Beautiful Dream Home - Private Spa Retreat

• Great house for a vacation with friends!

  Great house for a vacation with friends!

  • Guest Kenneth A.
  • Date of stay 09/28/12
  • Review Submitted 12/10/12
  I brought my wife here for a 30th birthday getaway, and we were joined by another couple. We had a terrific stay in the house and all of my dealings with the owner and local property manager were outstanding. The house was spotless when we arrived, and the location was very convenient to downtown Napa (where we ended up doing most of our dining). The biggest reasons I chose this house for our stay were the backyard decks and pool/hot tub. They are outstanding and we spent most of our time outside drinking wine and enjoying the space. The hot tub is excellent and clean, and even though it was pretty cold, we jumped in the pool anyways. Also very clean and well kept! It was a great way to relax after a day of wine tasting. The only reason I rated the house 4 instead of 5 stars is simply a matter of taste. You can tell the house is very carefully and lovingly decorated, but sometimes things feel a little bit dated (linens, couches, etc.). But honestly, we spent all of our time outside and loved it so it was hardly an issue. Again - super clean, fun space, incredibly friendly and helpful owner and manager. We really had a good time. And some reviews complain about the cleaning policy being so itemized and strange, however we had absolutely zero issues. We left the house the way we found it (as you should) and had no problems. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. We had a terrific time and were grateful to have a relaxing home base for our vacation.

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

• Girl's Getaway

  Girl's Getaway

  • Guest Lisabeth
  • Date of stay 11/01/12
  • Review Submitted 11/19/12
  The house worked well for a girl's getaway trip. The house is very eclectic and furnished with lots of art and accessories from the owner's travels. Outside deck and pool area are exceptional, however we were never at the house long enough to really enjoy them (too bad for us. Location is very convenient - close to downtown Napa and easy to get on the highway to Napa and/or Sonoma wineries. Kitchen was well equiped with everything needed if you choose to cook (however, we ate out). Coffee pot does take a long time to brew but everthing else worked well. The house definitey worked well for our group.

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

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

• Beautiful back yard oasis. Inside needs love.

  Beautiful back yard oasis. Inside needs love.

  • Guest Rebecca D.
  • Date of stay 08/10/12
  • Review Submitted 08/30/12
  I chose this property to rent in Napa for two main reasons: (1) is has a pool and a hot tub; (2) it was walkable to downtown Napa. I stayed at the house for three nights with six of my girlfriends. They left and my husband arrived for another four nights. We were celebrating my 40th birthday. The house met my expectations. It does have a wonderful, private, playful, nearly perfect back yard. I would not describe the house as "blocks" from downtown. Oxbow is a little more than a mile away. Part of downtown is closer. You could not stay here without a car. The property manager is helpful. The hot tub, pool, deck and screened-in porch were great-- we spent as much time outside as possible! The back yard is private and beautiful. I only noted two downsides to the back yard (1) more chairs and umbrellas are needed; and (2) the sink outside does not work. The landscaping is gorgeous! Inside, the house could use some love. To me, the house feels pretty cluttered inside but that is a personal preference. I would not bring children or pets to this house. There are too many things to be broken. I think it is difficult to keep it clean. The really important stuff was clean when we arrived, but it could use a good total "spring" cleaning (cabinets, drawers, dusting, etc.). The beds are very comfortable. However, I would not go here with more than 2 couples. Privacy is tricky given the floor plan. The kitchen appliances (small and large) and all electronics are dated. I had to buy a docking station for an iPod. Some kind of a docking station should be standard today. The coffee pot takes a solid 20-minutes to brew a pot of coffee. The dryer takes over 2 hours to dry a load. Except for the wireless, everything electronic looked like it was 10-15 years old. The bathrooms are both showing signs of age with mildew and warped boards. The water temp in the master shower is so difficult to control that the shower is practically useless. The towels are old. Robes would be a nice, basic addition. So, if I were to rate the outside of the house, I would give it 5 stars. If I were to rate the inside of the house, I would give it 2-3 stars. For my purposes, it worked out well. But, given the price point of the house, I expected the inside to be in better repair, more updated and to be more luxurious.

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• 3 couples from Canada....loved it!!!!!!!!!1

  3 couples from Canada....loved it!!!!!!!!!1

  • Guest Calgary Canuck
  • Date of stay 07/15/11
  • Review Submitted 12/22/11
  We loved the fact that this property was very unique, with much character...not the run onf the mill houses that are out there! We loved the decor, and we spent a couple of fun nights around the pool and on the large seated patio...Nancy was professional to work with and have nothing but good things to say about all transactions. So long as you leave the house relatively clean, you will not have any problems with getting your deposit back... Nancy was also very helpful in making recommendations in what to do, which wineries to see, that suited our length of stay...came out for a golf school, but the house really added to our enjoyment!

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, families with teenagers, age 55+.

