Vacation Rentals by Owner

Lovely, quiet retreat

Guest: Chris (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 09/22/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

My husband and I just spent a week at Highwoods. The place was lovely, peaceful and eclectically and very comfortably furnished-and immaculate. We were greeted with wine, coffee and flowers and we found the owner very responsive to our needs. We were looking for a quiet place to read, write and enjoy being in the mountains and this met all of our needs. And it was only 25 minutes into Asheville, which we love and visited twice.

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

Serenity

Guest: Laura and Dennis (New Durham, New Hampshire)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/11/11

Highwoods is a mysterious and interesting property. I'm not quite sure why it felt so serene, but it was really quite amazing. The house itself is well-equipped with everything you need. We enjoy cooking and the kitchen had all of the equipment we required. We stayed for a week and never found we were without any of the day-to-day basics ranging from soap, cleaning supplies, paper towels and even shampoo and conditioner in the shower. Also, when we first arrived quite late in the day, we found fresh flowers, a bottle of wine and a bag of coffee set out for us. The grounds of the property are very accurately described with a small waterfall and stream running through. Although there are other homes abutting the Highwoods property, the house feels very private because it is surrounded by trees. I researched a number of Asheville properties before choosing Highwoods. After just returning from a wonderful week there, I can say it was great value for the money and really is the sanctuary it is described. Some of the other reviewers have written about problems with the phone. Although our AT&T cell phones did not work at all at the house or anywhere on the nearby access roads (the owner warned us about this in advance), the landline phone at Highwoods was in perfect working order during our entire stay. We were able to make and receive calls, and there was also an answering machine so we could give out the number and receive messages during our stay. Driving to Highwoods from the highway takes you through some beautiful North Carolina farmland, hillsides and pastures. Perhaps that makes the property seem a little farther off the beaten path than some of the other listed vacation properties, but it's still very convenient to everything Asheville has to offer. We never felt inconvenienced driving from the house along the country roads to reach the highway. That's what made us feel so far away from the rest of the world as we know it. We would definitely stay there again.

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

Our Second Stay!

Guest: Nick & Mary (Atlanta, GA, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/16/11

Just returned from our second stay in this charming cabin. The view is terrific, the house welcoming and serene. The perfect place for some much needed R&R and reconnecting with family. Last year we explored Asheville, which we love; it is so laid back with lots of fun little boutiques and some really interesting eateries. But what we enjoyed most this last week was playing in forests, like zip lining through the tree tops for the first time, what a thrill! Also loved hiking a little of the Appalachian Trail and coming back to the house to soak our sore mussels in the hot tub under an astounding star filled sky. The location is perfect... convenient to Asheville, but right in the midst of nature at her finest. The house is ideal… uniquely appealing décor, comfy beds, well equipped kitchen, great sound system and incredible collection of CDs and DVDs.

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

Just okay...did call owner but no response.

Guest: chiafam (Sandwich, IL USA)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/10/11

My daughter left the previous review. We did call the owner and left a voice mail. We also e-mailed her about a couple of things, but received no response while we were there. We found cleaning supplies under the cabinet and downstairs, but did not find any dishwasher soap or hand soap. We had no problem figuring out how things worked. ...just didn't have a few important amenities that were needed. The house was okay, but bedspread downstairs was sour smelling--probably due to the dampness. We read all instructions and also called right away to have water delivered, but received no response from the owner. We didn't worry about the phone working most of the time, because we didn't need it. You would just hope you would have service in case of an emergency.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

Decent, but overpriced

Guest: Buzzgirl (Nashville)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/03/11

We stayed here for a short term vacation with my family of 6. The pictures make the place look much cleaner and nicer than the way we found it. The property appears to be shared with several other houses and we felt that the description of the property was over exaggerated. We found the house needed several repairs, and many things were not in proper working order. There were also some basic items that were not available. (dishwasher soap, hand soap, and basic cleaning products) Also, we had no cell service and the land line was not working for 3 of the five days we were there. The house was not very clean, lots of spider webs, and many bugs throughout the house. Also the "suite" for the second bedroom was in a damp, buggy basement, which was not very appealing to sleep in. I would not recommend staying here, as I believe you can find nicer places for the same price. The views were pretty, but I have used VRBO for many places to stay over the years, but would not come back here.

Owner response:Undoubtedly, not every properties is a good fit for every guest, but am totally bewildered by all the incorrect and negative things this reviewer reports. What happened to “a picture is worth a thousand words”? There is absolutely nothing deceiving about the pictures… they represent the property exactly as it is, both inside and out. I have no idea what the reviewer is trying to say about the property being "shared"... certainly, the access road to the property is shared, and we keep the area around the ponds in a park like setting, but it is "shared" by no one and I have the bills from my lawn man to prove it. The house is constantly maintained and thoroughly cleaned after each guest departs. It’s in excellent condition. If there was something they couldn’t figure out about how things work, they should have just asked. Cleaning products are under the kitchen sink with extras in the utility closet under the stairwell. It’s true, depending on your service provider many cell phones do not get reception in certain areas in the mountains and that’s why we provide a house phone… the guest reported no outage of the house phone while there, we would have taken the matter up with AT&T immediately. The downstairs bedroom is actually one of the most pleasant sleeping rooms, it’s set apart from the rest of the house, always quite when activities might be going on upstairs, damp and buggy it definitely is not, what it is cool and quite. We did not deserve this review.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

