Heart Circle Mountain — Hotel in Monterey

BE AWARE!! STAY AWAY!! These people are shady. We booked their cabin through airbnb, they contacted us and told us to send a deposit of $301 through their personal website. We did and they sent us info. We got there later at night (930pm), he encouraged us to pay in cash to save a few dollars so we paid $1150 cash (for 2 nights) not through airbnb. It was pitch dark when we got to the cabin and he made us sign some contract in the dark in the middle of the forest with a flashlight when he could have taken us inside with adequate lighting. He never gave us a copy of the contract nor a receipt but we didn't think anything of it at the time.

The next morning our friends joined us early to go hiking in the trails by our cabin. On returning, the hosts were at our cabin. They had entered and gone through our belongings with no notice or permission from us! We were shocked. They claimed we had let our friends stay the night and told us we had to leave. We argued they did not stay the night but they insisted we leave, we said we'll pay them for the night we stayed but that they must return our cash for the next night but they refused. They made us leave, in a threatening and shocking manner by blocking our car in with their cars and told us to leave immediately as if we had done something really wrong, we were so confused! They forced us to leave the rental property in an unjustified manner, intentionally kept our cash for the night we did not stay and we were even more shocked to discover they had cashed our $301 security deposit even though we left the property in the state we arrived with no damage.

We go twice a year to Big Sur, usually love it there, and they completely ruined our vacation. We were so shocked and couldn't believe how they treated us. We are currently filing a lawsuit against them, and with BBB and the county of Monterey. They are greedy crooks and should not be allowed to conduct a business. I want to make sure they do not do this to anyone else, stealing and entering without permission/notice. We also saw the cabin relisted the same day they made us leave so they kept our cash, made us leave so they could get double profit and had the nerve to cash the security deposit. I wanted to write this review so this experience does not happen to someone else and warn people of their ways. Eventually the karma will get back to...

Do you like hammocks? I do - I was really excited that I would have a hammock right outside my cozy little cabin. I was on a solo trip, a retreat to refresh my brain, and I was looking forward to some hammock meditation. And while it was nice to have one so close to my front door, the true magic of the Little Gem opened up when I decided that I'd take a chance on their on-property hiking trails. It either didn't say how close everything was, or I missed it, but I packed my bag with snacks and water to last me a good trek... only to find that I had three other mini-havens at my fingertips! Maybe five to ten minutes of casual walking, and I found myself up in the hills with the low fog rolling over the hill I was nearly atop of, or the burble of the little waterfall in a secluded nook, or the redwood glade with a stream running beside it. Each site has its own hammock, and its own table and chairs.

OK, besides the hammocks - the place is awe inspiringly beautiful. It's a retreat - so don't expect cell coverage unless you have AT&T and decide to connect to the microcell there. The wireless doesn't reliably reach the cabin, but I have to say that was part of its charm. If I needed to pop off a quick email, I could walk maybe a dozen paces towards the caretakers property and I'd be covered, and there were plenty of benches to sit and browse the Internet on your phone.

The cabin itself was cozy - I'd say that could be a bad thing in terms of having the potential of having your own space, but see again how there are four hammocks, all spaced out wonderfully, for when you need some alone time. The little fireplace warmed the place up, and even came with handy suggestions on how to get it going for less hardy folk like myself. An oven, stove-top, kettle, and all sorts of kitchen accoutrements make it an ideal place to bring food for a picnic - I made myself pasta, salad, and sandwiches to cover my four day weekend. Big Sur is nearby and beautiful, but I'd highly recommend just staying on property and allowing the majesty of the redwoods to overtake you. Lots of hot water, a big comfy bed, and so many places to take a picnic indoors or outdoors.

I almost don't want to write this review because I don't want the place to get so popular I can't come back... but this is a place to treasure, and be shared with the world. I hope you enjoy it as...

My wife and I stayed at the Forest Cottage during the end of February. To visit during this time of year you're taking a gamble with the weather and we wanted to stay at a place that if rain prevented us from outdoor activities we could still enjoy our time. The pictures of the cottage don't do it enough justice. The property is off Palo Colorado Rd which is initially intimidating but as long as you turn your lights on, take it slow and be cautious of other vehicles it's a wonderful road to drive through. The cottage is plesantly private and has everything you would want/need. There are two private trails on the property that are very well taken care of, felt very safe and at the end of each trail is a place to relax on chairs or a hammock. Palo Colorado Canyon is absolutely stunning and you wouldn't be able to experience it on this level if it wasn't for the hosts sharing their personal space. There are lots of places to stay in the Big Sur region but what makes this place stand out from the rest is the sheer privacy in a place that one could only dream of with all the comforts of home. You will not be...