The place is a mess. Owners just want your money. They rent cottages and RV spots on a property not zoned for that use. County red flagged the property after living there for over a year and was forced to move. Property has a long history of zoning and building code violations. They knew it was illegal to rent me an RV space because they had been cited for it before. Bad wiring in cabins caused damage to my property, charging for electricity with un permitted meters. Owners talk down to tenants, harass them. Deceptive owners! Lied to me several times about multiple issues. Stay away!! read more

I reserved a room for the weekend for my birthday. I had to cancel because my husband had to go to the hospital. I canceled online 5 days in advance . They charged me a cancel fee of $253!!!! The weekend was $453. Omg!!! I would never recommend this place just because of that!!! read more

I've put off writing this update for a while now purely because of how angry and upset the managers response made me. Not even the courtesy of a private message but a post filled with complete lies throughout. I'm not a malicious person and don't deliberately give poor reviews as you can clearly see from the hundreds I have written. I have nothing to gain from it. - I think my husband and I have a better recollection of what actually happened seeing as we initially wrote the review within a couple of days of returning home as opposed to the manager who wrote it 6 months later. -. The fact that we had a Living Social deal should not be a factor. What, because we had it at a slightly discount rate it's ok our experience was so bad?? Also as soon as the fact that we had the deal came into play days suddenly became unavailable and the cleaning fee of the cottage was increased! So no, not 'quite the deal' when everything was taken into consideration but I learnt my lesson there. - Yes, My husband and I both wrote reviews. We both had experiences here therefore are both entitled to our own opinion and as you can see from the ratings we both gave - they are different. I rated slightly higher than he did but am now wondering why. - They knew that we were going to get there early. In fact we got there later than first agree'd. If we were not meant to be there how on earth did we get the key code to the door from the management?! - When we had someone try walk into the cottage while I was standing there half clothed my husband was actually very polite. He isn't a rude person at all and he simply stopped the door from being opened so much so that I could be seen, he was saving my embarrassment. He didn't slam the door at and simply explained my clothing situation to which the lady then turned to the 2 people she was with and rudely stated ''They're here early and not meant to be''. There was also no sign of any Shampoo ect, being carried by the lady or left behind as claimed. A simple ''I'm sorry, I'm here with supplies'' goes a long long way. Instead we were made to feel quite unwelcome from the get go. I also highly doubt the 2 people she was with were staff either as they were not carrying any cleaning supplies ect either and we could clearly hear from inside her detailing each Cottage and what they contained like the couple were prospective guests. - The kitchen may be fully equipped NOW but it wasn't at the time of our stay here. I was incredibly disappointed with the lack of anything I could make my husband a nice breakfast with. I specifically took all of the ingredients I needed on the long journey there but instead we had to drive miles to find somewhere to eat because of this. - Kind of funny there was also no reply in response to the whole Cottage being wonky (which as stated before we have proof off). Who wants to pay to spend the night in a wonky Cottage sleeping with their feet elevated higher than their head? I certainly don't want to again and sure won't be going back. I also feel that because we had a Living Social we actually deliberately got put in the bad Cottage. read more

Nothing special. Had to leave due to terrible smell in the bedroom. Was unable to contact management so had to rent a room up the road. New room was better and half the price (plus included a river view!). Management didn't respond to my emails or voice mails for two weeks, then didn't seem very concerned about my issues. Owner, Janis, seemed very nice, but thought she could have handled the customer service aspect differently. read more

