NYE Stay in Pine, AZ - the good, bad, & ugly...
NYE Stay in Pine, AZ - the good, bad, & ugly...
Submitted: January 15, 2013
Stayed: December 2012
As a physician & pharmacist, I pride myself on my objectivity, so hopefully you will find this review to be trustworthy. The backstory - 5 friends & I (a kindergarten teacher, a highschool PE teacher, a banker, a marketing/tourism manager, a film maker, & a doctor) rented this cabin to celebrate NYE away from the hustle & bustle of Phoenix.
Here is what I immediately was disappointed by: (1) There was white dog hair EVERYWHERE upon check-in; I understand that dogs shed - we ourselves had a Golden in our party, but what I can't understand for the life of me is how a rental owner would rent out a property without 1st looking over the place to make sure it looked presentable. Huge minus having to clean up after a previous tenant's (or the owner's) dog. (2) The water control handle on the only bathtub/shower was in disrepair & incredibly fragile - it fell off & needed to be replaced numerous times during our 2-day stay. (3) The rental description advertised a pantry full of sundries, but there was only one roll of paper towels for 6 people who were preparing 3 meals a day for 2.5 days. (4) The blinds covering the kitchen window were cracked & @ one point in our stay, collapsed on someone as we were cleaning up breakfast that morning. Not cool.
Now all of these things combined were really not a problem @ all - I've travelled all over the world & can find comfort nearly anywhere. The biggest issue is that we had to sweep most of the house to remove the white dog hair - which came up in clumps.
The rest of the stay was enjoyable - the outdoor patio was particularly charming & comfortable - there was plenty of wood for the indoor & outdoor fireplaces, both of which worked wonderfully. The beds were comfortable & the living areas were sufficient for entertaining a group of 6 people.
The REAL problem occurred after we left. In a telephone conversation with the owner regarding the reimbursement of our rental deposit, she SCREAMED @ one of my friends for 15 minutes regarding the absolutely horrible nature in which we treated her place - she rambled, inaccurately, about how haphazardly we replaced all the kitchen utensils, how we left toilet paper all over the house (huh?), how we intentionally broke her quarter-century-old blinds, & how we had a fraternity-style party @ her place, given how many beer & wine bottles she found in the trash outside. That's right, folks - SHE WENT THROUGH OUR TRASH.
My advice? Rent with caution & tread lightly!
Owner's Response: My husband and I have been renting our second home as a member of the Home Away website since 2007. We both have professional backgrounds in the hospitality industry, my husband an Executive Chef for a top resort and I have worked all aspects of golf resorts and restaurants. We welcome all comments and feedback to create a more enjoyable stay for our guest and to continue to improve on every level. We have never received a negative review ever, in the five years of doing business with Home Away. As shown in the pics, the entire kitchen was newly remodled in Sept 2012 from the travertine flooring, top of the line stainless appliances down to the brand new "century old blinds". We utilize this property as our second home throughout each month when working in the Payson area, and continually keep up on maintainace projects, cleanliness, and upgrades. My husband or I always contact the guest upon arrival to make sure all is comfortable and all of their needs are being met and if any problem should arise to contact us immediatly as stated in the rental contract so it may be addressed. This was also the case for the registered guest over The New Year Holiday. They informed me that they were happy with the property and their needs were being met. We were never once contacted in regards to anything being in disrepair during their stay. An inspection of the property was performed and as stated in the contract the criteria for a refundable deposit was not met. All guest signed the visitors book with the following; " thank you for allowing us to stay in your amazing cabin! We had a blast and can't wait to come back. This cozy place made our New Year's Eve we wish you well."
Helpful votes: 1/1
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