Peaceful Austin Downtown Retreat with Outdoor Living Room.

• AustinVisitor2012

  AustinVisitor2012

  • Guest VRBO>Hotels
  • Date of stay 10/26/12
  • Review Submitted 11/05/12
  I stayed in this studio apartment for 6 nights. Most of the other reviews for this property are spot on. Here's my take on what other reviews have said and what I experienced. The outdoor couch has a few spots on it and some of the fabric on the underneath portion of the chairs is ripped...it's outdoor furniture, what do you expect? The furniture is functional and you won't stick to it or get any stains on your clothes. The interior furniture is perfectly fine and the bed is comfortable. I didn't have any issues with WiFi (I even streamed a Netflix movie), TV, air conditioning or any other appliances. THERE IS NO WASHER OR DRYER, so don't plan on doing laundry. Parking was a bit of a hassle. As other reviews mention, the parking spot is not clearly marked and you have to drive over a curb to park in gravel. I parked in the wrong spot the first day and the neighbor politely showed me where my parking spot was. Take it easy when parking. If you have a low-bodied car, it may bottom out. I grabbed a couple chunks of concrete and put it in a hole in the parking spot so my car didn't bottom out. You can definitely smell a pet odor, but I think that had to do more with the pet food in the pantry than the pet itself. It's not like there were hairballs all over the place. In fact, the apartment was very clean when I got there. I opened some windows and didn't notice the smell after a few hours. For the most part, this is a great location. The apartment is in a good neighborhood with high-end homes and apartments, so you don't have to worry about your car getting broken into. I also walked home from 6th Street several times in the wee hours of the morning and didn't have any issues. It is a bit of a hike to 6th Street, but if you don't mind walking 15-20 minutes, you will be fine...and there is a great 24-hour diner on the way home too! The apartment is also close to highways (you can't hear them), so if you're looking to get in and out quickly, this is a great location for using a car. The apartment had dinnerware, eating and cooking utensils, towels, toiletries (including soap and shampoo) and various other amenities you would expect from a hotel...and some that you wouldn't. There was an iron, but no ironing board, so I used a towel and the kitchen table. I would recommend this apartment to anyone, unless you're the type who can't live without room service. If you are, you probably shouldn't be in Austin anyways...Keep Austin Weird.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

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

• Cozy and comfortable

  Cozy and comfortable

  • Guest Jessica
  • Date of stay 10/17/12
  • Review Submitted 10/29/12
  Was a little bit of a walk to town but was nice and quiet and the outdoor setting was lovely. We enjoyed the place and hope to come back some time!

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car.

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

• Outstanding service, perfect location

  Outstanding service, perfect location

  • Guest Paul
  • Date of stay 09/25/12
  • Review Submitted 10/02/12
  This was a last minute rental and the agent and owner were fabulous in every way in getting us in with less than 24 hr notice. Can't say how appreciative we were that they went so far out of their way. Place was perfect for us, just a few blocks from downtown in the upscale Old West Austin area. Rented bikes and went everywhere w/o a need for a car at all -- SOCO, UT, Capital Building & Museums, Music and restaurants. Loved the outdoor space even though a little hot (low 90's but ceiling fan on porch made sitting outside no problem) and acorns falling on tin roof were a little loud. Couches inside and on deck were dirty and not very comfortable. No problem with laundry (had been traveling for 10 days and had a bunch to do -- used w&d for complex). Internet fine although only surfed web for stuff to do. No pet smell at all. Little tough to figure out where to park and which unit was ours. Note: When coming into complex, this unit is first on the right when going up steep driveway. Parking spots have tiny #'s on them and parking for this unit is right in front of stairs for the unit. It is half paved and half stone. All in all, would definitely return. Austin is awesome. Went mostly for the music and only saw a few bands and still had a fabulous time. Will be back.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, tourists without a car.

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

• wonderful weekend!

  wonderful weekend!