We experienced the prefect escape

Guest: Wendy (Winter Park, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

What a beautiful, peaceful place tucked in the mountains with lot of privacy, truly the perfect escape! We were looking for rest and relaxation -- which we found, especially in the cozy living room and on the back deck to take in the view. Enjoyed the hot tub, the well equiped kitchen and the loft bedroom. Thank you for the fresh flowers and bottle of wine upon arrival -- that was a nice touch. The location was ideal -- as Asheville with it's eclectic shops, restaurants and downtown offered for several fun outings. We'll definitly be back -- maybe in the winter in hopes of getting stuck in the snow!

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

White Christmas

Guest: Grandma (Edisto Island, SC)
Date of Stay: 12/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/06/11

Highwoods is the most thoughtfully provisioned house we've ever rented...from salt/pepper and olive oil to toilet paper and firewood (the iron insert works beautifully). Just perfect !!! The photos were accurate, but didn't come close to capturing the beauty of the views in a snow storm. It's hard for me to restrict myself to only one "best of all", so I'll just make a short list: after a full day of driving, we arrived to find a bowl of fruit, a bag of coffee, and a bottle of wine; not once did we lose power, despite nearly 12 inches of snow; the house comes fully equipped with two angels who will make sure to promptly repair/replace anything that goes wrong (garbage disposal); these same two angels will make sure you get safely down the mountain in a snowstorm. All in all, it was a perfect stay. I would not recommend Highwoods to just anyone; there are no water parks such as those found at Myrtle Beach; nor will you find a ferris wheel. What you will find is an area of pristine beauty with stars not found in most places. When the peace and quiet get to be too much, there's always the TV to remind you of what you're not missing.

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

Fantastic Fall Getaway!

Guest: June (Orlando, FL)
Date of Stay: 10/06/10 Review Submitted: 11/24/10

The fall colors were amazing... and so is this house! It was inviting, clean, beautifully furnished and comfortable... the king bed felt like sleeping on a cloud! It was a peaceful place to come back to after a day of hiking, and another day of shopping in Asheville. Really appreciated the hot tub ... large TV with super surround sound and great collection of old movies and good music cds.. Generally great atmosphere for a relaxing getaway. Couldn't have asked for more! We are looking forward to going back in the spring. Whenever I'm in the Asheville area this will be the place I want to stay. Only con is the driveway in: a little rough, but well worth the effort.

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

Awesome views and the perfect getaway!

Guest: Patti & George (Crosby, Texas USA)
Date of Stay: 07/23/10 Review Submitted: 08/16/10

Our stay at Highwoods couldn't have been more perfect. The accomodations are perfect for 6 - 8 people. We staged a short family reunion and relatives joined us for the last 3 nights of our stay. The kitchen is more than adequately equipped. I did not even mind cooking on our vacation which we did approximately 5 of the 8 nights we stayed there. There are plenty of bathrooms to accomodate everyone and we especially enjoyed the brand new carpeting throughout the cabin. We filled our days with various adventure activities and returned at night to enjoy dinner out on the deck. We viewed many different forms of wildlife during our visit. We will definitely plan to return and I recommend this cabin highly without reservation. I loved it at Highwoods!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Beautiful property but poorly maintained house

Guest: lola5 (fresno, California)
Date of Stay: 08/03/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/10

Beautiful property but poorly maintained house. Home is in need of cleaning and so much repair. Kitchen was sticky, nothing to clean with. Ants. Couldn't get up the driveway easily with a sedan. Urine stains on the master bed.

Owner response:Had a lovely exchange of correspondence with this guest prior to their stay. Yet this is the first I’ve heard – a full 10 months after the fact - that they encounter any difficulties during their visit. This property is continually being maintained and improved. This guest failed to mention the new hot tub, or the new large, flat screen TV. The property is always thoroughly cleaned between guests and cleaning supplies are always left under the kitchen sink. Unfortunately, this normally “very hands-on” owner/manager was away on an extended business trip last summer and during the time of the last guest’s review and this guest’s arrival and it appears Highwoods was not keep up to it’s normal high standard in the interim. I can personally assure all perspective guests that the property is back on track including fresh paint and new carpet. Whether you stay with us or choose another vacation spot, please, please always let the owner know immediately if you encounter problems!

Recommended for:

House needs a good cleaning and remodeling

Guest: Raleigh (Raleigh)
Date of Stay: 07/18/09 Review Submitted: 08/09/09

Beautiful views, but the house needs a lot of work

Recommended for:

Guest: Arvin & Judie Hahn
Date of Stay: 01/21/05 Review Submitted: 01/20/05

What a beautiful place! Is was perfect. The home was just perfect for the two of us. Exquisitely decorated and the master bedroom views are amazing. We didn't use the hot tub but it was so inviting. Thanks for all your kind help. We are already planning on returning for a family retreat in the summer or fall. The silence and the views we are taking with us!

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