Sparkling clean

A guest from Langley (Langley, BC)
Review submitted: April 14, 2013   Date of arrival: March 24, 2013

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was very happy with the location.
The vacation rental was spotless.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
Recently stayed here for 5 nights with a group of 7, including two kids. Found the property to be bright, spacious and very clean. Kitchen basics were there too, so we were able to cook at home whenever we wished. There were a couple of little things missing - no plugs for any of the sinks or tub which made washing dishes or giving the kids a bath a little awkward. Also, ended up borrowing a mat from the garage as there was no doormat at the sliding glass doors leading in from the pool and the tiles got really slippery if your feet weren't completely dry. Overall, a great place that I would recommend and visit again. Pool was wonderful and house stayed cool enough without ever turning on the air conditioning ( we were there late march). Staff was very friendly and helpful.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great house

Jesse B. (Arcata, CA)
Review submitted: April 9, 2013   Date of arrival: March 20, 2013

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was more than happy with the location.
The vacation rental was spotless.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
We had an excellent stay at Gleaming Sands. At one point we had a minor plumbing problem, but property management responded immediately. Definitely recommend this house and this company.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Gleaming Sands

Barb N. (Surrey, BC)
Review submitted: March 27, 2013   Date of arrival: March 8, 2013

Rating Details:
I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was happy with the location.
The vacation rental was clean.
The property manager was adequately helpful.
Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
This house needs some updating, the kitchen cuboards need cleaning, they could use some more furniture in the living room, shower in the casita needs to be replaced or re- caulked at a minimum. There was only one telephone in this home and it was not a portable phone and it was in the bedroom with the 2 twin beds, not a good location.The master bedroom and ensuite is very nice. The yard is very nicely landscaped and the outdoor kitchen with mini fridge is great. There is an outdoor shower but in was filled with 6" of water that would not drain and couldn't figure out how to turn it on. The pool is a nice size however there are some big trees that shed their leaves into the pool when the wind comes up. around the side of the house where the pool heat equipment was needs to be cleaned up as there was a bunch of stuff/junk there that was unsightly including a broken sliding screen door for the sliding glass door which was needed as leaves would blow into the house if the sliding patio door was left open a bit to let some air in. The location is not ideal as it seems to be in windy area of town and it is very close to the flight paths for the airplanes leaving the airport.

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Girls getaway

A guest from Vancouver (Vancouver, BC)
Review submitted: March 25, 2013   Date of arrival: February 16, 2013

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was more than happy with the location.
The vacation rental was very clean.
The property manager was more than helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
Gleaming Sands provided the perfect getaway destination for the five of us. The house was spacious, well equipped, smart decor, and the outdoor pool area nicely landscaped. We also appreciated the quiet neighbourhood and that we could walk into downtown with little effort. Aside from the ice maker not working, our only problem was trying to figure out how to operate the TV. This was quickly solved by Julio, the very helpful maintenance contact. I would definitely stay at G.S. again.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Lovely and quiet retreat

Karen S. (San Diego, Ca)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: November 20, 2012

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was more than happy with the location.
The vacation rental was spotless.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
We were very satisfied with our stay. The house maintenance was almost perfect..the exception was a couple of light bulbs that need to be changed. The location was good but it was not convenient walking distance to any coffee shops, etc. The property was immaculate...one thing that could be improved is outside lighting in the front. If you arrive after dark (which comes early in November) the key hole is hard to negotiate, and the existing lights that shine up from the ground, are blinding. The trip hazard is increased as the stepping blocks are filled between with rocks, making the surface unpredictable. The pool and spa were great!!

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Fall Break in Palm Springs

A guest from Sherwood Park (Sherwood Park, AB)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: November 7, 2012

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was happy with the location.
The vacation rental was very clean.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
We absolutely love Palm Springs and all that there is to do in the area.Since it was the first time bringing our 3 boys we thought a house rental would be perfect.When we arrived at the Gleaming Sands property I was very pleased with the overall condition of the house.The bedrooms were nicely furnished, and the general living room/kitchen area was welcoming and well-stocked.The first night we went to bed early since we were exhausted from husband and I were both reading when we heard some serious loud noises on the sounded like someone was walking all around.Immediately I called the rental company's emergency line and they suggested we call the police since we felt nervous and concerned.The police came and checked out the perimeter of the house and felt it might of been a raccoon.This stressed me out and I preceded to have a very restless night.The next day Acme called and checked up on us.I appreciated this phone call and they even gave us the code to the alarm.This set my mind a bit at ease.Then 4 nights later once the boys were asleep we heard lots of critter noises. This time it sounded like it was in the vents/attic and it continued all night long. The persistent animal scratching and rustling noises made me almost crazy and prevented me from sleeping all together.I couldn't wait until morning.After a second call to Acme they sent out a maintenance fellow to set traps in the attic.That night after the house was nice and quiet around 10:30 my husband and I heard some loud noises and then a snapping sound.

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Everything we hoped for!

A guest from Edmonton (Edmonton, AB)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: October 6, 2012

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was more than happy with the location.
The vacation rental was spotless.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
We loved this property! We went to Palm Springs for some R&R and that's exactly what we got . We could escape to the privacy of the yard or head downtown for a wonderful meal with friends. The service we received from Acme was top notch - we had an issue with the pool heating system and they were fantastic to deal with and very timely in their response to us. We wouldn't hesitate to go through Acme to rent this property again on our next trip to Palm Springs!

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great time!

