Private Retreat in Santa Cruz Mountains w Hot Tub

Thanks for staying with us Tracy, was a pleasure having you!

Hey Erin, We’re sorry the home wasn’t the right fit for your visit. We’d like to clarify a few points for future guests. We have one disclosed security camera on the front porch, used solely to protect the property and verify arrivals. It is not used for any other purpose. The suggestion that we use it to monitor pets or barking is incorrect. Our house rules state upfront that dogs may not be left unattended in the home and that disruptive barking is not permitted, out of consideration for our neighbors. These were not new restrictions introduced during your stay. Our mountain home offers three acres, a private trail, and a hot tub surrounded by nature. Its peaceful, tucked-away setting is part of what makes it special, and access involves rural mountain roads. We welcome questions before booking so guests can decide whether the setting and pet policies suit their plans. We care deeply about creating a welcoming retreat and appreciate guests respecting the home and our neighbors.

Thanks for staying with us Swantje and we appreciate your feedback! I just want to confirm that we do not use any synthetic smells our home and we use a fragrance free, clean brand of laundry detergent. We are super sensitive to this! As far as the hot tub goes, we have had it serviced every week for the past 2 years and this is the first time we are hearing about it being over-chlorinated. We have reached out to our spa tech to make sure this does not happen again. Thanks again and we hope you visit again!

Hi David! We appreciate your feedback but want to mention that you are the only guest we have ever had that got lost trying to find the house. I explicitly requested that you use Google Maps to avoid any confusion but seems you did not take that feedback. You’re also the only guest who could not get the brand new smart tv to work. Just want to make sure to outline that as I don’t think your review was very fair. Happy you got a yes though- congrats to both of you!

This review leaves out important context. All bedrooms and beds are upstairs, as clearly stated in our listing and communicated directly to you in our messages before your stay. You had this information in advance when deciding whether our home was suitable for your son’s recovery. We also agreed to early check-in to accommodate his surgery. You arrived while our cleaners were still working, and your first message was, “we love the place; however, we have lost our cat.” That was the first time we learned you had brought a cat. Our listing specifies dogs only. You subsequently acknowledged in writing that you had overlooked the no-cats rule. Selecting a pet-friendly search filter does not mean every type of pet is permitted. Guests are responsible for checking the property’s policy before bringing an animal into someone else’s home. We helped you access the garage to retrieve your cat and explained that additional cleaning might be necessary. We did not ask you to leave, and we communicated that you were welcome to enjoy the remainder of your reservation. Enforcing a disclosed pet policy is a reasonable part of caring for our home and future guests. The sleeping arrangements and rural mountain access are disclosed in our listing. We understand that our home will not suit every traveler, but describing these details as undisclosed does not reflect the information provided. Our home is a peaceful mountain retreat with three acres, a private trail, and a hot tub surrounded by nature. We care about our guests’ experience and ask that guests give the same care to reviewing the listing and respecting our home’s rules.