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

• Needs TLC

  Needs TLC

  • Guest Jan G.
  • Date of stay 11/04/11
  • Review Submitted 11/07/11
  I was one of four 60 something women who rented this home for a weekend getaway to Napa. This could be a charming home with a little TLC. Unfortunately, the home shows a good bit of wear and tear. (Eg. The cabinet around the sink in the master bedroom is badly warped. The oven door is attached by a screw to the upper oven panel to avoid falling when the door is opened) I also agree with the review by Ohiogirl that the owner needs to consider her expectations regarding her cleaning policy. In an effort to avoid charges for the following: $10 for finger marks on the glass breakfast area table top, or the shower; $10 for leaving furniture out of place; $10 for leaving dishes in the dishwasher; and $10 for leaving any trash in the trash cans, we spent a good deal of our weekend concerned over abiding by the rules to avoid the threat of not having our deposit returned. .

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

  Owner response: Judging from the feedback from the hundreds of renters who enjoy our home annually, there is NO problem with expectations regarding our cleaning policy, except with groups who do not read or remember written correspondences, policies, or rental documents. This group rented "off season", and paid the required $100 cleaning fee for November thru February rentals. Evidently, one lady found my Departure Checklist in our WELCOME BOOK, which contains copies of all rental policies & guidelines, operating instructions for the custom features in the home, House Rules, etc. The extra cleaning charges outlined in the checklist only occur during rentals from March thru October ("on-season"), when there is NO REQUIRED CLEANING FEE. The checklist becomes one of the agreements that are signed prior to booking, along with the rental contract. When I was notified by vrbo that this review had been submitted, I phoned Judy, who reported that she had not written it, had no idea which of her friends had, and agreed that the misunderstanding was clearly their fault. They had jumped to conclusions about expectations that weren't consistent with the e-mails or documents Judy had received. Unfortunately, she never contacted me, or the property manager who is on-call 24/7 for clarification. In fact, when their security deposit was refunded, I included extra funds above the $500 deposit to help compensate for their misunderstanding because we pride ourselves on having happy, returning renters. This is an unfair review, based on inaccurate assumptions by one of the ladies in this group. We would be happy to forward copies of our rental policies, including the departure checklist. As for the home needing a little TLC, it is furnished with unique items and furnishings. There is no "cabinet" around the sink in the master bath - it is a French antique desk from one of the hotels destroyed during the Mt. St. Helen's volcano years ago. Renters leave standing water around the sink, and the surface is re-sealed annually. And, though the double wall oven works perfectly well, the hinge on one of the doors broke several years ago & replacement parts are simply not available. We've installed a lever to keep the door shut. My husband is a builder, and our home has no deferred maintenance. Most of the homes in the vrbo inventory are furnished with standard furnishings and minimal art. We understand that those homes may be a better match for some renters.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• Outstanding Vacation Location

  Outstanding Vacation Location

  • Guest KOENINGER
  • Date of stay 08/09/11
  • Review Submitted 09/01/11
  My bride and I spent 10 days in this house in mid-August, and we found it to be as close to perfect as any house we've ever rented. It is spacious, yet cozy, it is well-equipped (kitchen, linens, lighting), and the backyard is exceedingly private. From a location standpoint, its outstanding. Downtown Napa and its variety and multitude of restaurants is about a 3-minute drive; access to the major roads that run through the Napa wine country or connect to the Sonoma wine country is all of 10-minutes away; and yet the house is on a very quiet street in a very quiet neighborhood. We found the owners extremely accomodating and easy to work with, and their onsite assistant, Elias, was very helpful on arrival and responsive during our stay. In short, this house was in large part responsible for one of the best vacation experiences we've had, and I highly recommend it to others.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

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

• "Beautiful Dream Home" is RIGHT!

  "Beautiful Dream Home" is RIGHT!

  • Guest Furrygodmother
  • Date of stay 07/21/11
  • Review Submitted 08/08/11
  I can't say enough but this gorgeous house and our wonderful stay there. I was a little skeptical before we arrived. I thought that the pictures could be old and surely the house isn't that way now. I was wrong...so wrong. It was so much more than I expected. I had talked to the owner when we booked the house and she explained to me how she wanted the house to have every possible item in it that a vacationer would want. She didn't sound like someone who just wanted to rent a house but someone who put so much thought and work into it to make the renter feel welcome and comfortable. It was fun looking at all the unique items around. On day nine I was still discovering things. My children and grandchildren stayed a few blocks away. They came over to make s'mores in the Elm St. Zoo. They had a blast. I enjoyed walking every morning around the beautiful neighborhood. Tis house is so convenient to everywhere we wanted to go. I hope I have the opportunity and the pleasure to make this "Beautiful Dream Home" my home again.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers, age 55+.

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

• NICE HOUSE....BUT READ YOUR CONTRACT CAREFULLY!!!!!!

  NICE HOUSE....BUT READ YOUR CONTRACT CAREFULLY!!!!!!

