Rental Report Card

Cozy Cabin, Lake Tahoe

Property 37857
Rental Report Card Submitted by Don & Teresa Werth

Our son left western New York on a drive that was supposed to take him and his significant other to the west coast and, ultimately, to Hawaii for a one-year adventure.

A stop to visit friends in Lake Tahoe changed their plans. They quickly fell in love with the shimmering vistas of the lake, mountains and sky and found jobs (and free skiing) on the ski slopes- a recipe for a long and happy winter!

My husband and I decided to visit them after a business meeting in Las Vegas. Since they were sharing a house with another couple and three crazy dogs, we wanted to find a comfortable place nearby where we could dine together, watch some movies and just hang out together as a family.

We turned to Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO). Putting in the name of the town where they were living (Kings Beach, CA), we found several possible accommodations with the right configuration and price for our two-week stay.

Two bedrooms would be a bit more space than we would need but we were hoping to have a visit from a friend who lives in Costa Mesa, CA, so it might be nice to have the extra space.

Then a one bedroom cabin (#37857) caught my eye! It sounded idyllic. The description conjured up a vision of warmth and coziness, romance and comfort…why not? Even parents can appreciate those qualities in a vacation bungalow.

We contacted the owner using the handy e-mail link, describing our needs (modest accommodations), the length of our stay (2 weeks) and the reason for our visit (to visit our son).

Within a few hours, we had a reply from owner Jim. Seeing our last name, he asked if our son’s name was Adam? If so, he is a member of the video store Jim also owns and yes, we were most welcome to stay in his cabin for our visit!

I told him I hesitated to admit that Adam was my son if he had been renting videos from Jim, because Adam’s history of video rentals is that he is abysmally negligent when it comes to returning them on time. Jim said we were definitely referring to the same person! He welcomed us anyhow!

Experience has taught us that Internet photos of prospective rentals can be deceiving, so we have learned to have low expectations. I’m thinking of a NYC B&B we chose based on pictures of the renovated rooms, photos taken in 1990, which is also when they were last dusted! But Noah’s Cabin was the exact opposite- it exceeded our expectations in every way!

The quiet street in Kings Beach was located five easy minutes from our son’s house, but we were a half-block from the beach and lakefront. A huge bouquet of fresh cut flowers greeted us as we entered the warm cabin.

The furnishings were rustic but utterly welcoming and comfortable. The art work was authentic, regional, and tasteful. The kitchen was very compact but efficient and well-equipped.

The bedroom and bathroom were perfect for two, and the couch accommodated our guest very nicely. Even the squirrels that came to enjoy the peanut butter crackers laid on the porch ledge outside the front windows made us feel at home and welcome.

Gift and specialty shops, restaurants, a thrift shop, a bakery, deli, video store and drug store were all within walking distance. Bank, grocery store and gas stations were close-by. And Jim threw in some free video rentals to boot!

Lake Tahoe’s more glamorous and famous attractions were within easy driving distance.
During our stay, we experienced two major snow events and were grateful our son had convinced us that a four-wheel drive rental was essential in the winter.

 Jim kept us plowed out so we could visit several of the famous ski slopes and go to the casino up the road in Nevada for their famous breakfast.

We made the legendary drive around Lake Tahoe on one of the less snowy days, enjoying fabulous views of her snow-covered majesty and serenity from every angle and elevation.

We rode snowmobiles, saw fabulous homes, visited upscale boutiques, rode the ski lifts and enjoyed a special dinner celebration at a posh restaurant in Squaw Village.

But our favorite place, our most cherished memory, was coming home each day to Noah’s Cabin. On several occasions, we hosted dinners for our son and his friends and landlord. Jim graciously dug out the leaves to the little round oak table in the dining room so that we were able to feed six people quite comfortably.

We will always believe there was something serendipitous about finding this little gem, but that aside, it all began with visiting www.VRBO.com, and we have nothing but positive experiences when that’s where we begin!

Family Vacation in Playa Del Carmen

Property 86312
Rental Report Card Submitted by: Hanlon Skillman

Our family visited the Mexican Caribbean town of Playa del Carmen last summer.

We got started the way many tourists do: planning one of those all-inclusive trips to Cancun. That would have been a very bad mistake. Renting a home is so, so much better.

Our home was second row on the beach, four bedrooms, four baths, with a great rooftop view, staff of two, pool, huge kitchen, and all the modern amenities like Washer/Dryer, etc.

Twenty-four hour, seven day a week security was right outside the house (as they work for a wealthy man across the street.)

It was only an eight-minute walk to the wonderful town and excellent, cheap restaurants. A car is not needed unless an excursion is desired (to Coba or Vallolodid).

And last, but not least- the rental was a very good price.

