Could have been cleaner

Guest: Like Thinks Clean (WA )
Date of Stay: 10/13/11 Review Submitted: 10/26/11

Pros: House setting was nice. Mostly peaceful. Has 3 bathrooms, 1 upstairs 2 downstairs. Downstairs bedrooms adequate in size with bath in one. Downstairs beds comfortable. Master downstairs has access to screened porch. Near restaurants and less than 30 minutes to NO. Screened porch is nice and decent size, but needs repairs to screening. Cons: Stayed in downstairs master. Used bar soap left in shower which does not give a "feeling" that it had been cleaned after last use and quite frankly the shower is old and black in color and hard to tell if clean. Countertop in master bath was also not clean on arrival. IMO house would feel crowded with a large group as the main living, dining and kitchen area is not large. Recommend locating the house info sheet in a more visible location as current location is easily missed. When renting a place, whether hotel or vacation home, my main concern is a feeling of "clean" and all the bathrooms in this house need serious updating and cleaning. The bathroom upstairs had mildew in the shower around the door, and the shower curtain downstairs needed cleaning or replacing. I was taken aback that after another person in our party wrote a review that I received a message from someone, didn't tell me their name, apologizing for the soap in shower but stating "it is quite a big house to clean and I have to clean myself. I do the best I can". Really...is this the renters problem? There were other excuses as well I won't go into. Last comment was "Hope you have a good day and enjoy the Karma along the way". I found this statement very strange and was not sure how to take it. I would think VRBO owners would want to get honest constructive criticism on their properties. I have rented through VRBO before. There is no excuse for not being clean IMO especially when to get cleaning refund, house is to be cleaned including all sheets and towels washed and beds remade. I have never experienced this before. Our group cleaned the upstairs and master bath before using.

Owner response:Thank you for your constructive criticism and comments. Not much can be done about remodeling the bathrooms, the design of the living area or size of the bedrooms, but much attention will be spent addressing the cleanliness of the bathrooms, as well as the rest of the house. I agree with you about the black bathroom being difficult to discern if it is actually clean, but it was. Sorry for overlooking the "used" bar of soap....The tub was cleaned and there was "fresh and new" soap in the cabinet. I have also stayed in other VRBO homes, and if there is a problem or oversight on the owner's part, I leave them a personal note to let them be aware of anything that needs to be corrected. None of the other families and or groups of friends who have stayed at this house ever complained that it was an inadequate size, or not enough room for them. There are other properties in this area that are much larger and the cost to rent is double. That is why this house is priced as it is. Again, thank you for the critique. What can be changed will.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, pet owners.

A little disappointed.

Guest: Bea (Ozark, Mo)
Date of Stay: 10/13/11 Review Submitted: 10/19/11

The location was nice, and for the most part peaceful. A neighbor has a pack of beagles that go off on occasion. The pictures are a bit misleading, it is a old house that needs some fixing up. We were a little surprised to see old used soap bars and mold in the showers and a cracked toilet seat. We were lucky that the mosquitoes weren't to bad as the screen in porch has rips all in it. The upstairs bedroom with the queen and full bed, the paint is coming off in big chunks and the full bed need to be replaced unless you like sleeping on springs. It is close to New Orleans, about 20mins. And close to eatery's. As for recommending this house to family or friends, unless the owner invested a little money into the place and hired a descent cleaning service I would not.

Owner response:Thank you for your review. I won't repeat what I said in the other reply to the other review from your group, (i.e. the soap)....but I can add....the toilet seat was broken by your party, maybe someone just didn't let anybody know they did it... I did not know about the full bed upstairs being uncomfortable, but have bought a mattress, hotel quality, cover for it. I did know about the screen door that was torn by a previous guest. I will be replacing it, but since there was no time, I put fall garland over the area, hoping to make it look a little better and festive at the same time, but it sounds like that wasn't good enough. You are so right. It is not a new house, and I think the pictures show that. It was built in the 80's and other guests have remarked about the quaintness of the rustic design and decor. Perhaps it shouldn't be located in a city, but it is. And, I am aware of the upstairs bedroom that needs to have the wallpaper removed (not "paint..coming off in big chunks"). Until I can hire someone to remove all the wallpaper and repaint, I will begin to remove what is coming off, and paint where I can. I appreciate your comment about investing "a little money into the place"....I am paying off a 15k new roof, but still try to repair what I can, when I can. Again, thank you for your honest opinions. I will change what I can....