This is not meant in any mean way, and i'm sorry for any loss of business this may have caused. There's a few things that need to be clarified, as I feel the owner has commented just to save face, but we clearly were not welcomed. No correspondence has been forwarded to us to let us know of their concerns for our happiness, nor have we heard of any requests to hear about what they could do to get us back. The review that I wrote was written the day we got home (the follow up by the owner was written several months later without clarity of what actually happened). We called at 12 noon, and I believe about 12:45 (as was requested when I called earlier to ask for an early check-in as the documentation suggests) and was told to call back again at 1pm to find out for sure; We couldn't do this due to poor cell reception in the area, but we did arrive at about 1:30pm and saw people at the cottage doing some work, cleaning etc... so we decided to continue on to the nearby Holy Cow for some late lunch, and came back at 2:30pm (as previously mentioned). We did not arrive early, were not there at 1:20pm and was actually very polite about them being there. It also can't have been all that surprising that we did not call back as we were told that the cell reception near the area was bad. We felt that considering our check-in was confirmed to be no later than 2pm and that we entered at 2:30pm, we would be OK and not get interrupted, i'm guessing the lack of a follow up made it OK to walk in. When we heard people walking around and talking outside, and realizing that people were there that shouldn't be, we looked out the windows to see someone walking around outside showing people around. We decided to open the main doors to find out who they were and what they were doing there. When we done so we were confronted by who I believe is the owner and 2 GUESTS that she was showing around, telling them about the cottage. She had no cleaning/bathroom items with her, did not mention anything about refilling shampoo, and was not with workers. A polite "Oh i'm sorry, I'm just here to fill up the shampoo" would have gone a long way to making us feel more comfortable, but instead she walked off and moaned about us to the other couple saying things like "They're not supposed to be here, they are early" and some other stuff that we didn't hear very well as she walked off. When someone says something is "private" in relation to a property, that typically means that it is secluded, hidden, not easily accessible by the general public... Not that you have sole use of the property but can be easily seen using it by any random person. Reiterating that something is private over and over like the documentation and web-site does, makes you think that it really is "private" as per my definition... otherwise what is the point in stating it? my balcony is "private" in the owners sense of the word, but i'd not be caught sitting out there in next to nothing because the entire apartment complex can see me, therefore it is not "private". The window in the "Heron" next door, which towers over the cottage we stayed in might well be a stained glass window, but from where you are you cannot see that, and you can see light coming out of the window at night and shadows inside when people are walking around, which leads you to believe that they can see out if they wanted to - in addition to this, it can be opened (and was), as the guests would close it in the night whilst we were outside - presumably they didn't like hearing us talking from the hot tub. If there was some mention of this window and that it was not possible to see out of it, that would have increased our comfort levels a little bit, but this was clearly a lie to try and cover up this fact. The "fully fitted" kitchen had 2 electric hobs, a microwave, a toaster, a coffee maker, a large glass casserole dish and some spatulas and spoons.... However without a frying pan, sauce pan or oven, what was available was almost completely unusable, so we ended up eating out for EVERY meal. The outside gas hob (aka bbq) cannot be used for baking, or conventional roasting, it is used for grilling and is a lame excuse for not having what is advertised in the provided documentation. Putting any kind of oven-bake items in the microwave would be pretty much impossible due to the lack of correct size dishes and size. There might NOW be frying pans and sauce pans (because of our comments) but there certainly was not when we were there. The free WIFI which is advertised and commented on by others, is so weak that we could not use it. I spent too much time walking around in and outside the cottage trying to get just 1 bar of signal from it, only for it to time-out again. So we ended up going to the Holy Cow to use their free WIFI instead. We welcome any suggestions / discounts that may be offered to us, but I doubt you can offer us anything good enough to make us want to come back. read more

Here's my story: -- Called 3 months in advance to reserve a suite so that my bf and I could attend our friend's wedding. Gave my cc#, and Janis said she would email me a contract and charge my card about 60 days before the event. -- About a month later, I called to check in with Janis. She told me that she had spoken with a friend of mine (staying in a cottage on her property for the same wedding) and cancelled my reservation because she assumed I'd be staying my my friend. She never called to check this out with me! When I explained that we still wanted the suite we originally reserved, she said she had already given it away to another couple. -- Over the next 6 weeks or so, I called and left messages for Janis but they went unanswered. -- Four days before the wedding weekend, Janis called and said that she was having trouble finding a place for me to stay. She had an unfinished suite that we could use. -- The day before we were to arrive for the wedding, I received an email from Janis saying that she had no place for me to stay on her property. She had the nerve to suggest that I ask around to my friends to see if I could "crash" with any of them. In her email, she cited a family illness over the past 2 weeks as the reason for the mix-up. This makes NO SENSE! -- As it happened, I had to scramble to find a place for me and my bf to stay. We ended up finding a place nearly an hour away, which amounted to lots of travel Friday-Sunday as we drove back and forth to the three events. We tried our best to set aside our anger and readjust our vision for a romantic get-away weekend. Honestly, I am still surprised at how unprofessional Janis was throughout this process. She offered me free night's stay at her place in the future as an apology, but I don't trust her. And, she still has my credit card info to boot. Yikes! Lest you think that this is an isolated incident....I have friends/family who stayed at Monte Rio Cottages for the wedding. Their experiences included poor communication with Janis, the need to contact her for verification of reservations, no sheets on the bed, horribly uncomfortable mattresses, and not enough towels. Janis seems like a nice enough person, but her ability to manage a property like this is clearly lacking. If I were you, I'd think twice about using Monte Rio Cottages. And, if you do, have a back-up plan just in case you have no place to stay at the last minute. read more