  • Guest Ohiogirl
  • Date of stay 06/24/11
  • Review Submitted 07/22/11
  Be VERY careful renting this house. READ your contract carefully and be prepared to be charged fees for every little thing you do not obey in the list of departure charges. We were charged for things as petty as having fingerprints on the sliding glass door and for moving a piece of outdoor furniture and not returning it to the EXACT spot we found it. We have rented numerous houses through VRBO in the past and have NEVER had an issue with getting our security deposit back in full. The house was in a very convenient location being within walking distance to downtown Napa but due to the stringent departure checklist we would not rent this home again. Who wants to spend an entire day of your vacation throughly cleaning a house?!!?

  Owner response: Yes, please do read your contract, as well as the Departure Checklist. Both outline our cleaning policy & are e-mailed before reservations are made. We believe that contracts protect both parties: our renters because they are mailing funds to someone they don't know, and us for opening our special home to strangers. My first e-mail to an inquiry explains our cleaning policy, as does the contract & Departure Checklist. All clearly state that if the house is restored to the condition it was before arrival, "EXCEPT for normal cleaning of sinks, floors, countertops, tubs, toilets, showers and linens", the entire refundable security deposit is returned. And, the Departure Checklist provides the minimal fees for cleaning itmes not included in the "normal cleaning" I pay for. Our policy was created by past renters, who felt that taking a little time to straighten-up was worth not having to pay a required $100 cleaning fee. We do not ask our renters to clean, & the vast majority of our renters do no incur deductions. Of the 40 groups we've had this year, only four groups were charged for items needing special attention & time beyond our 'normal cleaning', & two of these groups had children. The group of five "Ohio Girls" made NO attempt to leave the house as found, and had additional daytime guests who contributed to the mess. They were not charged for "a few fingerprints" because we take care of that in our normal cleaning. The house was left VERY dirty, including windows, appliances, dishes, & very messy bathroom mirrors. For example, they entered the garage without permission, helped themselves to extra beach towels & bed linens, & were charged $25 to cover my bill for washing everything, which is less than one hour labor (a very reasonable charge). They broke two large wine glasses & were charged $20. The hot tub needed draining, scrubbing dark oil rings from the sides, and refilling because they ignored the HOUSE RULES posted on the wall, the guidelines on the Departure Checklist, & the property manager's instructions. If feel it unfair to blame me for unreasonable "petty" deductions, when the deductions were legitimate. We pridre ourselves on having an absolutely awesome home, and awesome renters, and would rather rent to those who appreciate the house and take care of it. I am not happy when we have unhappy renters, and it is unfortunate that this group chose to ignore the documents they signed.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 8/8

• Great,comfortable home for a group of people staying in Napa

  Great,comfortable home for a group of people staying in Napa

  • Guest Michelle
  • Date of stay 05/27/11
  • Review Submitted 06/02/11
  There were 6 adults that stayed here last weekend, it was a very enjoyable experience and everything was nicely decorated and clean. All the amentities necessary are within this home. We would highly recommend this house to ohters looking to rent a house in Napa.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/3

• Great property for a couple or for families

  Great property for a couple or for families

  • Guest Tony
  • Date of stay 07/02/10
  • Review Submitted 07/11/10
  The house is very close to downtown Napa and you can even walk to a very nice park. The best part of the house is the backyard pool and spa area. The deck area is well shaded and the jacuzzi/pool are great. You can stay outside all day and it is very relaxing.

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

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

12% TOT Tax for stays in Napa less than 30 days in B&Bs, hotels, inns, vacation homes.OFF-SEASON RATES include NOV thru FEB w/ Last Minute Specials Available upon Request.
$275 a night, 2-night minimum
SPRING & FALL RATES include MARCH thru MAY, and SEPT thru OCT
Midweek $350 a night w/ 2-night minimum; Weekend $1,175 Friday thru Monday morning
SUMMER RATES are from Memorial Weekend thru Labor Day Weekend
Midweek $375 a night w/ 2-night minimum; Weekend $1,375 Friday thru Monday morning
DEPOSIT $500 returned w/in 2 wks of checkout if home is left in same condition as upon arrival.  
PET FEES will apply for approved pets.  

RESERVATION FUNDS = 1/2 rent + Sec Dep required to confirm dates.  

FINAL PAYMENT of second half rent due 2 wks prior to arrival if paid w/ personal check; 1 wk prior to arrival if paid with cashiers check.  . 

NAPA TAX - 12% of rent due with final payment; personal check made payable directly to the City of Napa.CLEANING FEE:  

Cleaning Fee required ONLY during off-season:  $125 - $135 depending on size of group.

Spring, Summer and Fall - Basic Cleaning included in rent.  Owner pays for 'normal cleaning' of floors, countertops, tubs, sinks, toilets, showers, and linens for two beds; $20 per person added to total rent for groups larger than 4 people.   

Departure Checklist with minimal fees for cleaning items not included in the ''normal cleaning' will be provided with all rental inquiries.  For example, if the BBQ is used, it is $15 to cover dismantling it for a thorough cleaning so it appears new for each group.

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