Our WORST vacation rental experience!

We have rented over 20 vacation homes in the past 10 years and we would not recommend this owner to anyone.

• Owner advertised this property to be a high end vacation home and when we arrived, we discovered that it was more of a cabin in need of some work.
• Owner holds back partial deposit for petty items. (In our case, two handfuls of playsand spilled on a corner of the deck & children’s washable water colors dripped on an out door deck chair.)

Our online research revealed that others have had similar problems with this owner. They have multiple properties in Colorado. If you are unsure, you can google this property name online & with the Colorado BBB.

There are a couple positives about this home: the beds were very comfortable and the view off of the front deck was nice. And there was a beaver dam in the nearby pond which our kids enjoyed watching.

Here are just a few of the issues with this rental:
• The online photos of the home are carefully staged & do not reveal the true condition of the property. Until the property is renovated properly, it should be priced as a cabin rental, not an upscale vacation home.
• If you rent here bring all of your own supplies as only small quantities are provided (ie: toilet paper, paper towels & dishwasher detergent). The nearest store is 20 minutes away.
• You are required to remove all trash from the rental or face a huge fine, because the owner does not pay for trash service in this residential neighborhood.
• The master bathroom shower is awful…the caulking & tiling needs to be completely redone in order to be presentable.
• The back deck is rotting & unusable, so there is yellow caution tape across the door.
• The front door does not have a deadbolt, only a small lock that is very loose.
• Read the entire 7 page contract before you sign. It’s absurd!

Skip this rental. It’s not worth the trouble. As Colorado residents ourselves, we can assure you that there are many other wonderful vacation homes in Colorado.

Our Colorado June Vacation
Guest: Katie (Allen, TX)
Date of Stay: 06/05/11 Review Submitted: 06/16/11

We had a wonderful stay at this cabin. We had ten people in our party and were all very comfortable. There were lots of toys and games for the kids, which was awesome as it kept them all occupied. The views of the forest and mountains were beautiful and the decks were great for enjoying some morning or evening quiet time, listening to nature. The fully furnished kitchen was awesome. We did most of our eating over our five day stay at the cabin, which saved us some money to spend on activities rather than eating every meal at a restaurant. There were plenty of awesome places to go within a short drive from the cabin. We went to the Dinosaur Resource Center, Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Florrisant Fossil Beds and Cripple Creek...those were all fairly close. We also took a drive to Buena Vista, which was absolutely stunning and drove down toward Alamosa on the way home and went to the Gator Farm, which was lots of fun. Thanks for an awesome vacation :-).

PIKES PEAK RETREAT
Guest: Nancy (Delta, Oh 43515)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

I studied all the available places to stay around Colorado Springs. This one seemed to fit our family size, the place we wanted to be, and the type of place to take our family on our Colorado vacation. The pictures in the web site showed exactly how the house looked when we got there. Built in the side of a mountain. The written description doesn't include the fact that the basement is totally a kids room, including games, play house tents, fuseball, and air hockey tables. Our kids utilized this game room and left the adults enjoying each other a share of the time. The place was spotlessly clean, the cupboards were fully stocked with dishes, appliances, etc. We were totally satisfied. We were near so much to do. We went horseback riding thru Garden of the Gods, drove up Pikes Peak, also rode the train, Threw snowballs at each other.(It snowed the day we rode the train) We went to the North Pole, Colorado isn't a swimming area, but we did find a campground in Woodland Park, just beyond walmart, with a nice pool, and allowed swimming for 4.00 per person. Also, the most utilized was Platte River. It has spots you can play in the water, but the most fun is tubing. It is a shallow, clean, fast moving river, we bought tubes and found the public spots where you can go into the river and go tubing. We went on 3 different days. You can buy tubes for 2-3 people, and I recommend these for people with small kids. Every morning, I am an early riser, so I made coffee, and sat by the window. There were deer right in the front yard. One morning I saw a deer with 2 fawns. You have to cross a bridge to get to the house, and we noticed a beaver dam, so around dusk we walked down there, and the beavers were very busy eating, and playing, and working. They didn't seem to mind us watching. A few miles from the house, we saw a herd of elk (around 20) strolling across the road. If you are in to wildlife, this is the place to be. We are. I would recommend this to anyone. It was a wonderful vacation. I contacted the owner many times before we went, she was very patient, gave us total directions from both Denver airport, and Colorado Springs. Cordially, Nancy from Ohio

Refreshing and Feasting in Pikes Peak!
Guest: Eric (Prosper, TX)
Date of Stay: 11/21/11 Review Submitted: 11/29/11

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this gorgeous retreat. In all we had six adults and seven little children and there was something for everyone here. The kids loved watching movies in the loft and playing with the toys in the basement. The adults spent time playing games, talking, and sharing cooking responsibilities. We spent the week of Thanksgiving here and were a little concerned that it would be tough to make a large Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. But what a well-stocked kitchen! From cooking pies to roasting our bird, to making all the sides, we had everything we needed and more. (The state-of-the-art microwave is nearly a sentient being. Very useful!) The accommodations are luxurious. The master suite is plush and comfortable. We easily were able to arrange all of our family stuff in the room. Adjacent to the master suite is a small bedroom with teddy bears, tons of picture books and a TV/DVD unit - perfect for our twins. The master bath was huge and we enjoyed all the little touches that made it feel more like a spa - a towel heater, digital scale, rain shower head in the giant shower... The rest of the house was just as nice. Everyone had a comfortable bed to enjoy and there were 13 of us! But the nicest part was the view. As others have said, this place looks over a private lake and the pictures here don't do it justice. We enjoyed our hikes through the area. At night, the sky is breathtaking. We took the kids to the North Pole amusement park which is near the retreat. The house also offered dozens of brochures from various attractions in the area. It is a remote place so there wasn't any cell reception or internet, although the owner has let us know that they will be adding internet access soon. The proximity to nearby Woodland Park made it convenient to grab supplies, a latte, and check email when needed. If you are looking for a place to be your family's getaway, someplace peaceful and picturesque without sacrificing comfort and convenience, this is it!