Reviews for Fairfax Vacation Rental - VRBO 294673 - 1 BR San Francisco Bay Area Apartment in CA, Beautiful & Sunny with Valley Views

Beautiful and sunny with Valley Views

Guest shelley
Date of stay 03/10/13
Review Submitted 04/17/13

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Fairfax. The apartment was very clean and spacious. Bea and her family made us feel so much at home; and helped us out whenever and wherever we needed it! It truly felt like a home for us...so much better than any hotel or extended stay place could ever be. We experienced a lot of peace and tranquility; joy and fulfillment in this space. Of course, we absolutely loved the little town of Fairfax, especially the incredible Good Earth Store just down the hill. I highly recommend this place and will look forward to staying here many more times in the future!

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

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A Visit to Fairfax

Guest Sheila
Date of stay 09/05/12
Review Submitted 09/29/12

We stayed at the apartment for five nights in September 2012, while on a visit to the Bay Area from Europe. We needed a place in Fairfax to be near friends who live nearby. The apartment met our needs perfectly, and indeed exceeded our expectations by some margin. Our host and hostess were friendly, welcoming and helpful before during and after our stay (we managed to leave behind a personal item which they kindly sent on to us). The apartment is on the side of a hill overlooking Fairfax town, with beautiful views of the valley and the occasional passing deer. It was comfortable, well equipped, and precisiely as advertised. But the reality was even better than we expected. There were fresh flowers in the living room on our arrival which added a lovely personal touch, very characteristic of the owner and her family. The apartment is spacious and (if we had had the time) we would have been happy just hanging out there, preparing food in the well-equipped kitchen and eating in the spacious living-cum-dining room or on the veranda, or just chilling in the main living area. The bedroom had ample storage space and a very impressive (and comfortable) classic double-bed. Two minor points which did not bother us, but are perhaps worth noting: the owner's family live upstairs and their footfall is audible in the apartment; and while there is a feeling of space in front of and behind the property there is much less on either side, so you are aware when someone walks past from front to back. We had a lovely time in this beautiful part of Marin. It was a real pleasure to meet the family and quite a wrench when it was time to leave. I am very happy to recommend the property.

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

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Our trip to Marin

Guest Margot & Chris
Date of stay 08/10/12
Review Submitted 09/30/12

We had a wonderful stay at your beautiful house in Fairfax! The living room with the lovely view of the hills of Marin was exactly as pictured. The location was perfect - a quick drive to the little town of Fairfax and close to many wonderful places to hike. The property was clean and the bed super comfortable. Bea was extremely helpful with suggestions on places to shop, eat or hike. All in all, a very pleasant stay!

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

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my Go To Place in Marin....

Guest donna
Date of stay 05/16/12
Review Submitted 05/29/12

I have been traveling to the bay area for years on business every few months, and I find that staying at this particular VBRO is truly like a 'home away from home"! I look forward to each repeated visit, and always feel at home and rested when I stay here... Not only is it a comfortable inviting atmosphere with cozy, contemporary furnishings and accoutrements, it's the most fun spot to be in Marin! I can do my business from here with hi-speed internet, cable, and great cell reception in a sunny open clean living/dining room with views & balcony that no hotels can match....then meet up within 15-20 minutes in Larkspur, Mill Valley, San Rafael, etc... Best part is playing in Fairfax, with an authentic and ideal downtown that is filled with locally owned businesses and feels almost like a time gone by and alive with it's vibe! Then the off-the-beaten-path of the many great hikes, which are all illustrated and mapped out in a lovely hardbound book custom made by the owners. A complete compact home, that makes you feel right at home, to spend an enjoyable time just hanging out, cooking, entertaining, or reading on the sunny balcony that feels like a tree house. An extremely big comfy bed, sweet bathroom accents and owners that are just as happy to guide you on your way as they are living there and having you there too! Eco-friendly for those that have allergy to dust, and harsh cleaning chemicals, and a family home that opens it's doors to a lovely lifestyle and hospitality that's hard to find anywhere but here... Donna Marberger

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

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Happy to leave - not our usual vacation experience!

