Reviews for Downtown Vacation Rental - VRBO 364878 - 4 BR Austin House in TX, Eclectic, Fresh and Memorable with Strong Rooted Presence.

Perfect for bachelorette party or girls weekend!

Guest Lacy E.
Date of stay 04/05/13
Review Submitted 04/15/13

Peter was very quick when responding to my request and keep in contact the months leading up to our stay. That day he even met us at the house to show us around. We had a group or 10 girls give or take a few in and out over the 2 days. There was MORE than plenty of space for all our belongings, sleeping space and even showering and getting ready for the night. If you have ever been around 10 girls that are between 24-26 getting ready you would know that bathroom space is an important factor. We had a blast hanging out at the house and the decor was so "Austin". It is walking distance to several eating places including a fab place for brunch. You will need a cab to get you to the downtown are but it was super cheap because you are so close. The outdoor patio was great for when we made fajitas on the grill and the outdoor/indoor sound system was also a plus. We were in town just for a bachelorette party but plan to use this house every year for an annual girls trip!

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The Absolute Best!

Guest Sweet G.
Date of stay 02/28/13
Review Submitted 05/01/13

This house is even more amazing than it looks in photos, we all fell in love with it! And Peter was the best host we could have asked for. Our group was 9 girls on a bachelorette party trip, and there was plenty of space, and mirror space, to accommodate us more than comfortably! We easily walked to the nearby markets and liquor stores for everything we needed, and Peter even offered to pick anything up for us from Costco or Whole Foods should we need it. We loved how friendly the neighbors and passerby-ers were too! The other ladies have not stopped talking about how great our stay was here! Thank you Peter!

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Wonderful Family Get-together!

Guest Kathy M.
Date of stay 02/01/13
Review Submitted 02/06/13

Peter's home was perfect for our family and friends, gathered to celebrate my daughter's birthday. The kitchen is perfectly stocked with everything provided to create our meals (I have stayed at many rentals with only the bare minimum). I had actually brought my kitchen items just to be safe but didn't need them. Every room was cleaned and well-maintained and perfect for the 13 of us (including 2 toddlers). Peter was nearby if we needed anything (which we didn't). The only thing that I forgot to ask Peter was how to turn on the TV! As is happened, we didn't even miss it. There are plenty of restaurants, food trucks, convenience stores, etc. in the area, of which some took advantage, but I was just as happy staying home!

Owner response: For face to face time, lounging, reading, cooking and laughing with those closest, HomeAway is a good place to start. Kathy, you all left our home sitting pretty- she did not even miss us-thank you! peter

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FABULOUS!

Guest Cathy B.
Date of stay 11/22/12
Review Submitted 01/07/13

We stayed here for Thanksgiving and it was awesome! We wanted to be close enough to the football stadium since we were all going to the game. Everything about this house is perfect for groups just wanting to hang out. I am trying to find another reason to rent it again! We all loved it!

Owner response: If the idea is to find gainful employment that is at once fulfilling and productive, it is playing the inn keeper to folks who seem contented with good clean fun and lots of face time, Thank you Cathy- peter

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beautiful roomy Austin home

Guest Donna J.
Date of stay 10/17/12
Review Submitted 10/25/12

This large comfortable home, the surrounding gardens, and funky art works is a treasure. Peter is such a lovely gracious host. Our family really enjoyed walking the neighborhood and the large patio. The kitchen is awesome, the whole place has a definite "Austin vibe" to it. We were in town for our son's wedding at Three Points Ranch, an epic event in itself, but we will be talking about Peter's home for years. I scored a hit with my Iowa family by stumbling onto Peter and his home!! Thank you Peter and tell Ringo "hi", he was a hit too, Donna Johnson

Owner response: You are welcome, Donna. Seeing your extended family sitting together at their leisure, morning after morning, sharing stories and laughs for time on end, reinforces my belief that good clean fun has its place.Cannot wait to visit your part of our country- Peter Staats

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Great SXSW house (or any other austin event)

Guest Karl S.
Date of stay 03/14/12
Review Submitted 03/26/12

I highly recommend this house for homeaway'ers looking for a central location for any Austin event. Easily accommodated 8-10 people for 3 nights. 15 minute walk to downtown, far enough away to get away from the chaos, but close enough to jump back in after rest. Peter was welcoming and responsive, before, during, and after our stay. Thanks again Peter, and we will be back.

