Vacation Rentals by Owner

Wedding at Pasatiempo

Guest: Dick (New York City)
Date of Stay: 05/17/12 Review Submitted: 05/23/12

My son's wedding was at the Hollins House at Pasatiempo and we wanted a property for three couples on the grounds or nearby. The Gatehouse was perfect for this - ideally located to the Club yet private and quiet. The proximity of the house to the Inn at Pasatiempo is also a plus as many other guests stayed there. The surprise was the size and variety of the rooms - the enormous master suite, the other two ensuite bedrooms, the large kitchen, board room, living room, dining room, deck area and the game room/garage were all impressive. Clean and in immaculate condition - we felt like moving in and staying. Wonderful gardens (watch for the deer!). The access to Rte 17 and Rte 1 is also a huge plus - easy to get into town and beaches and quickly over the hill to San Jose airport. For the golfers the opportunity to play Pasatiempo is not to be missed - a classic and very difficult gem of a course.

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

A couple of adults

Guest: none (Lake Tahoe NV)
Date of Stay: 10/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/21/11

The Gatehouse was lovely - we have nicknamed it the Little Awahnee. The bedrooms were lovely and we especially enjoyed the steam shower in the master suite. which was really nice as it had its own deck. Unfortunately the hot tub was not in working order. This is really a very charming property and having the large lawn and BBQ area added to its charm. We would definitely recommend this propety to our friends. The manager was one of the best we have ever had the pleasure to work with. A couple of additions would have made it perfect. A toaster for the kitchen and ceiling fans in the conference room. The location is fantastic and private.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Good times and eats...

Guest: Cawaterfowl54 (San Jose, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 02/11/11 Review Submitted: 02/16/11

The Gatehouse was beautifully set up with it's different themes, colours, antiques, gardens, etc... very nicely done. Everyone was exceptional and helpful. One of the notable ones... Vickey who met us at the reservation desk and gave us the tour; was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Ohh and the bartender she was awsome and made some killer drinks... the "Chocolate Martini" my wife absolutely loved. We booked on Valentine's weekend knowing the weather could be an issue but as luck would have it, was one of the warmest February's on record. Located just outside of Santa Cruz on the Pasatiempo Golf Course, easy access to the freeway, top rated GC's, Steakhouse (Peachwood) and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk within minutes made this stay... one to remember, couldn't ask for much more. We visited downtown Santa Cruz, the pier, Aldo's for breakfast (the Crab Eggs Benedict on their homemade Fugasa bread... hmmmmm), rode the "The Giant Dipper", back to the house for some pool and foosball, dinner at the Peachwood.... killer Fillet's and dessert's (the clocks are really something, pretty cool) back to downtown for the Walnut Avenue Cafe for a little healthy breakfast... and on to the Sunday morning antique flea market before heading for home. Although the hot tub wasn't working I still rated this place a "5" and would gladly recommend it.

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

Santa Cruz

Guest: Carrie (Hanford)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

My stay in Santa Cruz was more then expected. Our group had a wonderful time. We never left the house, but to go to the grocery store. The nestled feeling of this home, featured a spectacular fireplace, beautiful rooms, great location and the ambiance of the rain falling (that particular weekend), and great friends was a trip to remember for years to come. Truly a restful weekend - Thank you!!

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

All I had hoped for!

Guest: Happy (Ontario)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

We had a fantastic family gathering over Christmas at this property! The house itself is gorgeous! The furnishings and bedding are of a very high quality, and the style choices are tasteful and elegant. There was plenty of room! The six of us cooked meals together, went for walks, watched movies, and hung out in front of the fire...a lot. The place was clean, and helpful staff were just down the lane. We will be back!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great spacious family or group rental

Guest: nancy may (2821 middle creek ranch rd. Horse Creek, CA. 9605)
Date of Stay: 11/23/10 Review Submitted: 12/01/10

I rented the gate house for a family Thanksgiving this year. The home was beautifully appointed and extremely comfortable for the 7 of us. In particular the kitchen was complete with cooking tools and lovely dishware for the dinner service. The beds were exceptionally cozy with great mattresses. A great deal for the money! I've bookmarked this one for the future.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

IT IS TIME TO RENOVATE THIS HOUSE!!!!!! AND MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO BE HELPFUL!!!!!!!!