A guest from Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: August 17, 2012

Rating Details:
I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was very happy with the location.
The vacation rental was very clean.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
Our family had a great time at the house. The decor is very modern and in good taste. The open floor plan made our time as a family very enjoyable. The pool was just the right size and our daughters were in it the entire day. There was no need to leave the house. We had a blast and are already planning to return to Palm Springs and stay in the same house!!!

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Gleaming Sands - Palm Springs

A guest from Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: June 7, 2012

Rating Details:
I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
I was very happy with the location.
The vacation rental was very clean.
The property manager was very helpful.
Overall, I recommend this vacation rental.

Reviewer Comments:
The house was perfect...there was very little more that we could have asked for. The only negatives were that the pool/spa weren't clean when we got there (but were cleaned first thing the next morning.) The air conditioning also broke in the casita...a temporary unit was brought in immediately so the timeliness was great....the unit was a little louder so that with the biggest downfall there. The neighbor across the street was also a little rude on a couple occassions about cars being parked in front of her house. The entire street was free, but she asked one of our guests to move up because the car was blocking the mailbox (which she did) but the car wasn't actually blocking the was the neighbor's car. On Sunday, one guest also had a note on their car asking them to not park in front of their house. Again, the entire street was available and although I can understand wanting the convenience of parking directly in front of your home, there was room for additional vehicles directly in front.

Overall, we had a great time and loved the house. We had a large group of eight and never felt like we were on top of each other. Every guest said they would come back and stay at this house again :)

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

SImply Awesome

New York (New York)
Review submitted: December 15, 2012   Date of arrival: April 21, 2012

I have stayed here twice and loved it both times. You're close to everything, a really quick step to Palm Springs proper. I love this town and visit several times a year. If I can I will rent this property every time I do. It's fantastic - great look and feel, a really nice pool and jaccuzzi, and one of my favourite features is the sparate casita, so that another couple can have their own private space. The TV in the living room is huge and also happens to be 3D. The owners really spared no expense and whoever decorated had great taste. Thanks for a great stay every time!!

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

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Best Palm Springs rental EVER!

KoKo (Santa Monica)
Review submitted: July 30, 2012   Date of arrival: April 9, 2012

Gleaming sands is the best palm springs rental that I've ever had and I LOVE vacationing in Palm Springs. I visit the desert several times a year and this will be the spot for my family and friends from here on. It's super inviting, absolutely beautifully designed, and furnished and laid out in a great mid-century modern style . It's got a really comfortable family/living room area that's connected to the kitchen so entertaining is awesome! And then that all flows out to the pool and jacuzzi with a view of the amazing desert mountains. It's really just a desert dream. Not to mention that its SO Close to downtown AND grocery stores. Its just great. Cant say enough and I cant wait to get back to the Gleaming Sands.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Private Oasis in the desert

Benny (Los angles)
Review submitted: July 26, 2012   Date of arrival: May 11, 2012

From the moment we closed the blue door and stepped into the courtyard the outside world ceased to exist. My wife and I found ourselves in our own private lush garden, the sun was setting and its amber light was reflecting off the pool, beckoning us to have a swim! The inside of the house was so beautiful, the dining room is a solarium type glass enclosure that gives you a 360 degree view of the grounds. I've never seen anything like this in Palm Springs! A perfect place for morning coffee! We were so happy here! The stylish midcentury modern meets southwestern design of the house felt luxurious and comfortable. We never wanted to leave! The house is perfectly located near the main drag of downtown Palm Springs, we made it to our dinner reservation at Zin (highly recommend) in 5 minutes. We highly recommend this house for anyone coming to Palm Springs looking for a very private, relaxing, beautiful house.

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

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Cute place but be cautious on costs

Shelly W. (Los Angeles, California)
Review submitted: July 6, 2012   Date of arrival: June 7, 2012

Overall, our experience was fine. The house was exactly what we had hoped and had no major issues until we left. We picked a place that would sleep 8 comfortably, including a casita for a couple who had their anniversary that weekend. When we got there, we found that the AC in the casita was broken. (There was a wall unit and not central air in that building.) We called to have someone look at it, and turned out it wasn't an easy fix. A portable unit was brought it, which we appreciated, but unfortunately that was really the only option. The portable unit needed to drain which meant a window needed to be opened and it wasn't as quiet as you'd hope. Luckily those guests were understanding of the inconvenience and we made the best of it.

HOWEVER....my biggest complaint is in terms of the utility charge. Because we had a large group and costs were split between the 8 people, I had asked ahead of time for more information about the utility costs. I was given averages for this time of the year, and erred on the high end. Needless to say, I was SHOCKED when I got my security deposit back and just short of $170 was taken off ($150 for utilities and $17 for taxes.) We were there for a long weekend (Thursday afternoon to Monday morning) and although I can understand that with the high temperatures the AC is working harder, this was much higher than any information that was given to me. I feel a bit ripped off, as I don't pay that much for 6 MONTHS for my electric bill. I asked about the portable unit possibly jacking up the cost and was 'assured' it did not affect it. On our end, the AC was kept at a reasonable rate and we did not heat the pool or spa so it's a bit troubling.

I would just caution anyone who is planning a trip to over-budget in terms of the utlities. I know it's a lost cause for my group and me (and unfortunately I personally had to eat that extra money since it wasn't previously budgeted) but hopefully this will help someone else. If you're looking for a house for a long weekend or week during warm periods, be sure that you're taking into account the utliliy costs and assuming you'll be paying a minimum of $150. The cost seemed so great (even including a steep cleaning fee) but now I know why.

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3