Guest Katie q.
Date of stay 05/02/12
Review Submitted 05/09/12

We’re very frequent travellers. We've booked several happy stays with VRBO, and stayed in many hotels, apartments, etc. We booked 16 nights, based on the advertised information "perfect place to relax" and based on our specific enquiry that we wanted "quiet" accommodation. We stayed 2 nights only. This was our worst experience. We’ve never known such transfer of noise from an apartment upstairs, which is where the owners live! There is no insulation. The entrance is a steep staircase down to the apartment and the steps and handrail wood looks like they badly need treated and painted, not very inviting at all. Entrance is dark and gloomy. The living room area is spacious with lots of light. Sleeping is not suitable for 4 unless you would be happy with a mattress placed on the living room floor which has no window coverings to cut out light. There is a little kitchen but we found all cups and mugs were chipped around the top and had dark brown staining, ie coffee rings in every cup! Not nice at all. Curtains in kitchen were stained and dirty. On our first night we found five circular stains on the middle of the fitted bed sheet - very unpleasant! The bedrom didn't smell good, musty and airless. We informed the owner about the stained sheets and she did apologise, then directed us to sheets stored in the bathroom. One was ripped! Also, the bed head was thick with dust! The noise level from the owner's apartment upstairs was awful. First night we were wakened up at 4.30am. We found out this was a visitor leaving the owner's apartment and the sound was a suitcase being rolled across the floor, was extremely loud. Never slept again that night. Second morning we were awake at 6.30am as the owners are up at that time. So no sleeping in on this vacation! Every footstep can be heard from the owner's apartment, every drawer that is opened sound like grinding, and toilet flushed and the shower sounds like an engine starting. We could also hear the owners talking. The owner has an office, which we knew about from the information advertised, but it is not blocked off completely. It is the second bedroom door locked. We could hear the owner talking on the phone which means he can hear us = no privacy. We were very disappointed to be charged for our first night given the stained sheets and being startled out of sleep at 4.30am! A free night was expected. 2nd night we expected to pay. Explained our concerns to the owners very clearly.Very happy to leave.

Owner response: We have been renting out this unit for 2 years now and this is the first time that anyone has been dissatisfied. It is a beautiful and comfortable space that is exactly as pictured, with living plants, attractive furniture and art, and a fantastic library of books and CDs. I'm fastidious, and I take great pride in making sure that everything is totally clean, inviting, and well stocked with quality, eco-friendly supplies. I always put out fresh flowers or fruit or wine or other goodies. I also always ask people to let me know if there is anything that they are in need of that may not be there. When these folks initially mentioned that they thought the sheets were stained I was very surprised, and assured them that they had been cleaned that day by me, and I even made a trip the following day to buy an extra set of organic cotton sheets. After they checked out, my husband and I examined the sheets and could not find ANY marks on them whatsoever! In their communication with me I had a feeling that I was dealing with folks that were looking to find fault in every nook and cranny of the unit. Case in point, why would they bother to comment on the spare mattress when they weren't even using it? larger parties are always informed of what the additional sleeping arrangements are. In fact, the extra futon mattress is far more comfortable than most fold-out sofa beds. Regarding the comment about the early morning noise, I did have a guest staying with me that unfortunately had to get up early to catch a flight (which was highly unusual), so I can understand their upset at being awoken by her leaving at such an early hour. The reality, however, is that this is an older family duplex so you can hear some footsteps, sounds, etc. Apparently, these folks were especially sound-sensitive, because we’ve had dozens and dozens of parties stay here over the last couple of years and, with this exception, no one has complained about the noise - and in fact, everyone had a relaxing and positive experience. We were particularly disappointed that they would write such an unfair review which only highlights their complaints. We have continuously made upgrades, and am open to suggestions, so I did buy new mugs because I hadn't realized that they did have some coffee stains! As they say, you can’t please everyone all of the time, but we certainly strive to!

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Serene Small Apartment

Guest Sue
Date of stay 04/14/12
Review Submitted 05/30/12

Our 10 day stay was perfect. This is a lovely, well-appointed, and comfortable apartment with a nice deck overlooking the pretty town of Fairfax. It is walking distance to town where there are a number of good restaurant, coffee places, gourmet grocery store as well as an old-fashioned movie theater. Our hosts were responsive to anything we needed. As I told Bea, it was a toss-up as to which experience was more serene: our stay in her apartment or our stay at Green Gulch Farm, Marin County Zen Monastery. This Fairfax apartment has a very Zen feel! Our hosts left us a book called "Hiking Marin". We took advantage of this with hikes in the many lovely nearby trails!

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

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Delightful stay!