Guest: Adrianne D. (Scottsdale, Arizona, Brentwood, CA, Meredith,NH)
Date of Stay: 11/14/10 Review Submitted: 11/16/10

We rent houses all over the world and I had HOPED this one would be true to the description on the internet, but it is very, very disappointing. It has old carpets that need to be replaced, or cleaned at the very least, cobwebs over the master bedroom bed, I killed no less than 5 spiders so far( and was told by management that" yes, there is a problem in the area but nothing they can do about the spiders in the house, and we have only been here for 2 nights. The termites have left the window sills and are now flying and landing on the floor in the kitchen,the hair dryer I started to use was so dirty that it almost caught on fire, I did call management and they sent up a new hair dryer. There a terrible smell in one of the kitchen cabinets, so that every time you use a glass, you must wash it first. The rugs in the Master bathroom are dirty, the house in general is tired and needs updating. Even our guest commented on how tired and dirty the house was when they arrived. I washed all the towels in their bathroom, because they found hair on them. I washed the blanket on their bed also, because it was dirty. My hunch is the owners have not been to this house in awhile, nor does the management inspect the house on a regular basis, they just send a cleaning crew from their hotel to do a quick clean before guests arrive, and I paid $125.00 for a cleaning fee. All in all, it is very sad, because the house COULD be very nice, so buyer/or renter beware! And we still have 5 days here in the house.

Owner response:I am the owner of the Gatehouse, responding to our guest above. It is hard to understand so many complaints within the first two days of her stay, except to say that perhaps this wasn’t a good match for her, and she wanted to break her seven-day lease.. It is a lovely, historic French country home surrounded by mature trees and at the edge of the Pasatiempo Golf Course. We have a very meticulous method of inspecting before and after guests. Our prior guests (4 women), who departed on the day this guest arrived, loved the house and went out of their way to be complimentary. Our other guest reviews show 89% give us a five-star rating. We did everything we could to satisfy the guest. The house is beautiful with high quality furnishings, clean and well maintained. We professionally operate this house and others of fine quality.

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Beautiful Home

Guest: Kiki (Livermore, California)
Date of Stay: 11/12/10 Review Submitted: 12/02/10

Love this home! We had a girls weekend and enjoyed the beautiful patio during the day and the cozy and warm family room with a beautiful fire in the evenings. This home is immaculate.The beds are so comfortable and the bathrooms are stocked with everything you need. We took a long walk around the beautiful golf course. We are definitely going back to this relaxing, comfortable, cozy, clean house. I recommend this property for families, a girls weekend, an Anniversary or just a getaway.

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

Wedding house

Guest: Tom (Trabuco Canyon CA )
Date of Stay: 09/20/10 Review Submitted: 09/29/10

Our wedding party loved the space for dressing and convenience. It made great memories and we look forward to returning some day.

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

Tim - St. Paul, MN

Guest: Tim (St. Paul, MN)
Date of Stay: 09/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/14/10

The Gate House is an excellent, well managed, property. I highly recommend it. A wonderfull experience for the 3 adult couples that stayed for five days, four nights. No trick photography used for pictures on the website, what you see in the pictures is what you get in reality ... and more. We'll be back someday.

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

Great time for 4 generations

Guest: GrannyMarcia (San Jose, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/10/10 Review Submitted: 10/28/10

My family and I (4 generations) stayed at this beautiful house and all had a great time. We enjoyed the spa, the game room, the large living room/dining room area, eating out on the patio. There was plenty of room to socialize together, but the separate bedrooms provided privacy as well. The house provided a great base for trips to the beach, the redwoods, Roaring Camp, and Natural Bridges.

