Perfect!

Guest: iceberg (Lee's Summit, MO)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 10/31/11

From the moment I walked in the door I was impressed with this cabin. Meticulously maintained, clean, & updated, this is the perfect getaway. Having stayed in Estes numerous times, I especially enjoyed the location off Mary's Lake Rd. Very quiet, away from the hustle & bustle of town, but close enough to make an easy drive either into the park or into town. Janet was always very prompt at answering emails. The cabin looks even better in person than the pictures. Plenty of room to stretch out. The master suite is HUGE! The upstairs bedroom is a good size also. Living room & family room areas are spacious & the vaulted ceilings in the master & living areas give the rooms an even larger feel. The only suggestion I would have would be to increase the amount of dishes/cookwear, etc. in the kitchen. I LOVED the matching plates, bowls & mugs, but could have used more of them, as we were constantly washing dishes. Also could have used some pyrex rectangular baking dishes, but otherwise fabulous stay. I would definitely recommend this property & would love to stay again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

A little bit of paradise

Guest: Maggie (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 10/30/11

A truly wonderful and excellent home in Estes Park. Clean, well-stocked, beautiful, quiet--utterly delightful. We should all take as good care of our homes as these owners do.

Owner response:I will definitely put a few more of the dishes in the cupboard! Thank you!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Pinecone Cottage is a Gem

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/20/11

We stayed at Pinecone for 5 nights in October. It was perfect for our girl's trip! The views are spectacular and unobstructed. The cabin in is wonderful condition and nicely appointed.The beds and pillows are all comfortable and allow for a perfect night of sleep under the light of the full moon which streamed through the clerestory windows of the master bedroom. Lovely. We had four elk in the front yard the morning of my mom's 83rd birthday . . a very special treat. The owner (Janet) was very accommodating and easy to work with. I would just like to give everyone a head's up that if you are traveling with folks who have difficulty navigating stairs, the only access is up the steps you see in the photos. The master bedroom is on the main floor, however, with the 2nd bedroom upstairs. Both baths are on the main level, but require either one or three steps to access. This certainly did not pose much of a problem for us, but for those with special needs it is something to be aware of. We will have no problem rebooking Pinecone Cottage for our next visit, and would highly recommend it to our friends! Thank you, Janet, for sharing your wonderful little slice of mountain heaven!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

The Perfect Mountain Retreat!

Guest: Dave (Edwardsville, Illiois)
Date of Stay: 09/24/11 Review Submitted: 10/01/11

My brother and I just spent a week at Pinecone Cottage and loved every minute of it! This mountain home overflows with character and charm. Its rustic, yet has all the comforts and updated amenities you could want or need. You get a real sense of privacy and yet, it is only five minutes to either downtown Estes Park or Rocky Mountain National Park. This cottage, with its pine walls, logpole furniture and many windows not to mention the ample sized balcony with million dollar views, together make for the perfect Colorado vacation experience. We watched herds of elk wonder through the property as well as an occasional deer. And at night, we would watch the most amazing sunsets while listening to John Denver on my portable CD player and hearing the elks bugling in the distance. The owners of this mountain retreat are friendly and accomodating. We hope to return in the future. Until then, we have the most wonderful memories of our weeks stay at the Pinecone Cottage.

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

Cute Cabin

Guest: dosmadre (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/09/11

We have stayed in many, many houses in Estes over the years. We usually stay at WIndcliff or that area but, for part of our stay this year, we decided to try this cabin nearer Mary's Lake for a change and because it seemed like a good value. Location is very convenient and panoramic views are beautiful. The owners are kind and very conscientious. We had a few, minor issues while we were there (roof leaks, cable service) and owners responded & had repaired immediately. The kitchen and bathrooms appeared sparkling clean. The home is more spacious than it seems in pictures. There were a few things I wish I had known before reserving for an extended stay: Little ventilation: Most of the windows do not open and front door screen was missing, so lack of good ventilation was a disappointment. Dusty: Some dust is to be expected, of course, but I spent the better part of a day cleaning loads of dust. I had to clean all the fans before using them because they were caked with dust, and we had to use them because it was so warm. Traffic noise: Convenient location but you can easily hear traffic from major road. High, uncovered windows in master allow light to flood through super early in the morning, which isn't a problem if you like to rise at or before five. No smoke alarms were installed so we bought our own. Overall, cabin is cute and convenient.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

great views, comfortable cabin

Guest: Kaye (Indianapolis, IN)
Date of Stay: 06/24/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

We loved our week spent in your cabin! The views were amazing. It is the perfect spot - convenient to Estes Park, but removed from the busyness of the town. The cabin was just right for our family of four, our kids enjoying the privacy of their own loft.

