Vacation Rentals by Owner

Clean and comfortable

Guest: Rosy (Vancouver BC Canada)
Date of Stay: 10/18/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

Clean, comfortable and close to downtown. Friendly and accommodating owner.

Owner response:Thank you very much Rosy. I am so glad that you enjoyed your stay. Aihua

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

Great space, Questionable neighborhood.

Guest: nomad (Chicago, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/14/11

Aihua was extremey responsive and made our stay great. The townhome had ample space and was better than a hotel. There were two issues: the second floor was not cooled much by the central air, but the first floor and basement got cold quick. The neighborhood seems to be an up and coming neighborhood, but I would not walk around at night. Yet, we did not have any issues and enjoyed our stay.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Reservation changed without notification and our group out $$ as some had to move to a hotel!

Guest: SWA (Brussels/ Belgium)
Date of Stay: 04/15/11 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

The vacation property is one, large Victorian home divided into 3 units and the owner of the property lives in unit #3. We booked unit #2 six months in advance to house a group of 7-9 family members. This was a very special trip as I was running the Boston Marathon and also reuniting with family. We went to great lengths in planning this trip and had specific needs related to our group. One member of our group recently had hip surgery and I inquired in advance regarding the set up of the unit (mentioning the hip surgery to the owner) to determine whether the unit would work as I saw at least one set of stairs in the condominium photos. One flight of stairs was confirmed (so not an issue) and the bedrooms/beds configuration worked well with our needs. My in-laws arrived before I did and upon checking-in, they were moved to unit #3 as opposed to our reserved unit #2. The owner, informed my in-laws another group was placed in our unit because someone in that group was allergic to dogs(unit #3 is the owner’s home and she has a dog). What if someone in our group were also allergic?? Not to mention the rental policy states "no pets". We were not consulted about this move in advance and when my in-laws stepped into unit #3 they found the place to be in complete disarray, dirty and the owner frantically trying to pull the place together. The place was not only dirty but also did not meet our needs in terms of sleeping arrangements and the most alarming of all were the several flights of stairs that needed to be maneuvered by our family member who just had hip surgery. I called the owner when I arrived as I wanted an explanation and she did not return my call that night. The owner had mentioned to my in-laws she would stop by at 10:00am the next morning and she failed to show (apparently, she was at the property according folks in the other unit but never stopped by to see us). I had to call her yet again and she finally arrived to discuss the situation. We expressed our concerns regarding the unauthorized move and that some of us now had to move to a hotel (paying high rates as it was marathon weekend). We were reimbursed but only 1/3 of our contracted agreement and this did not include the additional hotel expense. We spoke with the group that had moved into our unit, and they confirmed never mentioning a dog allergy to the owner and that they had simply insisted on moving as they refused to stay in unit, #3. Take caution reserving with this property.

Owner response:This customer is very dishonest lying about the hip injury, actually the person who supposed to be injured agree to live there. One of the sisters said she like it very much. It is a very clever way not to pay to. Without any consideration of the cost and service I rendered to them. I look down on them because of taking advantage of minority. Very cheap and dishonest should be the right way to describe it. I feel very sorry to rent to them. I have never encounter any guest like that. Not to mansion about their hotel entertainment, alcohol and night service. They spent a good amount of money at my loss because I rent to them at $200/night for 8 while they force me to pay over $500 /night for 2 in a hotel. At the same time other still enjoy living in my beautiful town house for nothing. I paid just to make them happy. I regret to reimburse them. I should just get rid of them because they are not welcome here. I offered full refund to let them go, but they refused me. I change the unit purposely because other tenant has a medical reason , but they are not. I try to help, but I cannot make everybody happy. They had the opportunity to move if they truly dislike it??? Owner

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Phew .. we were overheating!

Guest: wybfw7 (Houston)
Date of Stay: 09/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/06/10

We stayed early September 2010 in Unit #1. It's clear there was a lot of work put into converting and modernising this big 19thC house into condo's and in principle we were quite comfortable there... but the weather was hot at first, the advertised AC could not cope at all and we slept at an uncomfortable 87degF. Once one short-coming rears its head then others show up .. loose light fittings, blown light-bulbs, blunt knives in the kitchen, curtain rails coming away from the walls. The surrounding area does look run-down in places and we were affected by noisy music from a party across the street .. but we were also greeted with a smile by so many local residents. Local shops were ok for groceries but buying a six-pack of beer involved going to the liquor store ..like entering Fort Knox! We used the excellent 'T' integrated bus and subway system to go into town .. great value and convenient. Lots to see and do there!

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Guest: Peter Brazel (Australia)
Date of Stay: 01/10/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/10

We recently rented both units (Family of 4 in Unit 1 & Family of 5 in Unit 3) and were delighted with the property and its proximity to the City and local conveniences. A wonderful place to stay with plenty of room. Thank you.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/27/08

The house (unit 2) was wonderful. No complaints whatsoever. Very comfortable and clean. Aihua and her son were extremely nice and very accommodating to our trip plans. The place is a bit of a walk away from the subway, but the bus stop is only a couple blocks away and connects you to the train easily. Plus, most of the cab drivers we had could find it without any trouble. It's a nice walk to get to the Sam Adams brewery for a tour and there is a zoo in the nearby park, I hear. Great place to stay if you're using public transit or will have a car. The neighborhood has been revitalized by owners like Aihua. Highly recommended; we felt good supporting this owner's business.

