A hidden home away from home

Guest: Maurice5 (Menlo Park, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/26/09 Review Submitted: 03/02/10

We have been going to Bracken Brae for years and have been hoping that no one but our friends and us finds about it This is a simple and comfortable home, extremely well located for hiking and touring, and very pleasant to live in. It feels like an old family home, and is walking distance (10 minutes) to "downtown Inverness" There are two relative drawbacks: there's no cell reception, and the kitchen implements are limited. The rest is fabulous

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

Egregious Misrepresentation

Guest: caliban (United States)
Date of Stay: 02/11/10 Review Submitted: 02/12/10

The description of this property on the VRBO site describes Bracken Brae as "a classic 1924 "arts and craft" home. Quietly elegant, it affords spectacular views of Tomales Bay from living room and dining room." It is actually a moldy dump, with broken down, uncomfortable furniture and a highly filtered view. The above description lists "TV" as among the amenities, along with VCR/DVD. Actually, there is a small TV set in each bedroom, but it is not hooked up to anything other than the VCR/DVD player and cannot receive any TV stations. All in all, the description goes far beyond real estate hype and ventures into unconscionable misrepresentation. We walked in and immediately arranged for other accommodations.

Owner response:In response to this review it is important to state that the guests were initially upset upon finding that the TV had no cable hookup as they were planning to watch the Winter Olympics during their stay. Had they ever discussed this plan in advance we would have been the first to tell them that this was not the property for their guest visit. We have never offered cable or satellite connections and indeed the description does not indicate that we do by using those words. We will be sure to drop the word TV from the description in the future so there are no further misunderstandings. Regarding the furniture: family heirloom antiques may be viewed as trash or treasure according to point of view. Broken down they are not. Due to the wet winter here in California we have experienced a bit of mold on the outside foundation boards of the construction, however there is not a bit in the house itself which presents a clean, uncluttered environment. We have ongoing construction plans for the spring which will include a spruce up of outside painting. Lastly, the bay is visible as seen from a height above the redwood and oak trees which surround the property. It is visible from the dining and living room areas of the home. Most of our guests appreciate the home for its simple cleanliness and its proximity to hiking trails and birdwatching venues, and a chance to get away from it all!

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