt (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

If you find yourself lucky enough to have the opportunity to rent this great flat, do not hesitate. The home was perfect for my family of 4 (my wife,two adult children and myself) with everything we needed and more. Comfortable large space, with awesome views of the bay, a wonderful owner who will be certain that you have what you need and answer any questions about the area. You will feel close to everything, but are staying in a very peaceful, private space. From this base, we enjoyed the whole bay area with easy trips down the pacific coast, into the city and north into the forests and wine country. The Berkeley and Oakland areas are minutes away for supplies and many dining and entertainment options. I can't say enough about how nice this place is, and it's a great value considering your other lodging options in the area. Thank you Gillian for sharing your beautiful home with us! If we return to the area, we will certainly rent the Hillside Retreat again.

Owner response:It was my pleasure Jim! Hopefully I'll see you next year!

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

Couldn't ask for more.

Guest: Jeanne N.
Date of Stay: 07/17/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

Since we were vacationing with our two adult sons, we were concerned there wouldn't be sufficient space at the Hillside Retreat, although we were drawn to it for its beauty and location. We worried needlessly, as the flat is even more spacious than it appears on the photos. We spent the last two weeks of July (2011) in the flat and it really couldn't have been more comfortable. As other visitors have noted, the kitchen is equipped with everything you could wish for, an important aspect for me as I prefer not to dine out every day, even on vacation. The beds are incredibly comfortable, there is plenty of storage space, the laundry equipment is first rate, and the library is stocked with every kind of reading material you can imagine. We also made good use of the wi-fi connection with two laptops and an iPad. My entire family would highly recommend the Hillside Retreat for its comfort, convenience, and hospitable host, who goes above and beyond to make your stay pleasurable.

Owner response:Thank you Jeanne! Your family is welcome back anytime.

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

Couldn't ask for more

Guest: Jeanne N.
Date of Stay: 07/17/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

Since we were vacationing with our two adult sons, we were concerned there wouldn't be sufficient space at the Hillside Retreat, although we were drawn to it for its beauty and location. We worried needlessly, as the flat is even more spacious than it appears on the photos. We spent the last two weeks of July (2011) in the flat and it really couldn't have been more comfortable. As other visitors have noted, the kitchen is equipped with everything you could wish for, an important aspect for me as I prefer not to dine out every day, even on vacation. The beds are incredibly comfortable, there is plenty of storage space, the laundry equipment is first rate, and the library is stocked with every kind of reading material you can imagine. We also made good use of the wi-fi connection with two laptops and an iPad. My entire family would highly recommend the Hillside Retreat for its comfort, convenience, and hospitable host, who goes above and beyond to make your stay pleasurable.

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

Wonderful time

Guest: Chicago (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 09/29/11

We stayed at the Hillside retreat in July, 2011. We had a wonderful time. From a geographical point, this is an ideal spot: we traveled to San Francisco (20-minutes away), Monterey, Carmel, etc... and enjoyed coming back to this serene place on the hill while escaping the rush of the city. The other thing that we escaped was the Bay weather. We had temperatures that started cool in the morning and became nice and warm during the day. The view from the deck is just phenomenal and perfect to start and end your vacation days. The interior is tastefully and eclectically decorated. We will be back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS!!!!!

Guest: Peace Seeker (Doral, Florida. SouthEast)
Date of Stay: 06/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

I recommend this beautiful home because it is much more than what the pictures show. The place has superb views and it´s near everything, but at the same time secluded where you hear nothing but the birds in the mornings (top of a hill) and see reindeers sometimes when they come to eat right off the backyard. It is completely equipped with everything you need and more, from the kitchen to the bathroom. The owner is a wonderful host, paying attention to the finest details in the house as well as all matters related to our stay. Claremont is centrally located which makes this a perfect place to stay if you have a car and want to travel around. We had to go two times to San Jose which was only a 40 minutes’ drive each way, and went back and forth to San Francisco (25 min away). Even Napa Valley seemed close at 1 hr drive on well directed freeways. I wish I could come back anytime soon. Thank you for sharing your property with the VRBO family.

Owner response:It was wonderful having your family and congratulations to your champ! Please return soon! Best wishes, Gillian

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

Lucky find!

Guest: Giovanna (Tucson, Arizona)
Date of Stay: 06/03/11 Review Submitted: 06/16/11

Out of many self-catering homes I have stayed at, this home is one of the best. The flat is spacious, well designed, comfortable and beautifully decorated. This home is perfect for leisure or for travelers who require a space to work. The view and location truly make this a Hillside Retreat. Its location close to highway 13 makes it easy to access other Bay Area locations, yet it is nestled among the trees and you can find deer sauntering in the semi-private driveway. Furthermore, I cannot say enough wonderful things about the owner who was very accommodating to our needs. My only regret is not having enough time to sit down to read one of the many great books from the home's superb collection. My 6 year old daughter certainly took advantage of the children's games and books in the flat! Thank you very much for a wonderful stay!

