We decided to take our teens out of town to do 'school', as a change of scenery was desperately needed for eveyone's mental health, and the Bears Lair did not disappoint. This house is very spacious - can accommodate a few families. We were just 4 + a dog and had plenty of space to spread out, do school and work and not feel on top of each other. It seems as though the house is steadily being remodeled room by room and both old and new are comfortable and accommodating. A newer bathroom has an awesome tub that was a delight to relax in. The house is off the main roads of Donner and backs up to one of the trails for off road hiking and exploring.
Initially we had some miscommunication regarding connectivity and as we arrived experienced very slow and spotty wifi. Knowing we were going to need great connectivity for 3 people to be working simultaneously, we had asked about this before renting and were told they (management company) had never had any complaints. As we were driving to Donner, we received opening instructions and a message that wifi was limited and spotty. PANIC. However, this was remedied fairly quickly with a call to the management company and speed/bandwidth was increased to the house. So with the improved wifi, a purchased HotSpot, and one teen directly connected to the router, everyone was able to get their work done.
Suggestions for things to bring: Seasonings - no salt/pepper,
since eating in or ordering in is the way to go right now, be sure to bring either containers, plastic wrap, or foil to wrap and cook with. Other than that the kitchen was well stocked with plates, utensils, pots/pan, cutting boards etc. I noticed a previous review that complained of dirty dishes and the complaint was directed toward the management company. We did not experience any dirty dishes upon arrival, but did notice the dishwasher did not do a great job - food remnants left after going through a full cycle. So be sure to thoroughly rinse dishes before placing in the dishwasher. Also, there was enough dishwasher soap to do 1 load - this I will tell the management company, as I feel this is something that should be checked and provided when the house is being cleaned.
Overall, a warm and welcoming home to help reset. Would definitely rent again.