We stayed in Camp Serenity. This cottage is not for everyone, but we loved it. It is tiny - just fits the bed. No TV, no indoor seating. Not a problem for us. It is cozy and private. The walls outside and the cottage itself are very new, freshly painted and clean. All the latches, locks etc work perfectly. Tiny clean indoor toilet and sink area. Super comfy bed. We have Verizon and the cell reception was fine. Two convenient outlets near the windowsills for easy recharging. We like all the windows with lace curtains, the room had beautiful light. It is dog friendly but the common area is not fully fenced. This is not a place to let your muddy farm dog run amok then come in and pee on the corner of the bed and dirty up the linens. It's a perfect place for civilized dogs who are clean and are kept on leash ;-). The parking being shady, we were able to feed her in the comfort of her crate in the car. Showering out in the fresh air was a delightful experience. Shower is totally secluded and has room for two. We were really impressed with how tidy the outdoor patio areas were both times we stayed. Nice outdoor lighting. Lots of comfortable outdoor seating - two private patio areas with Camp Serenity plus the shared garden area. Easy walking distance to the dog beach, a little market, and some very intriguing looking restaurants that we will have to try out next time. This is not a hotel, there are not employees hanging around bugging you or ready to jump at your requests. So, leave a message and allow some time for help to arrive. Janis was very nice and helpful, she even found our phone recharger that we left on our last stay. We made better time driving up there than expected and were fortunate to be able to check in early. The little kitchen cubby had whole coffee beans and grinder, such a nice touch! With a little planning you can enjoy a pastry with your home brewed gourmet cup of coffee on your beautiful private deck without having to get dressed and go out first thing. So enjoyed that. Loved having our own large convenient shady parking space, not always how it is in Monte Rio. I took a point off for the shower head being too low & lacking water pressure, and flat pillows. But everything else was super clean, comfortable, and beautiful. Fresh flowers also a very nice touch. We will be back! read more

We stayed at Heron cottage and I would definitely go back there. The only complaint I have about the place is about the bathroom with clear glass door and window. Thankfully it has curtain / drape to cover it. But it covers only 98% of the area. I find it weird that a bathroom would have a transparent clear glass door / window. The staff people were helpful and courteous. read more

Hummingbird cottage 3802 I don't know where to start in this review as this whole experience was a fiasco. If it had been one thing or if the owners had stepped up the first night I would have been fine but.... No they did not, even though they clearly state in ALL their emails And online that they are readily available. What ticked me off the most was the huge amount of emails with all these rules that were sent to me before the trip and after we booked. Some of the rules had not been stated anywhere on their site but I was okay with all of it as I figured with all these rules, we were getting an awesome place that would be so clean and have every convenience! Even at the discounted weekday or ice it was still way overpriced for what it was. Funky place very dusty, had to clean dishes and kitchen area coffee maker which was a one cup and dusty with water and coffee cup still in place No toiletries as promised but someone's used shampoo No. Signal inside and no answer on phone when called to get a cell phone to be able to stay in touch with our special needs daughter, I had to stand on deck to make a call. The place looked as if it had been cleaned about a month before and then left. Bathroom was tiny with very small shower enclosure. As stated no toiletries as mentioned but someones leftover shampoo bottle and an unmarked bottle of ??? My 6'3" husband would not have been able to shower comfortably, think cruise shower but smaller! Toilet was in a raised platform and very uncomfortable for my 5"4" frame, feet dangled. Door to bathroom was a window with a lacy cover and was very see thru no privacy here! Nice large deck surrounded the cabin. (Calling it a cottage is a big step) the hot tub was in a small corner with a tree that was Untrimmed hanging into it, again didn't look comfortable for my husband. Place was very secluded. At&t only seems to work on deck did not work at all inside and wifi was in and out. We looked for the Ooma phone and then I realized that was the cell phone they spoke about renting so I called the number listed as "checked frequently" and "to call if there's issues" as they claimed to be on property and always available. But after leaving two messages we waited. Drove around town Looking for signal and for dinner but no luck. Everywhere was closed or just a bar. We did find a market but was so overpriced and not much there plus no signal in town! Back to cabin to see if there was a phone for us or anyone had stopped by and nope. Kitchen was not well equipped or as clean as stated, even though we had received five or six emails after booking stressing cleanliness, leaving property spotless, what we could and couldn't do, etc. used spices and opened bags of beans, etc were in cupboard after we were told not to leave any food on property. I had to clean and mop out the fridge and freezer area due to melted food and a water mess. Floor was slanted to one side in kitchen giving the feeling of being off balance and we found mystery stains on the floor. On the website they state housekeeping as a service but in emails we received we were told no housekeeping and we needed to clean up after ourselves and take everything with us or we would be charged a large fee. They state they have a tub and there was no tub... Again very contradictory! Everything seemed contradictory from the moment we booked. Website stated one thing and what we found was different. After booking we received six emails telling us what we could and couldn't do on property and how to leave the property, so we were pretty excited that it would be extra clean and well prepared. We were sadly wrong. All communication to date have been emails that seem form letters, even after letting them know we were vacating the property on the first night we received an email today stating that we were charged full amount and they hoped we had a great stay, if not let them know!! Really! Um no! I would not suggest this place unless you want a backwoods adventure where you have no contact with the outside world, kind of like an upgraded camping experience. Save your money!! I want to add that I did send numerous emails to the address provided for guest dissatisfaction plus left two voicemails and waited a few days before publishing this in hopes that the owners would step up and at least show some interest in our experience. Put I received nothing but the form email and an invoice for the full amount. No good customer service here..... read more

