Having only rented from VRBO a couple of times I didn't notice how old some of the reviews were. Or how sparse new reviews were. Things have changed since the property was updated in 2015. And the things that went unsaid in the listing are obviously more important than what was said.
Pro's:
When contacted the Owner was responsive. The property manager was not.
House had the number of bedrooms and bathrooms listed. Although only one bedroom has a private bathroom and it's not the Master bedroom.
Comfortable.
It's in Cascade Village... but not part of the Grand Hyatt amenities which would cost the Owner money. To bad because then there would be a free shuttle...
Yup, that pretty much sums up the Pro's
Con's. And why I have a problem with the listing:
The house is up a very steep hill. It's "recommended" to rent an AWD or 4WD. Change that to "MUST"
If you decide to walk as suggested (20 minutes uphill for an adult) there is no sidewalk. If there is snow you are walking in traffic, in the dark, on an icy street in ski boots. Don't even think of trying it with kids under 15.
You can park across from the chair lift... at $25 for the day. It's $30 at Vail and Lionshead and then you don't have to take a shuttle back if you miss the last lift.
Real wood fireplace is include, which is great, but no firewood. Called the property manager but he didn't get back to us. Finally called the Owner and he did. Said there were Duraflame logs in an outdoor closet... one. Did not offer to send more.
Some overall observations. It is a good house and comfortable. The kitchen is very usable but the pans are all old and deteriorated. The furniture is comfortable, but again, older and sagging. Rugs are stained and all the towels were in the dryer when we arrived. Sheets for pull out couch looked dirty. Jacuzzi was great but needed to be filled. A couple of light fixtures didn't work because the knobs were broken. It just seems that no one from Ownership has walked through the place in awhile so maybe quality control has begun to slip. Seven years is a long time for a rental property. More upgrades are necessary.
And finally, when someone uses the term "nearby", question what that means. I don't believe that a 15-20 minute uphill walk in the snow and on an unlit street should be considered "nearby". Tell it like it is.
I guess ultimately the question is, "would I stay there again or recommend it to a friend"? The answer is "No".