No one can dispute the amazing view!
Immediately after booking, we received no communication from the owner till the night before check-in. In other VRBO rentals, we’ve received information a few days to a week before arrival, which settles some nerves when traveling long distances for a rental. With that said, check-in was simple, and the instructions were clear. Zero problems, however we did notice a few things had changed in the living area compared to the posted photos, such as the layout of the living room, furniture pictured, and the wall of windows became a slider. Strangely, what I’m sure was meant as upgrades felt like downgrades to us. We were a little surprised by the changes and how they make the space feel claustrophobic. The space in the bedroom is quite tight; there is a portable A/C unit in the room now which we didn’t use because there was a strong wind blowing while we were in town.
The two primary concerns was the lack of a single smoke detector – all of them had been removed. We had distinct concern that the electric could be easily overloaded as there were very few outlets. One wasn’t even attached to the wall. Definitely a hazard if you brought a child. There was no fire extinguisher, which was a concern given the electric and the fact that there is another VRBO downstairs. We noticed that under the bed were dozens of packages of tiles and they were covered in spider webs, the extra deep window sills were dusty and very worn looking. There were sugar ants all around the kitchen sink. Mold was growing on various soft surfaces, the bedding was very musty smelling and would have been unusable if we hadn’t been able to sleep with the slider door open and had a strong breeze. Due to these concerns, despite the absolutely magnificent view, we did decide to leave after the first night and stay at another location on the north shore that was a similar cost, paying for two locations for two nights.
I immediately messaged the owner through the VRBO app. The next day, after not hearing back, I sent a text to make sure they were aware we left. Three weeks later, I have never heard from the owner. I was refunded my deposit, but nothing for the 2 nights. Of course, the cancellation policy states no refunds less than 60 days out so I wasn't surprised, but had been hopeful.
A note about the area. The next town over is basically owned by BYU-be aware it is a dry town, that closes on Sunday. Even the beach! BYOB