Owner response: Thank you so much, Karl. Homeaway is a new and fresh concept with legs. Rather than rent upteen motels and hotels, just settle on one happy holiday home. I love my role as inn keeper and guests bring news of a bigger world. It is a great way to stay connected.

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Great Place!

Guest Ben H.
Date of stay 03/14/12
Review Submitted 03/22/12

Really charming house with plenty of room to spread out or gather in one of many comfortable areas. Owner was extremely gracious and accomodating to requests as our group was arriving at different times from different places. Art inside and out make it an interesting stay as well. Highly reccomend it to anyone that wants to be a short walk from downtown.

Owner response: We designed and build our home fourteen years ago on San Bernard Street for its diversity and in order to bike or walk to downtown. In the interim, the Eastside has so blossomed that we rarely make it all the way into town. Seems a new creative opens a cafe, speakeasy, gift shop, cupcake trailer or music venue on a daily basis. An Urban Spring. It is quite the treat to attract folks to our home that mirror this zest for positive change.

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A great choice for a long weekend

Guest Karl M.
Date of stay 01/26/12
Review Submitted 02/11/12

Peter's house was perfect for our group. It's a large house with great common areas---a large kitchen opens onto a large living/dining area. A big back porch has chairs, grill, cat, and overlooks a great yard full of sculpture and native plants. Our group of eight all needed single sleeping arrangements, and Peter set up extra beds for us. Everything was very clean and well cared for. The location proved to be fantastic. It's an easy walk to downtown (15-20min.), but the immediate neighborhood is nice, too. Across the street is a helpful wine and convenience store. Minutes away are pizza, coffee, breakfast, and a few amazing food trailers (including late-night pierogies, whoa). There are also a couple restaurants nearby that we didn't have a chance to explore. We weighed the option of staying downtown, but I'm glad we stayed here. We really enjoyed the space, and Peter was a wonderful host.

Owner response: thank you for the kind words. i love what we do here, and i am glad it shows. HomeAway encourages face time, good time, and a time remembered. We were blessed when building our inner city home to raise our new family, that like spring, the neighborhood began to flourish.And flourish. So come for a visit and see what is new, green, sustainable, diverse and hopeful.

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A great choice for a long weekend

Guest Karl M.
Date of stay 01/26/12
Review Submitted 02/11/12

Peter's house was perfect for our group. It's a large house with great common areas---a large kitchen opens onto a large living/dining area. A big back porch has chairs, grill, cat, and overlooks a great yard full of sculpture and native plants. Our group of eight all needed single sleeping arrangements, and Peter set up extra beds for us. Everything was very clean and well cared for. The location proved to be fantastic. It's an easy walk to downtown (15-20min.), but the immediate neighborhood is nice, too. Across the street is a helpful wine and convenience store. Minutes away are pizza, coffee, breakfast, and a few amazing food trailers (including late-night pierogies, whoa). There are also a couple restaurants nearby that we didn't have a chance to explore. We weighed the option of staying downtown, but I'm glad we stayed here. We really enjoyed the space, and Peter was a wonderful host.

Owner response: thank you! when given the chance, this is how i want things to work out. Staying together is good antidote to frantic schedules and lack of good old fashioned face time. East Austin is experiencing a renaissance, and it is bold and wide enough to share.

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Hidden treasure in Austin

Guest Eugene O.
Date of stay 10/29/11
Review Submitted 11/17/11

Our stay in this house in Austin was memorable and satisfying for a number of reasons. The house itself was comfortable clean and well equipped.The kitchen is a particularly fine feature and the overall furnishing and layout is excellent. The surrounding gardens are pleasantly unique stocked as they are multiple species of wild flowers. The location, a short distance from downtown Austin, is excellent. Overall strongly recommended for parties of up to 10 or 12.

