Vacation Rentals by Owner

disappointed

Guest: mart (MN)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

We go on an annual summer trip and this year we picked Izatys again. We picked this townhouse because it worked with our schedule & had a hot tub. The townhouse is inviting, but not as clean as the one we stayed in last year. After arriving we went to check out the spa and found it not working. We called the owner to see what could be done, but there were no options to fix it for the weekend. After staying there the weekend, we realized we probably would not have used the spa, as there are large amounts of dead bugs between the spa and the screen windows, very unappealing. The grill is small, one you find in a park. We brought steaks and it took us 2 hours to cook 6 of them. After this summer, we have decided to change up our place of vacation for next year.

Owner response:I do my very best to keep my home in pristine condition for my renters. When an appliance breaks it is very unfortunate. I have specialized service companies set up to make repairs on a moments notice but a hot tub is unique. I was not able to get it repaired on a Saturday evening over Father's day weekend as the closet repair company is 2 hours drive away. The hot tub sits in a three season porch which yes, will collect bugs as this is the great outdoors area of Minnesota. Grill - not sure how to respond to this complaint other than this is the very first time any person has complained about cooking time. It is a charcoal grill and maybe not enough charcoal was used to cook. This particular renter felt that she should be refunded her rental fee for the hot tub not working. 95% of my home was available and used by the guest. She wanted a full refund for the 5% of the home that wasn't. Not much more that I can say other than as much as I try to please all my guests there are some that I can't.

Recommended for:

Girl's Weekend

Guest: Gayle Q (Minneapolis, MN)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/01/11

The property was awesome, the owner very accommodating and helpful when it came to questions before and during the stay. The place was comfortable and had everything we needed. The fireplace was great and we used lots of wood (that was there for us - thank you!) We didn't use the hot tub because it was WAAAYYYYY too cold so we are going to have to go back. Preferably when it's above 60 ;-) All in all it was a great place and we can't wait to go back.

Owner response:Gayle - Thank you for the awesome review and I'm glad your stay was enjoyable. I wish you would have used the hot tub. I agree getting into it when it is cold in the spa room is a challenge but as soon as you hit the hot tub water the coldness is instantly gone. Thanks again for renting my home.

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

Needed more than three days

Guest: klschen1 (Twin Cities)
Date of Stay: 07/13/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

Great time with the family. Perfect location for kids - far enough away from the shore so the young kids can run but close enough to keep an eye on the older ones by the water. The townhome had everything you need to enjoy the family and the atmosphere. There are plenty of games available if the weather doesnt cooperate and plenty of other entertainment nearby if needed. The only downfall would be no sandy beach for the kids to play on, but the kids had a blast hunting for crayfish instead anyway. Todd was easy to work with and we had a great time. Thanks again

Recommended for:Families with young children

Best Vacation for families!

Guest: kelli (Waconia)
Date of Stay: 06/18/10 Review Submitted: 07/01/10

Thank you Todd and Kathy for the incredible week at the lake in your townhome. Everything was perfect! We fished, swam in the pool, played lots of volleyball, played bocce in the back yard on the lush lawn, had fires with smores and stories around the firepit on the beach, and had a great time in the kitchen/dining area with all the room and the counter! We were very relaxed and packed more than we needed. Your place is equiped with everything. The furniture is comfy and quality..new beautiful carpeting and the bathroom linens were high quality. We hope to be able to rent again next year for the same week. Thanks again! Kelli and Bruce Hanson

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

very nice place thanks

Guest: thunderkitty (farmington mn)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

all went well during our stay , hot tub was great and the place was well maintained, my only suggestion would be a new outdoor grill , there was no way of closing the bottom vents to slow down cooking and the grate was extremly nasty from the last use, which may have been a long time before we were there. but i would stay there again, thanks for a great place.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Disappointing

Guest: Girls' Weekend Gal (Woodbury, MN)
Date of Stay: 10/23/09 Review Submitted: 11/04/09

This was the third time renting this property for our annual girl's weekend (2006, 2007, and 2009) and this year we found the townhome to be dirty, rundown, and plagued with problems. We could not get the heat over 67 degrees. The washing machine and drier were not working so we were unable to have clean towels for showers on Sunday. The hot tub was dirty, displaying an error that there were chemicals missing and generally in poor shape. Only three guests of our group ventured into it this year and they found it very unpleasant so were out in record time. Overall, the whole weekend was a disappointment this year. This property definitely needs some work for future renters.

