Vacation Rentals by Owner

Not What I Thought

Guest: Joan S. (-)
Date of Stay: 04/15/12 Review Submitted: 05/02/12

I have rented several VRBO houses and this was my first disappointment. This property needed maintenance.

Recommended for:

Mendocino Visit

Guest: Joanne (Napa, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/08/12 Review Submitted: 03/16/12

We really enjoyed your cottage! The beds are incredible. We enjoyed the hot tub and the view is awesome and we had fun cooking in the kitchen and still seeing the ocean! What a treat. We will be staying there in the future. Thank you for sharing your beautiful house.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Mendocino Vacation

Guest: Mary (Fresno, CA)
Date of Stay: 02/21/12 Review Submitted: 02/29/12

My family really enjoyed your cottage. We spent time enjoying the property and our dog LOVED the creek. He played and played. It was so convenient that you have "doggy" towels available, too! The hot tub was wonderful and the place is so close to the Village. We love Mendocino and are so happy to have discovered your place. It is going to be our"go to place to stay".

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Mendocino Stay

Guest: Jodi (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 01/05/12 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

We LOVED the cottage. My husband loves to cook and the stainless appliances are wonderful. We enjoyed the hot tub immensely. We sat in the living room near the fireplace, enjoyed the view while eating our dinners. The place was very, very clean and the beds were so comfortable. We hated to leave. But we have vowed to come back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Very misleading advertisement and bogus reviews

Guest: R (Berkeley)
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 04/27/12

We stayed at the cottage a couple of months ago. The ad is very misleading and most (or all) of the 5-star comments are either completely fake or were written by family members/friends of the owners. Ad: a short walk along the coast to the village of Mendocino Reality: a 10-15 minutes’ walk mostly along highway 1, or 20-25 minutes along a safer road, closer to the shore, but you still need to cross the highway (where the speed limit is 50mph and there is no crossing). Ad: amazing ocean views Reality: you can see the ocean but it’s pretty far away and between the trees. The picture in the ad is zoomed-in Ad: smoke free Reality: cottage had a heavy smoke smell which gave us a headache after being there for an hour Ad: Newly remodeled Reality: like the other REAL comments mentioned, when we were there the carpet had burned spots, kitchen had broken tiles and falling apart cabinets. But maybe now the carpet has been replaced We were so disappointed that after few hours, we called the owner and asked to shorten our stay (originally 3 nights) and leave the following morning. He agreed to refund us for the last 2 nights that we didn’t stay at the cottage (so that we only pay for the first night + cleaning fee), but he never gave us a refund. After 2 months of emails back and forth but still no refund, we called the credit card company and got our refund back.

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Mendocino recent stay

Guest: alex (auburn, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

This home has a nice view and a nice area for dogs. But unfortunately the home does not live up to what is described. It had broken tiles, burned carpet, murky spa that would not stay heated, heater malfunctioning... I would suggest that the owners spend some time in improving their property and think about getting another cleaning service.

Recommended for:Pet owners

Mendocino Cottage

Guest: Annie (Kauai, HI)
Date of Stay: 12/13/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

We recently stayed at this charming cottage. We loved it. It was very clean. Our dog had a wonderful time running on the acreage and dipping in the creek. It comes complete with doggie towels and a doggie blanket. We will definitely be coming back!!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fourth stay

Guest: Candi (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 01/23/12

My friends and I really enjoy this cute place. When you walk through the sliding door the view of the ocean takes your breath away. It is cozy, clean and has all the amenities. Even has spices for cooking! We love hiking around Mendocino and the walk from the cottage is great. Especially if you go down along the ocean. This is our fourth stay. All the beds are very comfy and the hot tub is great. We have had six people in it and it is not too crowded.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Comfortable, quiet, and an amazing view!

Guest: SM (Alameda, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/10/11 Review Submitted: 09/06/11

This well kept cottage delivered all that was promised. The view is spectacular. We found ourselves staring out at the ocean from the living room and the private patio during our entire visit. We found everything we needed in the cottage and were able to cook all of our meals, relax by the fire, and walk around on the expansive property. To top it off, a tempurpedic mattress in the bedroom??? Just heavenly! Thanks!

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

Decent if you don't plan to spend much time in the house

Guest: Becky (Chico, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/05/11 Review Submitted: 05/19/11

We just returned from our visit to the cottage in Mendocino. We take this trip every year and I had hoped that this would become our place to stay. But the property is not kept up very well and though the view is beautiful, we would not return unless some effort was made to make this house a true vacation home. The cleanliness of the cottage was not what I expected. There were dirty towels in the laundry room, cobwebs hanging from the canopy of the bed and in both closets, crumbs still on the kitchen floor, and dirt and dust along the bathroom floorboards. The top of the stove was very dirty and the oven was filthy. There was a piece missing from the tile in the kitchen and large burn holes in the carpet. There are paint splatters on the walls and the dishwasher door falls open almost to the floor. The cottage is meant to sleep 6 but there were no blankets for the sofabed. We had to take blankets from the other beds. Plus, the sofabed is in terrible condition; the head is permanently tilted at an angle so it's very uncomfortable to sleep on. One of the most frustrating things was that the sliding glass door barely works. It has to be lifted up in order to move it closed. Frrom the way the property was advertised, I expected better. The carpet is is serious need of being replaced, as is the sliding glass door. I did not expect this to be a luxury accommodation and I can deal with the funky kitchen counters and a hot tub cover that is disintigrating, but when I pay for a place to stay, I do expect that it will be properly cleaned, the sheets will not have blood stains on them and that everything will be in working order.