  • Guest voige
  • Date of stay 08/24/12
  • Review Submitted 09/19/12
  This condo was perfect for my weekend getaway! It was clean, comfortable, and the location couldn't have been better. I was in town for a festival, which I was able to walk to easily. The condo complex overall was very well maintained, and the people were friendly. I had a little trouble with the internet, but the management company came right over to help me out. Contrary to other reviews, I had no trouble with management, or with the condo itself. I absolutely would stay here again, and hope to visit Austin soon for a girl's weekend. This place would be perfect for that, especially given the enormous front porch.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

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

• Dirty and Unreliable

  Dirty and Unreliable

  • Guest NorthTexan
  • Date of stay 07/07/12
  • Review Submitted 08/10/12
  My husband and I stayed here for two nights this July and while we were pleased with the location of the condo we were very displeased with several things about our stay. (1) The condo was dirty! When my husband and I arrived at the condo we did a walk-through and discovered (literally) a pile of dirty on top of the duvet, a used wine glass on the counter that had a lip stick stain on it, a general dingy-ness to the white furniture, and the patio furniture was dirty and would need to be wiped down by us if we intended on using it at all. (2) The washer and dryer did not work and they let us know this by leaving a note taped to the machines, instead of letting us know prior to booking. Normally this wouldn't be huge deal but my husband and I were on a long trip, were doing a lot of outdoor activities, and needed to wash clothes. (3) One of the stools was broken and, again, they let us know this by leaving a note in the chair that said there were screws missing. (4) And lastly, and most importantly, we still have not gotten back our security deposit which was promised to be refunded within 14 days. It has now been 30 days and the property management company (Carvajal Group) is unreachable. My husband and I have called them repeatedly and we cannot even leave a message for them because their mailbox is full! When I first saw this property I was very excited by the modern design and the large deck but with all of the issues we had during our stay and are still having (not getting our security deposit back) I can say that it was definitely not worth it. Stay some place else!

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

• Wonderful Weekend

  Wonderful Weekend

  • Guest Mark
  • Date of stay 04/12/12
  • Review Submitted 05/12/12
  What a great, relaxing weekend at a cozy Austin getaway. Would definitely recommend this to anyone. It's a premium location for downtown Austin access, with the feeling of a remote treehouse bungalow. Great restaurants within a mile, close to UT for football weekends and within walking distance of a nice outdoor park. Very clean and safe - with a terrific covered outdoor living room where I enjoyed grilling and sipping my favorite wine! Also, great night view of the capital building. Anyone who doesn't enjoy this experience just doesn't know how to relax! Well done - I'll be back!

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

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

• LOVE THE FRONT PORCH

  LOVE THE FRONT PORCH

  • Guest voige
  • Date of stay 03/29/12
  • Review Submitted 03/30/12
  The best part about this property is without a doubt, the front porch. It is huge, comfortable, and has a view of the Capitol. At night, the big trees on the property light up, which makes the porch all the more inviting. During my last stay, I used the grill and fixed dinner out there. Also, a big plus is the location. Several of Austin's top restaurants are within walking distance. Happy hour at either Jeffery's or Wink is a must. Also, great breakfast at Austin Java or The Corner Cafe. Lastly, there is a wonderful park down the hill, that has excellent running trails. I would definitely recommend this property to anyone in search of a place to unwind. It is quiet and comfortable.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, tourists without a car, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• Great location by too many misses on this one