Owner response: Thank you. Reviews keep us grounded, and real. Our home becomes more beautiful with each positive memory it enables. And she positively glows today. For Real.

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We created a wonderful life-long memory!

Guest Diarmuid O.
Date of stay 10/29/11
Review Submitted 11/10/11

We did an extensive search for a home to rent in Austin for a wedding. Family was flying in from abroad, sibling parents and young adult nieces and nephews. We needed to accommodate at least 9 people with a possibility of 12. I decided on Peter's home on San Bernard Street and it was a fantastic experience for all. We feel we have made a new friend who we will welcome to our home. Peter could not be more helpful and obliging. This house was absolutely perfect for us: large enough so that people could choose to congregate in one area without interfering with those who wanted to be alone to read, relax or sleep. The very well equipped kitchen was fabulous for preparing dinners (we had seventeen people at one) and also served as a place for hanging out. Peter provided a computer for email and wi-fi which was an unexpected and invaluable feature as it allowed people to plan day-trips and sightseeing and shopping simultaneously. Peter's garden front and back are beyond belief. We spent hours enjoying them and found some new feature every time we stepped outside to explore. Simply marvelous! A work of genius, clearly Peter's passion and creativity at work. The best pizza in East Austin is a 3 minute walk; and one of the 'coolest' bars you'll find anywhere is a stone's throw away. There are so many things to see and do and experience: all within walking distance. It was so conveniently close to downtown Austin - close enough to walk to and from the city center, the Capitol and the university. The kids walked home at night after the clubs closed. Hallow'een on Sixth street - enough said! I miss Austin and especially miss being in this wonderfully warm, welocming, intimate, comfortable home. Thank you Peter, Cole, Willa and Oscar . Slán go fóill! or 'Til the next time o Hasta Luego! "

Owner response: We chose Austin, Texas to live. We chose downtown to build. We chose to get involved in our neighborhood and neighbors. We chose HomeAway to advertise our good fortune. And Good people choose to stay here . A magic mix. Diarmuid (rhymes with pyramid) acted as scout. Believe he envisioned a large common area for family. It was not a leap of faith to choose us, but his Irish street cred was on the line. Austin opened her arms, mother nature exceeded, our home did her part, and the Guest family roared over the finish line.

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Quirky Homestead, easy walk to downtown

Guest Olivia P.
Date of stay 10/21/11
Review Submitted 10/27/11

Myself and four friends shared Peters house for 3 nights. Peter was extremely easy to deal with and even let us leave our luggage there until the evening, despite having 'checked out'. The location was great given the price. Super easy to walk down-town (20mins), to local food trailers etc. We considered staying on 6th street, however being out of the city in this retreat was far more relaxing. The rooms were clean and the house very spacious. We could have fit another 5 people easily, which would make this place a bargain! The kitchen was huge and it was great to hang around in the mornings before heading out for the day... much better than a hotel. Good for younger groups looking to house-share for the weekend at a great price.

Owner response: Thank-You, kind Guest. The experience you walked away with is what we strive for. Open, Spacious, Central, Convenient, warm and flexible. Improvements we will address is a gas grill, for we are experiencing a burn ban, more bicycles with locks and puncture proof tires. And, Please come back, kind Guest, your 12 stay here is free. Smiles, peter and cole

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An Amazingly Welcoming and Weird Home in Austin!

Guest Jeff W.
Date of stay 07/22/11
Review Submitted 08/04/11

13 of my closest friends and I stayed at Peter's wonderful home for my bachelor party a few weeks ago, and it was one of the best vacation experiences I've ever had. Peter is a super cool guy and was even nice enough to pick us up at the airport! The house is beautiful and unique - lots of reclaimed materials and found art both inside and outside the house. The kitchen is huge and great for hanging out with large groups, and all the bedrooms are very comfortable. The jewel of this place is the backyard and the meditation room outside. Being out in the backyard is like being on some kind of wacky adventure through an alternate reality. Location-wise, you can't do any better than this. Convenient store literally across the street, lots of good restaurants and food trailers nearby, and its super easy to walk anywhere downtown - red river, 6th street, etc. If you want to experience Austin to the ultimate, you've absolutely got to stay at this house. It personifies the motto, "Keep Austin Weird."

Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Owner response: Jeff, it is our duty to get your marriage off to a rousing and organic start. Loved the drum circle. peace, peter and cole.

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East Austin Gem

Guest Cassie
Date of stay 05/27/11
Review Submitted 06/07/11

This funky home is perfectly situated in the heart of burgeoning east Austin. I rented it for a 3-day girls' weekend and we had everything we needed - including a wine shop right across the street! Everything is close-by or just a short/cheap cab ride away. Peter was an excellent host and we all had a wonderful weekend!

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

Owner response: The pleasure was ours. To hear the shrieks, to feel the love as each member of the tribe arrived, is reason enough to become an even better inn keeper. The home was returned to me, somewhat softer, having lost none of its glow.There was a request to procure a yoga teacher to teach a class to the assembled girlfriends, and that is now a reality. So, each and every need is noted. And, if the want arises again, there just might be a way to satisfy. Hope to see you all again. peter, kricket and oscar.

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A bohemian homestead, a jewel of Austin!

Guest Dan
Date of stay 03/15/11
Review Submitted 03/27/11

Had an amazing stay here during SXSW, beautiful house full of wonderful curiosities from around the world. Spacious, light and the meditation bunker in the garden is a delight...

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

Owner response: Like a flower in spring, we aim to attract those that find most benefit. Thank you for the cross pollination, for we gain as much from you. peter and kricket

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Red Bull Music at SXSW

Guest Nat
Date of stay 03/15/11
Review Submitted 03/23/11

This house is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect mix of homey and comfortable, with a lovely kitchen, large airy rooms and a massive garden. Its an easy walk into the city centre, but also is far enough away so you feel like its a nice retreat. Peter the owner is a true delight and really looks after you, and he is very relaxed about everything which is super important. I had a great time here. Make sure to ask if Cricket is available - she cooked for us and pretty much solved every problem we had. A lovely lady.

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

Owner response: We did our bit. Thank you! And we followed our clients lead. Focus is on how our efforts mesh. But, honestly, but we try and make the lead look good. Takes two to Tango, even in Texas

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Home from home

Guest Holly
Date of stay 03/15/11
Review Submitted 03/23/11

Thanks so much to Peter and his family for letting us stay in his beautiful house during SxSW. The home was a haven of peace during the festival and provided the perfect getaway. The fridge was always stocked and we were even provided with a lift from the airport. See you next year!

Recommended for: Families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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Vacation Rentals by Owner

Eclectic, Fresh and Memorable with Strong Rooted Presence. [#364878] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (17)

Perfect for bachelorette party or girls weekend!

Perfect for bachelorette party or girls weekend!

The Absolute Best!

The Absolute Best!

Wonderful Family Get-together!

Wonderful Family Get-together!

FABULOUS!

FABULOUS!

beautiful roomy Austin home

beautiful roomy Austin home

Great SXSW house (or any other austin event)

Great SXSW house (or any other austin event)

Great Place!

Great Place!

A great choice for a long weekend

A great choice for a long weekend

A great choice for a long weekend

A great choice for a long weekend

Hidden treasure in Austin

Hidden treasure in Austin

We created a wonderful life-long memory!

We created a wonderful life-long memory!

Quirky Homestead, easy walk to downtown

Quirky Homestead, easy walk to downtown

An Amazingly Welcoming and Weird Home in Austin!

An Amazingly Welcoming and Weird Home in Austin!

East Austin Gem

East Austin Gem

A bohemian homestead, a jewel of Austin!

A bohemian homestead, a jewel of Austin!

Red Bull Music at SXSW

Red Bull Music at SXSW

Home from home

Home from home