Best Way To Have a Beach Vacation!!!

Crissy S. ()
Review submitted: August 3, 2012   Date of arrival: July 6, 2012

This was our first time renting a beach house, and we're afraid nothing else will measure up to this amazing vacation! The backyard is the beach and ocean! Kim was very upfront about the construction taking place next door, but lucky for us, the construction was finished!! There were no disruptions at all! We are two families with kids between the ages of 7 and 10. It was so nice to be able to sit on either balcony and watch the kids playing in the sand. We preferred to be on the ground level when they were in the water, but that was fantastic too! There were tons of sand toys and boogie boards for the kids. We ate dinners on the upper balcony with an amazing view of the ocean. The bedding and bath towels were nicer than what I have in my own home, and the washer and dryer were lifesavers! Walking to town was a bit of a trek with the kids, but it is totally manageable. We rented an electric boat at the harbor and cruised around for an hour. Then we had lunch at the Mexican restaurant on the pier (don't waste your time). Ruby's was a big hit with the kids, and we saw TONS of dolphins swimming in the ocean while we were there. The Sunset Market on Thursday evening is a must do! This is a property we will visit again and again!

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

On vacation with a construction crew :(

Beth A. (Atlanta, Georgia)
Review submitted: June 3, 2012   Date of arrival: May 19, 2012

We booked this house at the end of March. After booking and sending in our depost, we discovered (only through reviews) that construction was going on next door. We had 1 month before our arrival. When I contacted the rental company about the construction, the only offer was another house that cost substantially more for the week. With only a month before our vacation and plane tickets purchased, we felt we had no other options (most beachfront properties in this price range had been booked!!) but to stay with the house. We figured the construction wouldn't be so bad!

We were woken up 5 out of the 7 mornings by the crew next door. The house under construction is SO close, it sounded like 3-4 men were in the house with us. We expected some hammering, noise etc, but we did not expect all of the yelling, swearing, singing etc noise. Not only was the noise bad, but the sight of the house is a complete eye sore. It is surrounded completely with a chain fence and a tarp which even blocks the beach views to the right! This was NOT the view that we payed for.

We were quite disappointed to say the least!! I think it would have been only fair to have been notified at the time we made the reservation in March of this construction. It is not very professionally or ethical to NOT make this information known to renters. We would have definitely not made the reservation!!

This "business" also will only accept cash in full on the day of check in. This was told to me in 1 email which I did not notice. It never occurred to me we would have to pay in cash!! We were told by the rental company that this was because checks have bounced in the past. We called our bank on Mon and they assured us that it would only take 24 hours for our check to clear. We communicated this to the rental company but they still demanded cash and got very snarky with us about it. We had to spend a half a day on the phone with our bank and make several different trips to the ATM to get them the cash!

The house is nice. The beds and bedding are good. The kitchen has everything you could want. The house would have been great if not for the construction.

If you like sitting by the fire watching a construction site under way, if you like staring at a hideous tarp, if you like being gawked at, if you like vacationing with a construction crew, if you like sharing a morning coffee with them in your pajamas, then this is the place for you!

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Easter at the Beach!

Review submitted: April 10, 2012   Date of arrival: April 10, 2012

Hello to all! We are having a FABULOUS Easter vacation in Oceanside! This beach house is truly the perfect place for a family vacation. The accommodations are welcoming in its decor, comfy in its style and clean in its appearance! Kitchen is amazing. The beach experience is even better. We feel as if this is our own private, family beach. We are making so many amazing memories. Kids love playing in the surf and its is so safe for them, makes it easy to relax! Rating: 5 out of 5

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Great Beachfront Vacation

Review submitted: April 10, 2012   Date of arrival: April 8, 2012

We had such an amazing family vacation at this beach house! The house is perfect -- spacious, beautifully decorated and right on the beach! No road to cross which is very important with our young kids. The beach itself is very private and big. We enjoyed many walks down the beach to the pier and there is a great play structure on the beach easily walkable from the house. Watching the sun set on the back deck is heavenly! No need for a car. Downtown Oceanside is walkable from the house. But, we did rent a car and went to Legoland with the kids and that is close by too. I would highly recommend this beach house to anyone!

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Lovely but....

Sandra T. ()
Review submitted: April 9, 2012   Date of arrival: April 1, 2012

We just spent the first week of April 2012 in this home and it was lovely and very comfortable, BUT the entertainment center in the great room was not working when we arrived and there was major construction going on next door, four feet away, which started at 7am each morning. The manager and owner were prompt about getting the entertainment center fixed but it stopped working again after a few hours and our requests to get it reset again were completely ignored. (We only wanted it for the news and a movie or two in the evening, but five adults with advanced degrees could not get it working and the two pages of instructions left with the house were contradictory.) The construction noise was terrible, especially at 7am (is that legal?)...nail guns, lumber dropping, sawing, a crane moving, and they used up most of the street parking near the home. The garage only fits one car. It was very unpleasant and uncomfortable to sit out on the terrace drinking coffee in the morning with workmen just a few feet away using nailguns. Yes, we enjoyed watching the dolphins and surfers, but it was hard to tune out the rest. We were warned there would be contruction, after we paid the deposit, but they said they didn't know what stage it would be and we were unable to rent anything else on the beachfront at that point so we took a chance. We did like the house and the location very much, and we had a wonderful family vacation in spite of the above, but we were sorely disppointed in the response of the owner. I also just noticed that we paid $500. more for the first week of April than what is listed here now. I think it will be a very nice place to rent once the above issues are resolved. Note, the laundry room is inside one of the bedrooms and there were air fresheners are in every room when we arrived. I had to unplug them all and put them in cupboards, etc., due to asthma in our group.

