Reviews of Property: A Classic River Retreat with Gorgeous Views, Knotty Pine Great Room, Dock, Boats
Description
House, 2400 sq. ft.,
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 9, 2 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath
3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 9, 2 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath
Amenities
river, waterfront,
jacuzzi,
balcony,
air-conditioning,
internet access
Rates
per property
(USD)
$269 -
$395/night
Jill Jensen
+1 866-786-2778
+1 707-478-4152
+1 707-478-4152
Speaks: English
9 Reviews of Property 212357 in Healdsburg, California
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Wine Country Retreat
Review Submitted: October 13, 2009
Date of Stay: September 2009
All aspects of this lodging was much more than it was billed. The property was mell maintained, clean and most importantly private. We could not have chosen a better location . The Russian River in the back yard with wonderful accomodations, Clean, comfortable and quiet. For those who have not been to this part of California you are close to many wineries and eateries, not to mention the back drop of the landscape. The food at Zin, Sopa, Willys's Wine Bar and Raw Bar was fab. We also dined at Syrah Bistro , a treat. And for the adventurer head out to Jenner to the Rivers End. WOW! Do yourself a favor and check out Acorn Winery and Amphora !
We celebrated 3 birthdays while we were there and they will be remembered for a long time. These folks have done it right! They give you a wonderful place to rest and re-charge at the end of a fun packed day. Don't be afraid to stay there and just soak it all in. WE all would return in a heart beat! Do yourself a favor and go.
From: The four happy campers.
We celebrated 3 birthdays while we were there and they will be remembered for a long time. These folks have done it right! They give you a wonderful place to rest and re-charge at the end of a fun packed day. Don't be afraid to stay there and just soak it all in. WE all would return in a heart beat! Do yourself a favor and go.
From: The four happy campers.
Frustrating experience
Review Submitted: September 1, 2009
Date of Stay: August 2009
The views are beautiful and the owner responsive to our complaints. But those are the only positive things one can say about this rental experience. We felt that the house and property are much more rustic than described. The steep path to the dock beach was overgrown with bee-infested weeds, requiring river users to race through the brush to make it to the water safely. There were cob webs everywhere and insufficient dishes for a house that accomodates 9. The air-conditioning should not be advertised since only part of the house is air-conditioned - the hot upstairs bedrooms are not. And, this is definitely NOT a kid-friendly property. Finally, there is no washer/dryer, which is a must with any house. Lacking this basic amenity made it a very difficult stay. Overall, we would tell renters to use extreme caution if they are thinking about this place. We would never stay here again.
Owner's Response: We're very pleased when guests enjoy the Old River Lodge as much as we do, as we put a lot of thought and effort into making it enjoyable for them. These guests mentioned the beautiful view, and we agree! That's what led us to buy the classic old river property three years ago. It was old and quirky, but quaint and charming at the same time. We thought the trade offs were worth the effort, believing that there would be guests, like us, who would find charm and enjoy the unique experience of staying in an authentic, 1930's, knotty pine structure. We've tried to provide creature comforts without modernizing in a way that destroys character. We have much we intend to do, and are on a schedule of planned improvements. In July, we had a new flight of steps installed in the beach area, with another small area of steps to the dock will be replaced shortly. We also had the entire beach area cleared of vegetation this summer. A cluster of wildflowers recently sprung up, however, attracting bees. These guests called us to tell us of their concern, and we immediately responded to them by removing all of the wildflowers in the area. We must apologize about the unexpected heat wave during their stay. Heat is not normally an issue, but daytime highs were in the hundreds. This home does not have a washer and dryer, and we do not advertise that it does. What we do offer is a free wash and fold service, with pick up and delivery to the door. Regarding children, we verbally tell our customers, and include disclaimers in our rental agreement, letting guests know that the home is not child proof, as it located on a steep bank above the Russian River and is over 3 1/2 stories tall. We also inform our guests in writing about the "rural realities" to be expected in a wooded environment. The natural habitat of spiders, etc., is right outside the door. We clear cob webs as fast as we see them appear. With every inquiry about this property we direct guests to our WineCountryLodges company website to view more than 80 photos of this property, and read extensive information to determine its suitability for their needs. We try, also, to be responsive to all of our guests' needs. If at any time a guest is in short of any item a phone call to us will have us making an immediate delivery. While a rustic 1930's retreat might not have been right for these guests, we trust that many others will enjoy experiencing this unique blend of old time charm and gorgeous views.
