The Menlo Park Allied Arts cottage was mostly delightful, with a few issues.
Pros: excellent location for walking access to Stanford Hospital, where my spouse was receiving cancer treatment in his chest, and also to delightful downtown Menlo Park. Charming interior, nice finishes and comfortable, attractive furnishings. Considerable privacy even though next to main house and garage. Reasonable cost for the area.
Cons: cottage had just been used for a party; freezer was full of smoothies and ice cream, fridge full of beer and wine, sticky spills on shelves. Owner kindly shared the beer, but we felt the lack of space to store our required diet. Large-scale construction project with associated noises across the street. Mandatory parking spot under a sappy tree.
Most concerning was a $300 smoke damage charge filed shortly after we left. Due to my spouse’s condition we are careful to avoid any lung irritants. Neither of us smoke, lit any flames or used the stove for anything but boiling water. I reached out to the travel insurance company and home owner but have received no response.
My spouse and I have stayed at short-term rentals across the country for years, and have never had any damage charges. Our deposits have always been returned. This unexplained damage charge during a challenging medical time is very concerning. I would suggest future guests meet with the owner upon checkout to ensure there are no surprise charges.