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One week stay in July 2008

Guest: MaxGuenter (Cologne, Germany)
Date of Stay: 06/28/08 Review Submitted: 07/21/08

We stayed at this nice place for one week as family of five. The appartement is nice size, in very good shape and has nice and appropriate furniture. For five people it is certainly well suited. Except the kitchen equipment. It is very scarce. It is virtually impossible to cook for a family of 5. Though the kitchen itself has all necessary machinery there are not enough pots and pans. It is quite far away from downtown Boston and the area is certainly not the best part of Boston. We got to like the atmosphere, though, and felt comfortable. For runners or walkers: Franklin Park is within 5 minutes walking distance and offers a very nice oppotunity for 5 to 7 miles runs that we enjoyed regularly. To get into downtown Boston driving is necessary. We took the bus once but it is a long trip (>1 hour) including changing busses at Dudley station. We usually drove to Roxbury Crossing and took the T from there. Parking is not always easy at Roxbury Crossing. But even then: We liked to go back for a little rest during a day of sightseeing. And a roundtrip from downtown Boston to the appartment and back always took at least an hour and a half even when parked at Roxbury Crossing.

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Location was less than desirable

Guest: mduvall (Redmond, OR)
Date of Stay: 04/24/08 Review Submitted: 05/06/08

The distance described from downtown Boston, 8 miles, is a bit of an understatement after using the transit system. In order to get downtown, you must get on a bus 2.5 blocks away (no biggy), ride to the train station, change trains, etc. It took alot more time than 8 miles would indicate. We were travelling with a large group and therefore felt safe walking from the bus stop, etc. But, I would not suggest this area for a family with small children, or the elderly. The neighborhood does not have any restaurants within walking distance that I would feel comfortable going to. The area is run down with several homes boarded up and buildings with bars on the windows. We were charged an additional $75.00 to drop off our bags at the house 3 hours early in order to attend a baseball game, which was irritating, because you enter the house with a key pad and no assistance was required by the owner. The owner had indicated she needed to charge this fee because she would need to meet us at the property and she was 30 minutes away. But, she didn't meet us at the property so there wasn't any inconvenience on her part, she lives at the property. No one met us at the house early, so I didn't think there should be a charge. The house was nice, and everything was in working order. The next time I do a vacation rental, I will check out the neighborhood more thoroughly before I rent.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

Enjoyed our stay

Guest: DaveS (St. Louis, MO)
Date of Stay: 02/01/08 Review Submitted: 03/15/08

Very beautiful property, we enjoyed it greatly! The property was very convenient to Boston Conservatory of Music (parents of a student) which is close to Fenway. No trouble getting around except Boston traffic. You need a car to drive to downtown -- or better a subway stop.

Owner response:Thank you for the review! I'm glad you were enjoying your stay at my property. Hope to meet you next time!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Guest: Aimee Rupe
Date of Stay: 10/24/07 Review Submitted: 10/23/07

Aihua, Just wanted to send you a quick note of thanks for the use of the condo this weekend while my team was in town for the Head of the Charles. It couldn't have been better and the more time we spent at the house, the more we realized how much we preferred it compared to a hotel room! It was great having the team together and the ability to sleep comfortably and spread out was priceless! Please pass along my thanks to your son too - he took great care of us when we arrived and answered all our questions so patiently! We actually did well enough in the race that we got an automatic bid to return to the race in 2008 and I'm interested in renting from you again.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Rob West (Not Specified)
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 03/17/07

Our group of seven, including our five grown children stayed quite comfortably. All is nicely adorned. The location is about a mile from the Sam Adams brewery. Julia was wonderful in her tenacity to make things right. We would definitely return. Potential renters should know: 1) a very steep driveway & sharp turn immediately on entry could be difficult in icy conditions 2) to get downtown, best is to drive to, park, then take the subway from the Ruggles (orange line) stop.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Mark Anderson (Not Specified)
Date of Stay: 01/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/31/06

What a great place. Bright and spick and span. Wonderful owner. We slept 8 with no crowding. Everyone agreed this was a great place. Everything new and up dated.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: susan wetherill (west river md)
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/11/06

A very comfortable accommodation with big bright windows, lots of soft towels, a helpful attentive homeowner, and, within walking distance: the delightful Franklin Park Zoo. Don't miss Anala the white tiger. Thanks, Aihua!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: 6 Guests (Trenton, NJ)
Date of Stay: 10/01/06 Review Submitted: 10/19/06

This place is absolutely great. We had 6 guests staying here and it could have fit more. The condo is beautiful. It's only a short taxi ride or drive into downtown Boston. There are many accomodations within walking distance of this condo. The owner's dog, Sasha, is awesome. She comes and visits you every now and then. Great place...Great price.

Owner response:Thank you very much. Hope to see you again in the future. Aihua

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/06 Review Submitted: 07/13/06

Beautifully renovated house. We loved the interiors & decorations. Much safer than we expected. It was very pleasant staying here. The owner is very friendly and considerate. Close to downtown is added bonus. Thanks.

Owner response:Thank You

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Crystian (Quebec)
Date of Stay: 05/01/06 Review Submitted: 05/22/06

We really appreciated our vacation in Boston. The condo was perfect. Very comfortable, very clean and very spacious. It is not located in downtown Boston but everything you need to see is less than 10 minutes by car. I would recommend this place to all my friends. Cheers!

Owner response:Thank you. Hope to see you again in future!

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Guest: Edward Cho
Date of Stay: 04/14/06 Review Submitted: 04/13/06

This house was really beautiful. Only house that's close to Boston and with lots of rooms. Close to shopping area and buses. I will definately come back to this house. We love Sasha:) (Owner's dog)

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