Owner response:It is unfortunate that there were some problems with the stay. I find it frustrating when the renter does not telephone me during their stay so that I can offer them immediate assistance with their concerns. Some of their concerns are invalid and false. The furnace was not working due to a safety feature (high limit) tripping caused from excessive wind backdraft. A simple call to me would have prompted an immediate service call from the resorts service staff. The dryer works perfect so I'm not sure what to say about this complaint. The hottub was not missing chemicals and was not dirty. The tub uses a "salt" system that creates its own sanatation. The spa was and continues to be in perfect operating condition. What I find most amussing is that this party of girls actually wrote in the guest book that they had a great time and would be returning next year. In these desperate times people will make false accusations in hopes that they can get something for nothing. I pride myself knowing that my home is a quality home with quality furnishings and a support staff that is second to none.

Recommended for:

Guest: Mike Severson (Albert Lea MN)
Date of Stay: 09/13/09 Review Submitted: 09/13/09

We just spent 3 days here on our annual guys golf weekend and it was fantastic. The condo is just perfect for this type of get away, we had no problems and everyone in our party said they would come back. We will book again next year if it is available. It is everything that they describe, very nice.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/04/08

Nine ladies on a volleyball team made our annual "Girls Weekend" trek to Todd's lake home this year. We had a simply wonderful time. The home was clean, plenty of room for all of us to sleep,shower, etc and it is so close to the casino. We bring in all of our food and libation. We cooked all our meals in a great kitchen with all the utensils, pan and dishes we needed. The kitchen table was awesome as we spend the whole weekend playing cards and dominos. The hot tub was great and easy to use. We are sad we have to wait a year to rent it again.

Recommended for:

awesome home

Guest: Bret (Blaine, MN)
Date of Stay: 12/01/07 Review Submitted: 01/11/08

I stayed at Todd's vacation home over this past Christmas. We had our family get together with relatives coming from many different states. The home is better than pictured and has everything needed to host a large gathering. The kids had a blast in the hot tub. The wood burning fireplace created an ideal setting on Christmas eve. The sleeping arrangements worked out perfect. We are planning on returning next summer. P.S. Thanks for allowing us to set up a Christmas tree.

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

Wedding Party

Guest: Samantha Olson (Mankato, MN)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 01/22/08

Last summer (2007) I got married at Izatys Resort. As a gift for the wedding party we wanted to rent a townhome for the wedding party to stay in. We attempted to contact 4 property listings at the resort. Only two responded to our requests. Both property owners allowed us to view their homes before we made a decission. As soon as we walked in the door to Todd's home we knew this was where we wanted to stay. The home was very warm and inviting. The furniture was quality and the home looked brand new. We slept 14 persons and everyone still talks about the great time they had. Todd was very understanding of our concerns to have a memorable stay and he delivered as advertised. I just returned from my second stay at Todd's home. We had a "girl's" weekend and everyone enjoyed the time together. Thank you Todd for the hospitality and I'm sure we will be back for another stay.

Owner response:Samantha - Thank you for the great review. We will see you next winter for another "girl's weekend".

Recommended for:Girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/01/06 Review Submitted: 12/19/06

Spent a boys weekend at this property....Great place. Just like sharing someone's home for a few days. Drove 15 minutes to the casino and made several walks over to the Izaty's bar. Large kitchen table hosted numerous poker games as well. Hot-tub was by far the highlight. Just off the kitchen made for easy access.

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Thank You

Guest: Todd W. (-)
Date of Stay: 08/01/06 Review Submitted: 08/12/06

Todd, I just wanted to send you a quick email and thank you for sharing your home with us. We were very impressed with you home and the accommodations. So often in traveling the accommodations sound much better than what they are when you arrive. This was not the case with your home. It far exceeded our expectations. It was a great place for our family to have a few days with everyone together. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The only negatives we encountered were beyond your control and that was the millions of fish flies that were there to greet us when we arrived and all of the dead fish on the shore. Neither of wish hampered us from having a great time. Thank you so much from our entire family.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/01/06 Review Submitted: 06/16/06

What a great weekend get-away. The private hot-tub in the porch made leaving the townhome unecessary, but we still enjoyed the short walk to the club house for a dinner away from the kids and a few drinks at the bar.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Bret (Blaine, MN)
Date of Stay: 01/01/06 Review Submitted: 01/08/06

My family and I rented Todd's home in July 2005 for a family reunion. We had a great time. The home was beautiful. The lake was our main attraction as the majority of us love to fish. Some of us golfed and the courses were outstanding in scenery. We slept 12 people in the unit and really enjoyed the use of the hot tub. The kids had a great time using the resorts outdoor pool. We hope to return in the near future.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/04 Review Submitted: 08/01/04

A group of 7 ladies, including myself, rented this unit from Todd for a weekend in December 2003. We had a blast. There is a beautiful fireplace with cozy couches and plenty of room to chat and play games. Big kitchen for all of usa to gather, chop, bake or cook. We agreed it was a must do for years to come. I highly recommend it.

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