Asheville, NC and the surrounding mountains are a wonderful destination. That said, we struggled with this rental in a several important ways. First of all, communication was very poor. Gary indicated that VRBO would be sending information (directions, house rules, etc.), but VRBO said that would come from the host. Neither happened. It was up to me to reach out repeatedly to even find out how to access the cabin. (Which, by the way, is near the top of a single lane, curvy mountain road. Not sure how you could get up or down if there were snow and ice.) This was not only frustrating, but also quite unnerving as we arrived late afternoon on Christmas Day and did not have a backup plan.

Next, we had anticipated having the cabin to ourselves. The description does not state there is another unit available for rent downstairs. This might not matter to some, but we were specifically looking for quiet and privacy. We got neither. The renters below us had two dogs, which barked and howled whenever they were away. It was maddening. Our host apologized and said, “I think they are leaving today or tomorrow.” Not true. Even without the dogs barking, sound traveled significantly between the two floors. We heard their music and they told us it sounded like “elephants walking around above”. And the two units are only separated by a thin, interior door at the top of the staircase with no secure locking mechanism. Does not feel safe.

Another privacy violation occurred when Gary gave my son’s cell phone number to the other renters so they could tell us how good their dogs usually are. Not appropriate. (my AT&T phone had no coverage)

The cabin itself has great potential, but it is old and not very clean. For example, we arrived to find the refrigerator was not wiped out and there were dishes left to dry on a dirty drain board. Also, the heater in the bathroom is broken and the overhead light in the living room does not work. Could use more lamps throughout, including the bedroom. We did find two kerosene lamps which provided a nice ambiance, but certainly not enough light to read by.

Positives: good Wi-Fi, TV with Netflix, comfortable beds, plenty of hot water, nice deck (ignore the old couch), convenient location near Asheville and the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. We did receive a 25% refund.

Gary may be well-intentioned, but he needs to be more up-front about the shared-space situation, figure out the VRBO communication process, and spruce things up a bit