Guest Joe
Date of stay 04/10/12
Review Submitted 05/31/12

My wife and I stayed in this view apartment for four days in May this year and it was perfect! The place is just a few minutes to the quaint little town of Fairfax and a convenient drive to beautiful Point Reyes by the sea. The apartment was clean and bright with sweeping views across the nearby hills and valleys. We found the owners to be friendly and very helpful, as we are from out of state and had questions about good restaurants and nearby local attractions. We shopped around and found the price to be very fair for the amenities offered- we have already recommended it to some friends of ours and would love staying here when we're out this way again next year! Thank you so much for everything!

Recommended for: Romantic getaway

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Very nice apartment!

Guest Lynn
Date of stay 04/04/12
Review Submitted 06/04/12

We stayed here for 3 days in April and enjoyed it very much. It is artistically decorated, very nice modern bathroom, comfortable bed and linens, well stocked kitchen, and well worth the nightly fee charged. The entrance is deceiving, as it is below the upper apartment's deck, but once you enter the apartment, the light and decor are impressive. The owners, who live upstairs, are very quiet in the evenings and we didn't even know they were there. I would certainly recommend this place to friends!

Recommended for: Sightseeing

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Family get-together

Guest Hoodwink
Date of stay 03/22/12
Review Submitted 03/26/12

We enjoyed our stay while getting together with family. Everything was in good working order. The extra bed is just a fold out mattress on the floor of the living room, comfortable but maybe not what you want if you stay in the house much. We spent just time sleeping and early morning for breakfast, so it was not a problem. The owner is close by; but allows your privacy.

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

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A Delightful Get-Away

Guest Ru
Date of stay 01/06/12
Review Submitted 05/26/12

My fiancé and I stayed here for a week as we were considering moving to Fairfax and wanted to check out the area. We loved the cozy, charming apartment, its amenities, and our wonderful hosts. The place was clean with just enough added touches to invite relaxation and a smile. I appreciated having everything we needed, and some of the things that one doesn't ordinarily find in rentals such as filtered water and fresh flowers! I loved the warm rays of light dancing in the front room and just sitting by the windows watching the morning unfold. We really appreciated the openness of our hosts. They were extremely considerate, and gave us many suggestions of places to check out and things to enjoy in the area. It was also great to be so central -- it was an easy walk to town, which had many great restaurants, shops, and the most wonderful health food store. Overall a fantastic experience!

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

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Great Place!!

Guest Anonymous
Date of stay 12/10/11
Review Submitted 04/02/12

My girlfriend and I stayed here for two weeks around Christmas. Originally, we had booked for one week, but decided to extend out stay for an extra week because this place was so perfect for us. From the minute we arrived, it felt like a home, not a rental unit. It was warm and cozy on our cold winter days there. Abundant sunshine came through the sliding glass door looking out over the valley, which made the unit feel bright an airy. There is a great porch overlooking the valley as well that we didn't take advantage of during our winter stay, but we suspected that during summer it would be a perfect place for meals anytime of the day. In terms of the functionality of the unit, it had everything that we wanted: a wonderful bed, great shower, a perfect little, fully stocked, kitchen where we made many meals, a dining room, and just a great, great living room space where we lazed on the comfy sofa after days out walking. The location was ideal too. We had the option of either driving or walking into the cute little town of Fairfax, with all it's great restaurants, natural foods store, and movie theatre, and yet we were pleased to be in a quiet neighborhood. It was easy access to all we wanted to do in terms of exploring Marin and made for a great base to do this from. Our hosts were just fantastic too. Helpful, friendly, accommodating, not over-bearing, and just really great people. They had put together a wonderful binder full of their favorite walking trails in the area, their favorite restaurants in the area, and other useful information that came in handy for our stay. Overall, I couldn't recommend this place highly enough. We thoroughly enjoyed out stay and will no doubt be back again.

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

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A wonderful visit!

Guest I Heart Streetcar
Date of stay 11/10/11
Review Submitted 11/22/11

My fiance, brother and his girlfriend were able to stay at this lovely apartment for a long weekend. The location was perfect for us; we were able to easily walk to town and meet up with our friends and family that lived nearby. The space was very tranquil and comfortable. We would highly recommend this vrbo. The icing on the cake were the wonderful owners; thank you so much for an awesome and worry-free trip!

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Home Away From Home

Guest Leslie
Date of stay 09/20/11
Review Submitted 05/26/12

Last fall I had the pleasure of spending 2 beautiful weeks in Fairfax on a personal retreat. How lucky I was to find this wonderful accomodation! The apartment is sunny, well appointed, super clean and in a perfect quiet location. Walk up the hill and you are on a great trail; down the hill and you are in the lovely town of Fairfax. The owners are so sweet and hospitable, providing just the right balance of attention and privacy. One of my favorite VRBO properties ever! I would definately recommend this place to anyone and hope to say here again myself.