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

Beautiful, but don't look too close

Guest: cm (California)
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 07/05/10

Truly a beautiful house and setting. Each bedroom is decorated very differently, eclectic and fun. The house has plenty of room for a group of families. My only concern (NOT a complaint) is that when we opened the blinds in our bedroom the window frames were eaten away by termites.

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

Amazing Experience!

Guest: Staci (San Jose, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/24/10 Review Submitted: 06/23/10

My husband and I have had the luxury of staying at The Gate House several times and have never been disappointed. The home is amazing; the owners have taken such care in decorating down to every single detail. The grounds are lush and well kept and the experience has always been above and beyond!! This home is so peaceful, absolutely quiet and SO relaxing! Though we live just 45 minutes away, when we arrive at The Gate House we feel a million miles away.....I highly recommend staying and CAN NOT wait until we have the pleasure of returning.

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

Guest: Libby Lane (Los Gatos, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/23/10 Review Submitted: 02/23/10

I stayed at the Gatehouse over Valentine's weekend. What a lovely - an romantic place. It was a beautiful weekend and we spent a fair amount of time on the deck outside the master bedroom. It was sunny and secluded. The location is great, again away from it all, and yet so close to Santa Cruz, where we spent time walking the beach and enjoying the restaurants. This is a great get-away place for a couple or a group. The house is big. You can be alone or gather on the deck or living room for a more social interaction. It is every bit as beautiful as the photos depict. If you go, I know you will enjoy.

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Relaxed Girls Weekend in the perfect setting

Guest: Christy (Rocklin, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/11/09 Review Submitted: 12/02/10

A sunny day in Santa Cruz is a jewel to behold! We had an entire weekend of sunshine and spent most of it in the cozy cottage catching up with high school friends. The pictures on the website are EXACTLY the way it looks, except it's missing us girls lounging on the comfy couches in front of the fire and enjoying the fall sunshine on the back patio wicker rocking chairs. The rooms were charming and my bed was so comfortable. The kitchen had all the ammenities we needed to enjoy cooking in. I was so impressed when I found a hairdryer diffuser in the bathroom drawer (I had forgotten to pack mine). How many places could you find a diffuser??? A walk around the golf course was the perfect mid-morning exercise and on our last day, we enjoyed brunch at Aldo's on the harbor. A wonderful place to be with very special people. If you like unpredictable weather of Northern California beaches and you appreciate the comforts of home - away from home - then The Gatehouse is the right choice for you. Enjoy your stay - I did.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Guest: Katie51 (San Jose, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/17/09 Review Submitted: 09/17/09

My girlfriends and I had so much fun here! We played pool all night after BBQing out on the patio and drinking wine in the spa. =) The house is gorgeous and the beds are so comfortable! I did not want to leave the house because it was so much fun! But we did take the short drive down to the beach and some of the local wineries. This trip was one of my favorite vacations ever!

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Guest: Shane Hicks (Saratoga Ca)
Date of Stay: 08/27/09 Review Submitted: 08/27/09

I stayed at the Gate House a couple of weeks ago with my family and we had a great time! The house was amazing. You can tell the owner put a lot of time an money professionally decorating this place. All three bedrooms were very spacious. The MB has a full office with computer. The kids loved the game room and our favorite hang out was the grand living room and patio area with outdoor heaters. We would definatley stay there again! On Sunday the guys played a round of golf at the famed Pasatiempo course while the girls got massages in Capitola! Ahhhh relaxing!

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Guest: J. Sparaco (Maui, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 06/03/05 Review Submitted: 06/03/05

I stayed at this home twice with my three girlfriends in late 2004, shortly after they began renting this beautiful home. Everything is quality - down pillows and comforters, and all high end furnishings. It is more like staying in someone's home and not a rental because it is so well equiped and the decorating is spectacular. It is very well maintained and the people are very nice. Everything in the home is fresh and appears to be new. It has a great location - on the Pasatiempo Golf Course, 20 minutes from silicon valley and 5 minutes to the beach. Great place for the price.

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