  Great location by too many misses on this one

  • Guest RJ
  • Date of stay 02/25/12
  • Review Submitted 03/14/12
  We stay at VRBOs on almost every trip we take and they usually exceed our expectations.This one did not!This is the first bad review we've ever written. No instructions in unit for anything so hope you're good at guessing. First the good things:location is great, size is a small studio but is totally fine for a couple or maybe a couple with a little baby (4 adults - no way), futon and most furniture was Ikea stuff and just fine.The outdoor living room, while dirty, is a sweet spot to hang out - great view!! Now for the many misses: There were no towels in the bath or kitchen - none! We had to dig around in a storage closet and found 1 ancient washcloth and 2 seriously ratty bath sized towels for our stay and we just used paper towels in the kitchen.Huh?? The bed had 4 pillows but only 2 had cases on them and there was no top sheet-just a fitted sheet and a comforter. Gross. We only found one coffee cup to use (this kitchen had some nice pans and super nice knives!) so a little strange that the basics were not available (or if they were we would have had to dig around again somewhere?There are shelves in the kitchen - buy some dishes and put them out! The wifi was like going back to 1999 dial up.Absolutely could not get any work done-I am talking 2 minutes to load a page. This was maddening. In addition, they gave you the password for the wifi but didn't tell you the network name so we had to try the password on all the networks and finally hit the jackpot on the 8th one. Hope you really love dogs because whoever owns/lives here does - this place has extreme dog smell that gets strong when the humidity gets high. Sorry, we just are not used to that so it was difficult to walk in the door each evening and get hit with "eau de Fido". No heat-hope its warm during your stay. We were cold. We did contact whoever manages this place after we got home to let them know of problems. Apparently the lister was new at the job, went to check things out, and told us there were plenty of towels, dishes, sheets - she saw no problems. This place is in a complex and the rental agreement had no unit number listed so we wandered all over looking it.No parking instructions - didn't know if we were taking someone's space or if you just park anywhere (apparently you do). No instruction sheet / welcome sheet anywhere in the place. Maybe they will fix these easy misses and the dog smell.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners.

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

• Good experience but could have been better

  Good experience but could have been better

  • Guest Traveller
  • Date of stay 12/01/11
  • Review Submitted 12/06/11
  We found that the property was not as pictured- indoor and outdoor furniture were both in need of a good cleaning. The white futon inside had a tacky bedpread with holes in it thrown over it to cover the stains. The outdoor area, however, was a nice feature. The unit is small and in no way could it accommodate up to four adults as advertised. The driveway is very, very steep and it's a little treacherous going up the steps at night due to lack of outdoor lighting. Our biggest disappointment was the lack of standard items that would be in any hotel- there was no bath soap, kleenex, bath mat for inside or outside of tub, we spent a half hour trying to figure out the heating/ AC function and the TV settings. The bathroom is extremely small. There was no space to put clothes other than a few worn out wire hangers in a closet with a malfunctioning sliding door. There was a small washer in the unit with a sign saying out of order. The bed was very comfy and the location was in a great neighborhood. For the price we paid- approximately $190 per day including fees- we didn't think it was worth it. We also had a lot of problems with the wi-fi- we had to call manager for password and got very intermittent wi-fi service.

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

• Near Whole Foods

  Near Whole Foods

  • Guest Homeaway
  • Date of stay 09/05/11
  • Review Submitted 09/17/11
  The owner was kind enough to allow an overnight stay at this studio which was really helpful. Travelling with an infant is so much easier when there's a kitchen available. The place is centrally located and in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. Unfortunately, the unit had not been cleaned prior to our arrival (dirty linens, dirty dishes, toilet not flushed completely) which was a bit disappointing. The property manager was good enough to come clean the place immediately. I'd consider that going above and beyond considering this isn't a hotel with maids around the corner. I believe the owner has a pet, which I was not aware of prior to the stay. We're a little more conservative with our infant and would have been reluctant to expose the baby to any pet allergens.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, pet owners.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Rates do not include the $75 cleaning fee, 6% sales tax, and cc fees.
Apr 1 - Jan 15 : $150/night except ACL, national holidays, UT home football games.
Jan 15 - Apr 1 : $125/night - except SXSW, national holidays.
Oct 4-13 (ACL), Nov 13-18 (F1), Mar 7-18 2014 (SXSW) : $300/night
UT Football Games & National Holidays : $175/night
Nov 26 - Dec 1, Dec. 22 - Jan. 3 : $175/night - (Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays)
15% discount on stays over 7 days, long term rentals welcome (w/larger discount)
No booking more than 6 months in advance except SXSW and ACL. Rate is firm.

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