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

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Wonderful place to stay!

Guest Karen
Date of stay 07/14/11
Review Submitted 05/29/12

We have rented this apartment on several occasions. It is such a charming, well-cared for peaceful little haven with lovely views, and the location is fantastic. The owners are so very kind, accommodating, very helpful and completely respectful of our privacy. I can't recommend this sweet little rental enough.

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

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Wonderful

Guest Jimmy
Date of stay 07/26/10
Review Submitted 07/30/10

If you're looking for a quaint neighborhood, and the opportunity to be near all the great activities San Francisco has to offer (but not too near), then this is the place for you. I've stayed at this wonderful apartment twice and found it to be exactly what I needed, and the hosts are amazing as well. For the cost of a single hotel room you can have so much more. Is there really a choice?

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

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Bay Area native

Guest Brooks
Date of stay 07/08/10
Review Submitted 08/04/10

I stayed in this lovely place for two weeks in July, and it was just the right thing for me. The apartment is exactly as pictured on the website -- really pretty decor, and a lovely lovely setting. The couple who own and manage it (and live right above) are also lovely, and very accommodating. Fairfax is a quiet little hippie town -- the last of the suburbs heading east from highway 101 towards the coast -- but has a surprisingly lively night life. It turns out to be a famous hangout for musicians and there are two cozy clubs downtown that draw some really good music. And all that is a ten-minute walk from this apartment, but you don't get any of the town noise at home. There's a great all-organic grocery store, too, and not least, some really great hiking in the immediate area. And Bea will direct you to the trail heads, and maybe even loan you her parking pass! For me, the only downside was that it's a bit of a drive from the freeway (15-20 minutes, depending on traffic), and I needed to get to and from that freeway every day. But I found that within a week I got completely used to the "commute" and grew to enjoy it. It's a really great part of the country and the state, and a really special part of the San Francisco Bay Area. You do have to walk down a somewhat steep flight of stairs to get to the apartment, but that's typical of the Marin County hillside houses. I loved my morning coffee on the deck enjoying the sunrise (if the fog wasn't in), and my late-evening glass of wine on the deck, enjoying the night sky. I'd stay there again in a hearbeat.

Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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Great place to stay

Guest The Homesick CA Native
Date of stay 06/06/10
Review Submitted 09/21/10

We had a wonderful stay. The views are amazing. There was nothing nicer than sitting on the deck taking it all in. The apartment is beautifully decorated and very comfortable to be in. The kitchen is well set up for making gourmet meals with the incredible food from the Good Earth natural foods store in town. Our hosts were so helpful and made sure we were comfortable. Very welcoming!! Fairfax and the nearby towns have some great restaurants. Lots of great hiking and mountain biking. I highly recommend this lovely apt. and will stay there again when I come back to Fairfax!

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

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What a nice place!

Guest Cpukit
Date of stay 08/01/09
Review Submitted 04/13/10

My wife and my 9 year old son and I had the pleasure of staying here. It was great. From this central location we were able to go to Napa,Sonoma,Tahoe,Muir Woods and San Fransisco,all within an hour except Lake Tahoe which took 3. What was also great about the location was that right in the neighborhood were some great hiking trails and bike trails,as well as restaurants and shopping. This part of California truly reminds me of Tuscany. Great place and great hosts! Be prepared for your host to give you a lot of help preparing an itinerary.

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

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Vacation Rentals by Owner

Beautiful & Sunny with Valley Views [#294673] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (18)

Beautiful and sunny with Valley Views

Beautiful and sunny with Valley Views

A Visit to Fairfax

A Visit to Fairfax

Our trip to Marin

Our trip to Marin

my Go To Place in Marin....

my Go To Place in Marin....

Happy to leave - not our usual vacation experience!

Happy to leave - not our usual vacation experience!

Serene Small Apartment

Serene Small Apartment

Delightful stay!

Delightful stay!

Very nice apartment!

Very nice apartment!

Family get-together

Family get-together

A Delightful Get-Away

A Delightful Get-Away

Great Place!!

Great Place!!

A wonderful visit!

A wonderful visit!

Home Away From Home

Home Away From Home

Wonderful place to stay!

Wonderful place to stay!

Wonderful

Wonderful

Bay Area native

Bay Area native

Great place to stay

Great place to stay

What a nice place!

What a nice place!