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

Great cabin - extraordinary location

Guest: Ginny (Phoenix)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 06/25/11

The cabin is located about 5 minutes to RMNP and also Estes Park. It sits on a hill with great views. It is a bright and sunny property that has just about everything you need including paper products, hair dryer, shampoo, hot chocolate, coffee/filters, good selection of pots and cooking utensils, washer/dryer and wi-fi. The owner is considerate of having items in the cabin to make things comfortable. Some restaurants that the owner recommended (The Other Side/Lakeside, Mary's Lake Lodge and Fawn Brook Inn were all very good - Fawn Brook should not be missed!) There is a good grocery store 2 minutes away (The Country Store) which also rents dvd's. Great wine store next to it. A huge Safeway is just 6 minutes away 'in town.' Don't forget to bring a collapsible cooler with you - it was nice to have for our picnic lunches, beverages and snacks before and after hiking. You will find several freezer packs for your cooler that are there for your use (very helpful). Although this cabin was too large for just the two of us, it would make for a great family home or reunion of old friends. My only suggestion is that blinds be placed on the windows in the sunroom and dining area. It would really help to keep the cabin cooler since windows face west. All in all, I would recommend this property to familiy and friends. I commend the owner for being very considerate of our needs during our stay. It was a lovely trip and great way to spend my birthday week!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Second time around!

Guest: Ruthie (Olathe, KS USA)
Date of Stay: 06/10/11 Review Submitted: 06/19/11

We love this place so much we came back!! This was our second visit to Pine Cone Cottage and we were just as pleased as the first time. We had a roaring fire every morning. Saw elk, deer, and even a bob cat in the front yard!! We feel so at home here. The cottage is always so clean and comfortable. We would HIGHLY recomend this cottage to anyone who wants to relax, have fun, and just truly enjoy Estes Park for all its wonderful glory. We WILL be back again!!

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

Pinecone Cottage

Guest: teh2 (Topeka, Kansas)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/27/10

The cottage was clean and in a good location. It is only a few minutes from RMNP and downtown Estes Park. However, one thing the description does not mention is that two queen sized beds are upstairs in a very small loft. My son could not stay up there because he literally hit his head on the ceiling. The other problem with the loft is that you have to travel down a long, steep flight of stairs in the dark if you want to go to the bathroom during the night. If you are a family with children, this place will work fine. We had three generations of adults and the nightly bathroom visits were a bit of an adventure for those staying in the loft. Also, if you have very tall family members, they will not be comfortable in the loft. Other than that, it was a great place to stay. There is plenty of room for 5 adults to relax, eat, and visit.

Owner response:The loft is a rectangular long and narrow room. It is not small but it is narrow. The ceiling is on the lower side, but I have never had a complaint about it or the stairs before. This family was very tall so you may not enjoy the upstairs if you are very tall. The room size gives you about 2 feet on each side of the queen beds with about a 5 foot square area between the two queen beds. I also have two night lights in the cabin that may be used anywhere that you want them so if you have trouble seeing at night, please feel free to reposition. Most guests have very much enjoyed the unique historical character of our cottage. We have worked very hard to make it very comfortable and usable for our guests and we continue to make improvements every year. We have brand new quilts, among other things this year. Our mattresses are quite new as well. This is our first comment ever in 5 years of renting on VRBO that included any negative content.

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

Great vacation spot!

Guest: Martin (Thornton, CO)
Date of Stay: 07/16/10 Review Submitted: 07/22/10

This was a very enjoyable cabin with a great view of Estes Park. It was perfect for our family and was even better than we had expected it to be. Like other reviews said, pictures don't do it justice.

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