Owner response:Unfortunately, Becky insisted on checking in early. She was told, she could come and drop off her things but the Cottage would neat and orderly. Following her arrival, she stayed and would not allow housekeeping in, change and replenish towels, sheets, blankets and other normal tasks. This was particularly important as the guests before her stayed for almost a month and made full use of the amenities. We replaced the sliding door damaged during her stay and have as a result of this guest, ordered new carpet. As always we want our guests to have a good experience and would be happy to extend a complimentary weekend on us to gain Becky back. -The Thompsons

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Absolutely Beautiful !!!

Guest: msnavely (San Jose, Ca)
Date of Stay: 02/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/01/11

Our family needed some much needed time off for some relaxation, and boy did we get it. This place is perfect !! Everything you need is there, a home away from home. We can not wait to come back this summer. Thanks......for everything !!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A delight to stay here

Guest: Chris (San Jose, CA )
Date of Stay: 12/25/10 Review Submitted: 01/03/11

We just got back from our week long trip to Mendocino and found the house to be well stocked, well maintained, and in great working order. I rear the review adjacent to mine and cant help but wonder if they stayed at the same place. The property is fairly secluded and essentially ocean front. About the only thing separating it is the road in front (though you'd never know there is one because there is no road noise). The appointments in the house if great....really high quality. Everything is really clean, the firewood is absolutely terrific, and the property is magnificent. The walk to the village takes about 7 minutes if you take the route through the neighborhood. There is a second route we found which is along the cost the whole way which takes about 15. Either way is a nice walk and we enjoyed the walks to breakfast and dinners. We also brought our dog along. She had a great time on the property as there was several acres she could run around on. Christopher Rittenhouse

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Our Stay 2010

Guest: Daisy (Napa, ca)
Date of Stay: 10/29/10 Review Submitted: 12/10/10

Thought we'd be able to walk along the coast to Mendocino. The only way we saw was along Hwy1. On the outside it looked distressed. Needed painting and updating. Old slider to get in was very hard to move and close. The picture that is shown of the view to the ocean has been zoomed. No way was it that close. It was clean, but had an old feel to it. Kids would love it,as there was plenty of room to play outside.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, families with young children, pet owners.

Mendocino's Finest

Guest: Gayle (Santa Cruz)
Date of Stay: 10/21/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

This is the second time we've stayed at this extremely cozy cottage. It is perfectly located for a quick trip into town, abalone diving, a bike ride to Fort Bragg, or just sitting inside with a cozy fire (plenty of wood is provided). The view is spectacular, the kitchen is fully stocked, and the beds are extremely comfortable with great bed linens. There is a video store for rentals in Mendocino so after stocking up on food, wine, and movies, we settled in for a long weekend of comfort and relaxation. Nothing to be disappointed about with this rental!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway

Holiday Visit 2010

Guest: Our Family (California)
Date of Stay: 01/17/10 Review Submitted: 01/06/11

We stayed at this cottage and simply loved the location. The cottage has a quaint feel and is close enough to the ocean to hear the crashing waves at night in the distance. The amenities are nice and the design makes you feel at home. We really enjoyed the living room setup with the large windows overlooking the sea. The fireplace is really worth using and really adds to the feel. The fog came in on two mornings however, because the cottage isn't right on the ocean edge, we weren't affected by the fog. We had sun the whole time we stayed and it was just gorgeous. I suggest anybody going to the Mendocino village to try the burgers at the local bar and/or grab some fresh cut bacon from the mini market.

Recommended for:Families with young children

In in Mendocino

Guest: Andy (Santa Cruz)
Date of Stay: 11/20/09 Review Submitted: 01/13/11

My wife and I had the privilege to stay at this wonderful Mendocino cottage late last year. We had a wonderful experience during our visit. The cottage was well stocked, very cozy, and extremely clean. The location is perfect, just a short distance from downtown Mendocino and very quiet. The property is large and the grounds are well maintained. We will be a return guest and definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to get away in beautiful Mendocino. Thanks again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Dr. Bob and Anita (Orange County, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/19/06 Review Submitted: 10/19/06

the house is really lovely and so well thought-out; every detail for comfort and convenience was there. As you probably know, that is rare in a vacation rental and we thank you for it. We felt at home instantly; usually one has to sort of adjust to a rental but not so at your home. We certainly will be planning another stay. We've been coming to Mendocino for fifteen years now and your home is top of the list!

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Guest: Brian and Nancy Green (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/23/06 Review Submitted: 06/23/06

We had a wonderful time at your home and look forward to visiting again. The home is well appointed with european antiques, the rooms are well lit and airy, and the jacuzzi is a lot of fun with a view of the ocean. When we got there, the staff had put out fresh flowers and had chocolates on the beds. It is the cleanest rental we've ever been to. Thanks again Brian & Nancy Green

Owner response:Thanks Brian and Nancy. We're glad that you had a great time. We look forward to having you in Mendocino again. -The Thompsons

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Guest: Jeers Family (Poipu, hawaii)
Date of Stay: 06/01/06 Review Submitted: 06/01/06

Wow, what a great piece of property! Really close to Mendocino and a great walk to the town. We stayed for 4 days and brought our friends. The furniture and carpet are brand new and luxurious. The pictures do not do this place justice. They should take others. We will definatley come back. Thanks!

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