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Helpful votes: 1 / 3

Loved this place!!

deana ()
Review submitted: September 14, 2011   Date of arrival: July 1, 2011

Love it! I think this is the best place to stay for week long vacations to So. Cal. It is in the perfect location for attractions and nightlife. Just minutes from great restaurants. This beach house has been tastefully decorated with full size kitchens, large beautiful bedrooms, and directly on the beach, I loved staying here. I will definitely be coming back!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Beachfront Bliss

Kell L. ()
Review submitted: September 13, 2011   Date of arrival: June 10, 2011

Staying at this luxurious beachfront paradise was the very best part of my vacation and always is! It truly feels like a home away from home...soft blankets and comfy couches (oh, and a flat screen tv!) Also, everything culinary you need to make a wonderful meal OR order in and enjoy a bonfire on the beach. This house is fabulous! Another thing treasured is public beach access. At some rentals giant rocks make accessing the beach quite difficult in Oceanside but NOT at this location! It seems owners have removed rocks and added cement to make a dip in the ocean a breeze.

While staying in Oceanside, I treated myself to a massage at the Chopra Center in La Costa Spa, Carlsbad and I highly recommend it to you.

All around very friendly service (Thank you, Kim!) and tranquil atmosphere...a magical vacation you won't forget!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Paradise

Steve L. (San Francisco, California)
Review submitted: September 10, 2011   Date of arrival: July 2, 2010

The house was great and very well appointed. It was very clean and well maintained. Plenty of chairs, tables and space to play, lounge and relax. The kitchen was fantastic. The bedrooms are roomy and there is nothing like falling asleep listening to the sound of the ocean waves.

The best thing about the house is that offers private beach access! You walk out the door, down the steps and onto the sand.

It is the best vacation my family and I have ever had!

Recommended for: families with young children

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Spectacular Beach Vacation

Review submitted: September 9, 2011   Date of arrival: July 4, 2011

This vacation on the beach was just what we wished for! Great house and beachfront. House had everything we needed. Loved eating at 333 in Oceanside and Garcia's in Carlsbad. Great service. The gourmet kitchen had every possible tool and when the can opener stopped working, the staff had it replaced in 15 minutes! The kids just loved the bon fire- we used it every day.

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Best Vacation Ever!

Lisa M. ()
Review submitted: September 8, 2011   Date of arrival: August 10, 2011

I have stayed at this beach house a few separate times and it is one of my favorite getaways. Although there is plenty to do very close...I spent much of my time enjoying the private beach right outside. Typical day looked like this: wake up to sound of the waves. sip a cup of coffee on deck while watching the morning surfers. Spend day walking around Oceanside shops. Come "home" to luxury. Play in the ocean. Make dinner in a kitchen that whoever built it must have loved cooking. The layout and amenities are exceptional. Eat dinner on the deck while watching the sunset. The listing is accurate regarding how clean the house is kept--and I've never slept in a more comfortable bed! I don't think you can find a better beachhouse for the price. I will defiinitely return again.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

What a View! Like a little slice of Heaven.

Kathryn W. ()
Review submitted: September 4, 2011   Date of arrival: July 2, 2011

How do I say this? It was like a little slice of heaven--in fact I felt as though I'd died and gone to heaven! Everything was superb, clean and well taken care of.

And talk about views; this one can't be beat! Fresh ocean air filled the house, as well as that wonderful surf sound that's found only on a true beachfront property.

The kitchen was five-star and very large--no bumping into one another while preparing dishes and cooking meals. A real money saver being able to eat at home and not go out for every meal. There are so many choices of where to eat too! From stools on the huge granite countertop to the large, family style dining table, out on the deck enjoying the ocean view or right down on the beach watching the surfers and boogey boarders.

There was plenty of space for all in every way, including where to sleep. So comforting falling to sleep with the sound of the ocean waves breaking on the beach.

We rented a car but used it only twice to go to the market and once to the pier. It wasn't really necessary and we could just as well have taken a cab the short distance and saved a little that way.

I really have nothing bad to say about the property. It was just beautiful, better than I could have imagined. Worth every cent and a super fun time for the entire family.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

My favorite beach house

Puangpen Pao P. (Vacaville, CA)
Review submitted: September 3, 2011   Date of arrival: August 19, 2011

We really enjoyed our stay at your wonderful beach house. The house was well equipped and much more than I had expected. We loved walking on the beach in the morning. We would go sight seeing during the day and came home to relax. It was a great vacation for us and we did not have to go too far from home. We would recommend your beach house to our friends. I definitely will return to your house.

Recommended for: sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1