Owner response:Dear Giovanna, It was such a pleasure having you and your family at the flat. I hope you do get to spend more time on your next visit. Best wishes, Gillian

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

A great find in the Bay area

Guest: travelling crew (Columbus, Ohio )
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

I have rented other Home Away properties in various cities, but this is far and away our best experience. Of course the view is fabulous, and we enjoyed the city lights, the Golden Gate bridge in the distance, but also watching the soaring hawks and other birds. One of the reasons we like to rent homes for our vacations is we love to cook. This property has a great kitchen for cooking, well-appointed with everything a good cook would want. The bedrooms and living areas are also aesthtically pleasing and very comfortable, with good lighting and those great views. The layout off the apartment provides for plenty of privacy if two couples stayed here. There's a great laundry area, a library, and office area, and I appreciated the wireless connection. The owner provided information about local groceries, restaurants, etc. and was very welcoming. We love the Bay area, and enjoyed the Berkeley farmers market, jazz and Japanese cuisine at Yoshi's in Oakland, and baseball at Candlestick Park in SF. We had a car, and found the property to be conveniently located to freeways, and there was a nearby BART station where we picked up my daughter. I would definitely recommend this property, and hope to return there myself.

Owner response:It was a pleasure having you and your family staying here and I'll look forward to seeing you in the future.

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

Spectacular Experience

Guest: Carlos (Oakland, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/05/10

We had a very good experience staying here. The place is spacious, comfortable, and tastefully decorated. The owner is a delight, very good with kids too.

Owner response:Thank you Carlos!

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

The View, The Home, The Best!

Guest: Annettee (Alpharetta (Atlanta), GA)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We stayed one week as part of our celebration of our son's grauation from UC Berkeley. We had many things to do and people to see but it was hard to leave Hillside Retreat each morning because of the view! The house is about a 10-minute drive to campus and just beautiful. Our host was so accomodating - we had eveything we needed. My husband used the office everyday and must have taken hundreds of photos from the deck. Thank you for making a very important event in our lives even more special!

Owner response:It was a pleasure having you and your family here. Congratulations to your graduate!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Thanks

Guest: Physicist (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 04/28/10

A beautiful, well furnished flat with outstanding views, private and quiet with a gracious but discrete host. The wooded hillside location with birds and deer made for a very relaxing atmosphere - some mornings it was hard to tear ourselves away for our sightseeing work. It very comfortably accommodated our family of three adults, a teenager, and a toddler for a week. The extensive library focused on art and travel was a very nice bonus, as was the office area. The narrow winding streets up the Claremont Hills were a little challenging at first but soon seemed normal, and it's surprisingly convenient to town. This is a great place for a relaxing vacation, and a good value in my opinion. We would certainly return if the opportunity arose.

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words and I would enjoy having you back! Gillian

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

Guest: Lucy
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

We had a wonderful time at your home. Saturday morning I woke at the crack of dawn, listening to a pair of owls-one of my all time favorite sounds of life. Very magical. The gorgeous tree outside the bedroom window filled the room with nature at it's finest. All together a very lovely spot, indeed. You took such care to make the rental part of your home as special as your own home upstairs. The attention to detail, touches of convenience and comfort were appreciated. I will always think fondly of your magical place in the hills and look forward to coming again. Lucy

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Guest: Jane and Alan Leder (-)
Date of Stay: 03/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/16/10

Hillside Retreat is your ticket to a journey of a lifetime. The informed host, stellar views, and elegant flat make staying here a joy and leaving a very sad day.

Owner response:I was sad to see you go!

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Guest: Alan
Date of Stay: 02/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

It goes without saying that our time here has been such a gift. The place is divine, the view fantastic, and, as our host, your knowledge of the area turned us on to sites and walks and all kinds of things that otherwise we'd never have known about. I'd be honored to have any of my photos posted and to that end I took the liberty of adding few from the "foggy dusk series" in case you wanted to add that savory flavor to the magical experience of your home digs. All Best and thank you again for being a lovely host, and my partner in pictorial pleasures. Alan & Jane - Mid January to mid March 2010

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/15/10 Review Submitted: 01/15/10

This is a beautiful and extremely comfortable flat, elegantly furnished and with a spectacular view. We had a wonderful stay here and would definitely like to return.

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Guest: karen57 (oakland, ca)
Date of Stay: 11/17/09 Review Submitted: 11/17/09

Very well finished, quiet, beautiful bay views with a modern kitchen, cozy beds and overall a lovely get away to a refined yet rustic tree house.

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