London Family Vacation

I am the 'travel agent' for my family. I plan transportation, accommodations, tickets and do most of the packing. This is a heavy load considering the fact I have four children and one somewhat untidy husband.

When we went to London, my children were 13, 9, 7, and 3 years old. And we also brought my mother with us, who is a young 70-ish lady, but a senior all the same.

We rented a fabulous town home in London's trendy Notting Hill neighborhood- the same neighborhood Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant made famous in the movie of the same name, “Notting Hill.”

Tim Jackson, the owner of the house, was very easy to work with and made my planning of our vacation seem a breeze.

As our complimentary car service met us at Heathrow, we were surprised and thrilled by the fashionable neighborhood of central London where we would be staying for one week.

The town home was located just a couple of blocks from the Portobello Market which is a weekend antique market. After a long night of traveling, my mother and I did not care how tired we were. We made our way to the Market as soon as we dropped our bags in the town home.

Notting Hill is only several tube stops or bus stops from Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Trafalgar Square. And the Notting Hill neighborhood has too many local restaurants to name.

Walking into the grand entrance hall of the town home, one could not help but notice the oriental rugs, chandeliers and sculptures that adorn the home.

We were met by the owner's housekeeper who came every morning to clean the home and wash our clothes if needed. She also was knowledgeable about local happenings and places to shop.

This home was a perfect fit for our family. The house had two master bedrooms, one for my husband and me and one for my mom. There were three other bedrooms for my children, one being the tiny bedroom of the owner's daughter which contained the largest handbag collection of anyone under the age of five. My own daughter fell in love with this girly room.

We left for London one month after the tube bombings. I must admit, my family was uncertain about going, and we vacillated for about two weeks before finally deciding to go. And I am thrilled we did! It was an amazing experience for my family and me.

Staying in a local neighborhood gave us a local feel, and we were able to blend in with the neighborhood. We rarely felt like tourists, but like folks who lived there.

We spent most of our days exploring London. But, we did spend nine hours during a trip to the London countryside with a stop at Stonehenge. A local transportation company chauffeured us for the day.

A fantastic memorable trip was enjoyed by all!

January in Cocoa Beach

Once the chill of fall is in the air in western New York, some of us begin to think of warmer temperatures and sunshine….and how much we’ll miss them for the next five months.

This year, after two full years of retirement, I went to www.VRBO.com in search of a place to spend the month of January in Florida on the beach. We chose Cocoa Beach because it is an easy 30-minute drive to my mother’s house, and because we love to get up in the morning and walk on the beach before breakfast.

There were many rental opportunities listed. The one that caught my eye was a seventh floor condo with a balcony facing north up the beach toward the Kennedy Space Center and an easy 2.7 mile walk from the famous Cocoa Beach Pier.

A check of the calendar for availability and a quick e-mail to the owner, and we were hooked! We would be the resident “snowbirds” for January in Sandcastles #701.

This place had everything we wanted:  a beautiful two-bedroom unit with a huge master bedroom, bath, walk-in closet, washer and dryer; it also had a second bedroom and bath, closet full of beach goodies and a full linen closet.

The kitchen was large and well-equipped. The spacious living and dining areas were comfortable and well-appointed. There was a grill on the balcony where we could cook and dine as we listened to the rolling crash of the waves.

Our first two weeks, we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather, according to the local folks. We started most days with a two-mile walk that took us north on A1A, a half-mile to Lorrie Wilson Park, where we found a delightful, secluded hammock park and half-mile boardwalk loop.

It was a little oasis of green and solitude that edged up to the beach and sand dunes. Twice around the loop and we headed north to the beach path near the Hilton Hotel, circling our way home by way of the beach. There were always seagulls, shorebirds, fishermen, sandcastle builders, shell collectors, surfers, sun worshippers and marathoners to entertain us, making it the easiest two miles I ever walked.

The last two weeks of January were unseasonably cold, but it was still better than what they were dealing with and digging out of at home! We put on our fleece jackets, a smile on our faces and were happy to be there just the same.

We spent a fabulous day at the space center, took an island boat tour, an air boat ride, a casino cruise, went to the movies and shopped until the plastic was smoking! We were at home in our condo and delighted to be living in the sunshine.

The property is quiet and immaculately kept, making it a pleasure to stay home and use the heated pool or hot tub, the beach or recreation room.  It’s easy to reach the many points of interest along the Space Coast such as Kennedy Space Center, the mega-theme parks, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, abundant hiking and birding trails, boating and water touring, cruising, museums, restaurants and shopping galore.

Sandcastles #701 would be an awesome place to be for a shuttle or rocket launch, and we hope to see that some day. It would be a terrific place for a family to enjoy the beach during the summer. We plan to stay there again any time we have the chance!