Hilltop Home in Wine Country w/ Hot Tub & Views!

Reviews

• Felt a bit duped

  3/5

  We were so looking forward to staying in a house that overlooked a vineyard with a hot tub and incredible outside seating areas. Which we kind of got. This house has so much potential and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. But there were multiple things that the owner should address, and future renters should be aware of BEFORE booking.Other reviews mentioned a bit of a scary drive but that was an understatement. Do not book this house if you are arriving in the dark. The roads branch off at the slightest angle, which was very difficult to see in the dark, making it easy to miss turns. It also got incredibly steep and narrow with tight switchbacks. Upon entering the house (using our flashlights), multiple light switches wouldn't turn on. After finally getting the kitchen lights to work, two of us needed to go to the bathroom, one went, toilet flushed. The second went... no flush. The tank didn't fill up, so we found a bowl and poured water into it so it would flush.There was a strong odor of animal urine in the upstairs bedroom making it unusable. The upstairs bathroom sink didn't drain. The fridge was full of food - milk, cheese, etc. The dresser had clothes, the bathroom had someone's personal toiletries. Multiple outlets didn't work. When we looked out the panoramic windows...we saw lots of BIG spiders and brown widows. And lastly (and probably most importantly), the sliding door didn’t lock. To say we didn't sleep well that first night would be an understatement.The next day we emailed the owner about these issues and our concerns were pretty much blown off and he knew about most of the issues. So we cleaned one portion of the outside (didn't use the large deck because it was a spider haven), slept on the couch instead of that one bedroom, and only left the house 2 times so we wouldn't have to do that drive in the dark. Also, the hot tub maintenance guy showed up without us having any warning at all.Even the beautiful view had a boat that looked like it belonged at a wreckage yard. The kitchen was great, the sunrise and sunsets were stunning. We made the most of it and had fun but we couldn't help feeling that we had been duped a bit. These are all fixable issues. A good cleaning, a leaf blower to all the outside furniture and easements of the house to get the massive spiders and spider webs out, running the air (might have helped with the smell), leaving a light on, and better communication between the owner would have made this rating higher

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Ant Infestation, Messy, and an Intimidating Drive

  1/5

  We abandoned our rental stay because of the ants. The property looked unkempt overall. Things not put away, ant infestation, sliding glass door does not lock.Contacted the property manager via email and phone. No answer.Would be a rough drive in the dark if you're not accustomed to it.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• We’ll be back!

  5/5

  We had such a nice weekend! House was perfect and hot tub was so relaxing.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Very nice home

  4/5

  We very much enjoyed the home. Well appointed and clean, though there was a mildew smell. We aired the downstairs bedroom out and it improved.

  The views are beautiful. Felt like we were on top of the world. We loved watching hawks play from the deck.

  Beautiful flora and fauna as well. The stars were magical.

  There was an odd assortment of recreational vehicles within view which was ok, but it looked a bit junky.

  It is mentioned in the info about the " difficult " driveway. In the day I would say difficult, at night I would say scary! We all agreed it's worth it but we would recommend a day time arrival!

• Stay with a view

  4/5

  We absolutely enjoyed the view and the hot tub. The only draw back for us was the drive to Temecula from the house. A narrow winding road up the mountain and a dirt road to the house but it was worth it. We just adjusted our plans and we're gone for the entire day, make sure to have a designated driver, which is responsible anyway. The deck was perfect for morning coffee with a peaceful view. The hot tub in the evening with a glass of wine was the cherry on top of the hilltop home!

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo