Luxury Home in Alamo Heights

This was our first time for staying at a vacation home and we will do it again. My husband and I took our mothers, grandchildren(7,9,12,15) and a friend the last week of June 2011. There were 9 of us and there was plenty of room and privacy for everyone. This home has all the things you would need (just like you were at home) and the AC keep us cool. The two living areas with TVs and game room made it great for the adults and kids to have different activities at the same time.. There were towels galore, the kitchen was well stocked with dishes & cooking utensils. The kitchen cabinets and refrigerator had all kinds of condiments (so check before you buy). Having a washer and dryer was fantastic. We all loved the pool, there were all kinds of pool toys for the kids. We even had a cook out on the grill the one evening we were in early. The location is great for all the places we went--SA Zoo, Sea World, Schlitterbahn, Tower of Americas, and SA Missions game. When we go back to San Antonio this will be the first place we check to see if is available.

Our family (8 adults) gathered the end of April in San Antonio for a funeral. This home was really convenient to both the airport and to Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery. We arrived after midnight and the owner left the keys in a lockbox for us.
The home was clean and laid out nicely, mostly on one level. (The steps up from the den and step down into the game room could be tricky for persons with mobility issues.)
Although the descriptions say four bedrooms and two living areas (or four bedrooms plus den), the fourth bedroom IS the den - two hide-a-bed sofas in the den for sleeping. (This was not a good discovery for us, since we had worked all day, traveled all night and were all looking forward to comfortable beds and a good night's sleep.) Those traveling with teenagers or children may find this a plus, since the den is separate from the other three bedrooms. Also the bathroom attached to the den is quite small: a small shower stall, sink, toilet - no tub in this bathroom.
We did find time to enjoy the outdoor living spaces - lanai, pool/pool deck, picnic table/grill area (brought our own charcoal) - since the weather was quite pleasant the end of April. The garage gave us a great place to keep our cars off the street.
One thing we discovered arriving after midnight - the HEBs (grocery stores) all close at midnight, so your best bet for groceries during early morning hours is the Super WalMart, which is not too far away.

We recently had a "family reunion" of three adult brothers and sisters and our kids, and the house was a good and reasonably priced way for us to spend some time together. The owner is very conscientious and does a good job of keeping things neat and clean, particularly the swimming pool. The house is on a quiet street in Alamo Heights, convenient to the airport and anything on the north side of town.

The kitchen is modern, though not as well equipped as other rental houses I've used. I suspect that over time the owner will equip it with a better supply of utensils, pots and pans, etc. The rest of the house is similar---clean but a bit spartan. When we stayed there, none of the bathrooms had toilet paper holders, for example. Also, note that there are three "regular" bedrooms one with a private bath and two with a shared bath, plus a fourth large den on the other side of the house with its own bathroom and a fold-out sofa that counts as the fourth bedroom. Depending on your group/family, that may or may not be a factor for you. If you have a teenager who wants to be on their own with a huge TV, they may love it!

In short, pros:

Convenient to the airport, shopping, and highways
Good shared living space---kitchen, dining room, game room, den with large TV
Well-maintained pool
Laundry facilities
Covered parking

Cons:

A bit spartan overall; hopefully the owner will upgrade that over time
Proximity to the airport: the flight path goes right over the house at times, and if you're a light sleeper, you know exactly when flights start up each morning