We would stay again. Place was incredibly clean, newly reno(?) & well appointed. Hot tub worked great and was ready for us when we arrived. Would be nice if fenced backyard had a light and gate, but nice to have dog with us. Fireplace, frig, kitchen… everything spotless and made us feel comfortable. Front lamppost was not working, so coupled with dark (steep) backyard, bring a flashlight (although I think they had one). Chairs on front porch for view were okay, but nice rockers would be great. The bear theme, right down to carved bear pillars and furniture were spectacular. Small but Cozy as advertised
The only thing preventing 5 stars was our early encounter with management (Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals). They only use VRBO for initial contact. They then hound you rather harshly for signed contract; inundate you with automated emails and paperwork designed for ALL properties, (eg, “IF you have lockbox, hot tub, dog…); over-lawyered disclaimers; threatened to cancel reservation if not pay within 24 hours of notice … even though our pmt/contact info on VRBO - which had different invoice?!. When confronted, mgt denounced VRBO and AirBNB saying we should read fine print. Poor first impressions and customer service, especially the large volume, cookie cutter, sloppy communications approach.
The local staff on arrival seemed much better. The heat struggled on a cold night, but emergency heat worked great that night and trip, and tech was sent next day to ensure okay. The firewood we prepaid for was not there on arrival, but they brought it (plus extra) the next day. The fire starters that come with wood are okay, but advise you bring some Duraflame logs to avoid constantly stoking or restarting fire. Yes, they had large fire lighter; nice, thanks! Special thanks to Jessica who was responsive and very pleasant to work with. We tried to stay extra night at discount as they advertise, but someone beat us to it. Fair enough.
Location is good. Not top notch neighborhood and camper/trucks parked behind you. But location at end of street, plus evergreen shrubbery gives you plenty of privacy. While maybe only 1.5 miles from downtown shops (which are wonderful — eat at Speckled Trout!), it’s too hilly to hike unless young and don’t plan to haul back a lot of goodies! Moderate view from front porch. Pleasant but not breathtaking.
Again, we would visit again. Just wiser and ready for robo-booking/confirm process.