Russian River Vacation Homes — Local services in Guerneville

I chose Falling Leaf for our Sonoma Valley Vineyard trip because 1) unlike many rentals, the main seating looked comfortable, 2) it had a gas stove I could cook meals on, 3) I planned to use outdoor deck for grilling and 4) the gas heater would make it comfortable in cool March evenings.

We arrived after dark but were able to make our way in okay - good instructions there. After settling in, I opened a bottle of wine ... but found just one tiny wine glass. In Sonoma Valley.

The next day I bought groceries for our week's stay, and that evening tried to turn on the oven ... but it wouldn't light. Tried the burners ... wouldn't light. Tried the grill ... wouldn't light. Tried to put on a new gas tank but couldn't get the hose off it was screwed on so tight. Just for kicks, tried to light the gas warmer outside .. and naturally, that wouldn't light either.

I reported all this immediately. Mercedes, bless her heart, ran out to buy wineglasses from a thirift store ... more tiny wine glasses. Said that's all they had in town ... which is admittedly tiny ... but am I not paying Russian River for a stocked house? Again ... wine glasses. In Sonoma Valley.

Someone came out a few days later to fix the oven (yay) but they couldn't fix the burners. Got a hot plate instead (not yay). They did manage to replace the gas tank for the grill ... never did fix the gas heater.

On top of this aggravation, while presumably on 'vacation' ... I didn't sleep well because some kind if critter(s) were scratching in the wall by my head. Every morning around 3am.

Also ... the comfy-looking furniture? Its best days are behind it ... it looks good but has no support and sags horribly. Sit and sink about a foot in. We used every pillow in the house to provide support to sit, then bought the pillows back to bed at night.

By Friday I was exhausted from lack of sleep and frustration, so we decided to cut our losses and just go home and left a night early.

When I raised the fact that we were not able to enjoy the amenities we had purchased, I initially spoke to Justin. Justin said he'd think about it and get back to me. Three days later I called back, and Justin would be gone for a few more days. Spoke with Megen, who said she'd check with the owner and let me know. A week later I called her back, and she said they'd refund a night's stay. I told her I felt this was wholly inadequate and to reconsider ... and she said a night and a half was best she could do. I already left a night early, so a half-night's refund does not compensate for the week's lack of amenities, in my opinion.

Its been three weeks since we left and I still haven't received a refund. I just called AGAIN and no one is answering the phone ... neither the main extension nor Megen. I've emailed Meggen, no...

This is a great get-away house for an extended family or other large group: a nice big main room, three big bedrooms, one smaller one with a bunk bed, two baths, and a dedicated children’s playroom on the lower level, plus a huge deck with a direct view of the Russian River and a hot tub (my four-year-old grandson said he didn’t want to go home unless we promised to get one there ). It’s only an hour and half or two from SF or the East Bay, and just minutes from “downtown” Guerneville, but it feels quite rural. It’s also pet-friendly (not that common among Airbnb rentals), and if you have an electric car, there’s even an EV charger - provided you pay attention, as I didn’t, to the rule that you have to request access to it a week in advance.

All that said, I have a bunch of gripes I’d want to see addressed before I’d pay all that money to go back:

1. No fair changing the access code on the door an hour before check-out time, just when we were busy carting our stuff to the car!

2. There’s lot of AV equipment, but no instructions, and there really should be, plus labels on the four different remote controls. I’m fairly tech-savvy, but I had a hell of a time trying to set up a movie for the grandkids to watch on the big screen. When I finally got it streaming from Amazon, there was no audio, and I never did manage to solve that problem – the kids had to settle for watching the movie on a laptop.

3. Buy a new can opener! The one we found in the kitchen was bent out of shape, to the point that I couldn’t get it to open my dog’s canned food until I managed to twist it back into semi-working order.

4. While we’re at it, how about adding a coffee-bean grinder?

5. And more cleaning equipment! Considering that it was raining virtually the whole time we were there, we could have kept the house cleaner if there had been a mop as well as a broom. And how about some steel wool or at least Brillo pads, plus Ajax or Bon Ami or equivalent, for the kitchen? The rough side of a two-tone sponge doesn’t always hack it after you’ve baked dinner.

6. Get second trash and recycling bins. The only ones there were already overflowing when we arrived on a Monday, and pickup isn’t until Thursday. We made do by using the bins in front of a house across the street that seemed to be unoccupied, but I don’t know how the owners would have felt about that if they...

Great home in an absolutely perfect location!! Great kitschy kitchen - everything was spotless in there! Some spices, lots of dishes, utensils and such. I brought my own pot and pan so not sure about those. Super comfy beds (the sleep number bed was a treat!) and great zen feeling throughout. If you love books like I do, they have a fantastic collection throughout the home to explore and read while you are there. Fun movie collection and nice tv options. The grill was the cleanest grill ever! I have some OCD tendencies and wow!! This was immaculate. The furniture outside was also super clean (something else I have ocd about) - something most places neglect - wow! The attention to detail was everything here! Look, you should book this place if you want a retreat...let your kids play in the best part of the creek...want to chill and relax outside...it’s perfect. The little container of bird seed, the bottle of wine that awaits you...the outdoor shower...the clean and lovely bathroom...everything is perfectly done. Now if I had to mention one thing...I’d say it’s the carpet inside...not my favorite and definitely bring slippers! If this place had new carpet or hardwood floors...it would blow my mind! Having said that, it still did! Thanks for a great few days away from the hustle and...