The good: Easy booking, a communicative management company, nice, secluded location with TONS of privacy and a quick, easy drive to downtown Bryson City. There was plenty of space for our family of 5 and the kitchen was well stocked with everything I needed. There was what seemed to be a new washer and dryer and overall, the house was very clean. We loved the porch, even though it was cold, we wrapped ourselves up in the hammock and read out there.
The bad:
Issue 1- One of the #1 things I look for in any VRBO, particularly in the mountains in December, is a working fireplace. Upon arriving on a cold, rainy Friday night, we immediately discovered either the fireplace didn't work, the pilot light was out, or they were out of propane. I called the office the next morning and they said they'd "try" to find someone to come out. Someone did show up- at 8 pm- while we were aboard the Polar Express (I did get a courtesy call informing me of their arrival) but they could not fix it.
Issue 2- when my son used the upstairs shower, water poured down through the floor, collecting on the floor outside of the laundry room. There were plenty of towels to mop it up (and the washer/dryer handy to wash everything upon clean up). So all 5 of us used the downstairs shower after that, which leads me to
Issue 3- no working bathtub. Having 2 little ones, I needed a tub to bathe them in. The drain stop would not work properly. However, a rolled up washcloth did the trick.
Issue 4- Overall, the cabin was very clean, the floors were clean, bedding clean, etc. The top of the master shower needs a good scrub but if you are not tall, you will not notice that. Many dishes were really dirty, caked in grit and required a good scrubbing before use. Maybe a better detergent or a good cleaning of the dishwasher filter may help this.
Issue 5- A cabin in the woods, no working fireplace, a big, beautiful porch in which you can sit outside, in rockers, and look at the gorgeous scenery and....1 extra blanket. 1 blanket for a cabin that sleeps 6 people comfortably? The pillows also need replacement. I did notice a stack of extras, but no pillowcases could be found.
Overall, giving the cabin 2 stars because I am so disappointed by the lack of a working fireplace. It advertised a working fireplace and very little was done to try to fix this (showing up 12 hours after I called? When we checked out 12 hours after that?)
