Highly Recommend. Would Stay Again.
Review Submitted: November 16, 2009
Date of Stay: November 2009
This house is fantastic!
Having just bought a house earlier this year and seeing so many nice looking pictures online and the houses that didn't live up to them, we arrived with tempered expectations. The 'House of the Smiling Sun' surpassed what we expected by a wide margin. Every room is bigger than it appears to be in the online photos, especially the kitchen and master. The master shower had to be 4' x 4', maybe bigger. The dining table in the photo shows 5 chairs around it. We pulled three more chairs in from the desk and living area to seat 8 and could have easily fit 2 more. We are big people, too. All 4 of the guys are over 6' 2" and the ladies near 6' (we only had 6 people staying, but a friend joined us from Phoenix for a day).
We cooked our dinners in and there were enough dishes to have one set in the washer while using another. We found all the utensils we needed, as well as cookware. We used the oven, gas range top and the gas grill on the patio. All worked well. The back right burner did not light on it's own, but worked fine with an extended lighter.
The house is nestled in the valley that leads to Cathedral Rock and the view from the patio and hot tub is just amazing. You can walk to Oak Creek or take a 5-10 minute drive to a park to see the view from the creek. It's tough to put into words and no picture can capture it all.
The routine during our stay was to do a shorter hike in the morning and hit down town Sedona for lunch. We would then head back to the house for a short rest and to clean up, and then back out for a longer hike. The house is west of Sedona's shopping and restaurants, about a 10 minute drive. The drive to Cathedral Rock trails was about 20-25 minutes. The trails are on the east side and the house faces the more scenic west side.
With 3 married, 30 something couples staying there, we never felt in each others way...even during the morning rush for coffee, showers and breakfast. Between the table, the large patio with ample seating, and the 65" TV showing the morning news in front of a massive couch, we had plenty of room to get comfy and stay out of each others way while we woke up. The large entry way held all our hiking gear without having to step over it or move it.
I hate to sound like I'm related to the owner, but I honestly have no complaints and the house exceeded our expectations. When we come back to Sedona, we will book this house without hesitation. We paid full price and would again.
Recommended for:
Age 55+,
Adventure Seekers,
Girls Getaway,
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children,
Romantic Getaway
Owner's Response: It is always a great pleasure when our "home away from home" has been a positive experience which provides happy vacation memories.
We welcome reviews because they give us an opportunity to increase the quality of our customers enjoyment during their stay.
It is also a great pleasure to note that travellers are as awe inspired as we are in the House of the Smiling Sun and in the surrounding areas, as it is indeed a location/ region that has an abundance of exquisite natural beauty.
Travellers that return to visit us automatically recieve a 10 % discount on subsequent visits.
That is our way of appreciating your appreciation of our home.
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