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: January 12, 2009
Date of Stay: January 2009
Fabulous!, January 12, 2009
My brother's family and mine (a total of 7 people)stayed here in late December. We loved the glorious river views, and the quiet, peaceful setting. There was lots of space for us all to spread out. The kitchen, dining room and living room, as well as the 2 decks were all great spaces for family gathering. The hot tub, kayaks and comfortable hammock on the deck all lent themselves to vacation relaxation. The beds were all comfortable as were the cozy comforters. The house is well appointed, but casual. Its location is fairly close to the charming trown of Healdsburg. The house met our expectaions and more!
My brother's family and mine (a total of 7 people)stayed here in late December. We loved the glorious river views, and the quiet, peaceful setting. There was lots of space for us all to spread out. The kitchen, dining room and living room, as well as the 2 decks were all great spaces for family gathering. The hot tub, kayaks and comfortable hammock on the deck all lent themselves to vacation relaxation. The beds were all comfortable as were the cozy comforters. The house is well appointed, but casual. Its location is fairly close to the charming trown of Healdsburg. The house met our expectaions and more!
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: November 24, 2008
Date of Stay: November 2008
What a wonderful retreat! My girlfriends and I had a terrific weekend sipping wine on the deck, relaxing in the hot tub and playing Scrabble around the fire. Great common areas and lovely bedrooms. What a treat!
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: October 27, 2008
Date of Stay: October 2008
You could have put a shack on this piece of land and I would have still flown from Cape Cod to stay in it. The house is really lovely--the setting is something out of Conde Nast Traveler. Clean, spacious, cozy, everything worked very well--good hot water, stong pressure, cold fridge--all the worries you get from rentals are not a factor here. Most of all the real treat was the bed we slept in was more comfortable then our bed at home (and we have a killer bed!)--What a bonus that was! The girls loved their nightly hot tub soak in front of the burning yellow, reds & purples of the sunsets. The proximity to town is perfection.
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: October 26, 2008
Date of Stay: October 2008
What a place! We came to Sonoma to unwind and
enjoy the wine country with friends and The Old River
Lodge was the perfect home base to do it all.
Comfortable, great location, wonderful view of the
river. We loved it.
enjoy the wine country with friends and The Old River
Lodge was the perfect home base to do it all.
Comfortable, great location, wonderful view of the
river. We loved it.
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: May 27, 2008
Date of Stay: May 2008
Our reason to be in Wine Country was the celebration of my sisters 50th birthday. The 4 sisters and mom stayed at the Old River Lodge and loved it. The river is so peaceful, the hot tub wonderful, the beds comfortable and most important, the living room was a great place to sit and talk. We did not want a traditional hotel where it would be difficult for us to gather and share our lives. The private home was perfect. The furnishings are lovely.
Thank you so much for a wonderful stay,
Julie Williamson
Thank you so much for a wonderful stay,
Julie Williamson
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: May 22, 2008
Date of Stay: May 2008
Everything was even better than we imagined it would be. We had everything we needed and had a wonderful time celebrating our 40th anniversary with our children and grandchildren. The scenery was beautiful and location great for doing lots of things to do. Thanks for making our visit a memorable experience.
Guestbook Comment
Review Submitted: May 16, 2008
Date of Stay: May 2008
I rented this property for a family reunion in May, 2008. It is always difficult to get a feel for a property over the internet, but let me just say that everyone LOVED it here! The location is perfect: Close to Healdsburg Bar and Grill (the BEST hamburgers and garlic/truffle french fries to die for) and shopping, but far enough away that we definitely had a feeling of having an entire lodge to ourselves. We had four children with us, ages ranging from 2 yrs to 10 yrs, and they were running all over the place, with no problems on the stairs (you can close the upstairs off with a door, and there were child-proof fences provided on location), but they learned quickly to go down the stairs on their bums. We all went Kayaking--what a blast and the water was warm enough for swimming and enjoying. 2 Kayaks and intertubes were provided, along with 4 life jackets. The best part is that we never really felt the need to leave. The kitchen IS REALLY fully stocked, including food that had recently been left behind, unopened. (We left some, also!) There were games for every age level, and the layout is just perfect to give adults total privacy on the top level, and kids totally great times in the game room on the bottom level. The hot tub was a huge hit after a hard day of lounging in the hammock! I got up a couple of mornings early and caught pictures of deer crossing the Russian River, and there were tons of birds, so bring your binoculars. We even spotted a Great Blue Heron! The mist coming off of the river in the morning is worth getting up for! From the second and third level balconies, the view was so good we could see very large fish swimming in the river! We took about 300 pictures and enjoyed our stay so much, we are already planning on booking the same place for next year. YOU WILL TRULY HATE TO SAY GOODBYE!
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