Recommended for:

Guest: Ron and Vickie (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 04/23/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

A lovely time indeed!! People asked, "Why stay in Slidell?" Such a long way to New Orleans!!" The answer was clear each morning as we sat with coffee on the wonderful porch - a respite from three days of Jazz Fest and two nights in the French Quarter. We will look forward to returning.

Recommended for:

Guest: Muriel and Francois (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 03/31/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

My husband's wish to escape the Canadian winter - snow, cold, and winter driving, was a good one. He has an appetite for exploration and adventure, which Louisiana has more than satisfied. It was lovely to wear sandals and shorts in February and March. We enjoyed the house...it has soul. It is a happy house. Friends came to visit, also escapees of winter and very much enjoyed their stay. Thank you very such for a great experience, facilitated by the rental of your house.

Recommended for:

Guest: Chris and Joe (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 02/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

Thank you....we loved the house...big for only two people, but we did have family from Florida on the weekend. Fishing wasn't the best, but we did catch a 30 1/2 in. redfish and several trout. The golf show in New Orleans was great, but we were glad we were staying here and not in New Orleans....too crazy for us. The history of this house and pics of hurricane damage were very interesting. We rode our motorcycles all the way to Gulfport, MS along the shoreline....amazing. We will be back. We love the house, town and weather when you leave three feet of snow and 20 below zero, it's great here. The parades were a lot of fun also. So glad we found you on VRBO.com.

Recommended for:

Guest: John and Deb (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 10/31/09 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

Laissez Le Bons Temps Roule (Let the good times roll!) Boy howdy, we did!~ Five of us from fOklahoma City have enjoyed this comfortable home for one week. Two in our party had stayed here before. We toured Slidell, New Orleans and Mississippi, and enjoyed seafood daily. We tried some new stuff-like alligator sausage. This home is nicely furnished and very comfy. Thank you very much. We had a wonderful time.

Recommended for:

Guest: Natasia (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 08/07/09 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

Once settled in, time became a discardable commodity. It feels wonderful to wind down with nothing urgent to do. Our kids went from: "There's nothing to do here, to "can't we stay longer?" Being from Europe, this is the ultimate American life for me: A screened porch, hot weather and great places to visit. A taste of a life we would never have experienced in any luxury hotel. Southern living to the max! Unfortunately, time does pass by and we must go on, but hfopefully to be back one day.

Recommended for:

Guest: Brenda (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 07/22/09 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

This is our first visit to this home. What a wonderful place to stay! It has brought back many memories of my childhood trips to Louisiana from Texas. Our family traveled to visit my great aunt in Morgan City, usually twice a year. We so enjoyed sitting on her front porch. Last night we sat on the front porch of this home, listening to the sounds of nature. The crickets and the! thunder were easy to discern, however, one frog-duck like sound had us all guessing! This home is so lovely with its pretty furnishings and tasteful interior decorating. It has wonderfully accomodated our families as we had the opportunity to see our boys play baseball at the All-Star World Series in Mandeville. This is a great place to enjoy God's creation.

Recommended for:

Guest: Barbara and crew. (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 02/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

This is our first visit to this house. What a wonderful place to stay! It has brought back many memories of my childhood trips to Louisiana from Texas. Our family traveled to visit my great aunt in Morgan City, usually twice a year. We so enjoyed sitting on her front porch, saying hello to people as they walked by and watching families at the park across the street. Last night we sat on the front porch of this home, listening to the sounds of nature. The crickets and the thunder were easy to discern, however, one frog-duck like sound had us all guessing! This home is so lovely with its pretty furnishings and tasteful interior decorating. It has wonderfully accomodated our three families as we had the opportunity to see our boys play baseball at the All-Star World Series in Mandeville. May the Lord bless all who stay here. It's a great place to enjoy God's creation.

Recommended for:

Guest: Leona (Slidell, LA)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/11

We spent a wonderful week at this home and really enjoyed it. It was a family Christmas celebration and a 50th wedding anniversary. The home was very comfortable.. The Christmas tree and decorations added a homey touch.

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