We loved our stay at Monte Rio Cottages! We stayed over Christmas in Heron and it was exactly as advertised. Clean, nice decor, well stocked kitchen ( we appreciated that it had coffee beans and a grinder) lovely hot tub, comfy beds and nice linens. The gas fireplace was really nice and the bathroom very roomy. We didn't spend too much time there as we were family nearby, but the deck is really nice and would be a great place to spend time. Easy walk to the store and into Monte Rio (there isn't a lot to do there however, in the winter). We would definitely stay here again. Thanks! read more

Just returned from a weekend at the Heron Cottage and it was great. I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the other reviews here but it was a truly excellent experience. I got the initial email and info package from Janis and the attachment (around 5 pages of info) came through fine but I couldn't read the body of the email. I ended up calling her and she was very nice, gave me the info I needed and resent the email in a form I could read. So far, so good! She also sent directions to the dog-friendly beach, and links to other fun stuff to do in the area, nearby restaurants etc. (Two are about a 1-2 minute walk away.) I went with my partner and our small (under 10 lb) dog. You do need to let the owner, Janis, know if you are bringing your pet and they have some rules (reasonable ones, like don't use the guest towels on your dog LOL). But Monte Rio is crazy friendly towards dogs -- our little guy had a blast at the beach and at another dog park area. I felt the place was very private -- I was concerned after another reviewer said it wasn't. I believe the window in question looking over a hot tub in another unit (see link from other review) is the kitchen window from the Heron Cottage where I stayed. It was covered in a grapevine and grapes stained glass looking "film" that made it so you couldn't see out. There is also a kitchen sink and cabinets between you and any kind of looking down out that window, so even it if was open (not sure if it opens or not), II would not have been able to peer below without climbing up on the counter. (Of course the truly perverted could find a way, but you should be safe from accidental onlookers.) Overall, it was a great weekend stay, and we'll be back! Some good stuff: *The cottage was spacious, clean, well kept and had a nice vibe *Pet friendly (dogs under 25lbs allowed) *Hot tub was a nice one, hot (102 degrees) and the jets worked well *Robes (great for going down to the spa) *Off street parking *Nice outdoor seating area for meals on a private, upper deck off the living area. *Free WIFI *Nice, warm, gas fireplace *Spacious bathroom with tub and wall heater *Full kitchen, including dishwasher *Flat screen TV with Direct TV (also had a DVD player but we didn't use that) *Fresh flowers in the dining area, bedroom and bathroom. Very sweet touch! *Walking distance to market, two historic hotels with restaurants, dog-friendly riverside beach, and movie theater Here's what else you should know: *The place is on the second floor but is a stand-alone house -- you will need to carry your bags etc. up a flight of outdoor stairs *Bedroom faces the road so if there is traffic you can hear it. I only heard a handful of cars total, because it's not on a busy street. We went in late Feb. so this may be different for holiday weekends etc. but I think the road is a dead end so maybe not even then. *Hot tub is on ground level, also near the road but there's a privacy fence. If you are not wearing anything and you are sitting up on the edge of the tub, be aware, but otherwise, you're good to go. *AT&T cell and 3G worked fine *They are on septic so don't throw stuff in the toilet read more

Stayed in the Dallas Suite for two nights in early August. The innkeeper, Mia, was lovely and most helpful. The room was spacious and adjacent to a tranquil patio. For the price point, we would have appreciated cutlery, plates, and glasses as it was difficult to have meals in the room. There was no kitchenette as advertised. Mia delivered plastic bowls and cups! Also, the mattress was very uncomfortable with no loft. Simple adjustments could make all the difference in justifying $200 a night! read more

We had no idea what was going to happen for our Easter. We have taken our children to the beach so many times on Easter and they are now grown and away. Well, my husband asked me if I wanted to go to the beach and of course, I said YES! He said find a place so we can stay the night rather than trying to rush in one day. Well...we found a most wonderful place to stay....Monte Rio Cottages. Now if you want perfect (now what is perfect, come on Marin), then this might not be the place for you but we loved it! The ride there was beautiful, the manager, Janis said we could come on in at 12:00 noon, when the regular check-in time is 4:00 pm. We got there a little early and walked around the neighborhood. It was so peaceful. We definitely needed that. We returned to the cottage at about 12:15 pm and were promptly assisted with using our door code correctly. We had our 2 dogs with us (keep in mind,that they need to be little and not on the furniture, but that is fine) and they were so excited too. My husband and I were well on our way to a great weekend! Robin at the cottages helped us with ideas on where and how to get to the beaches. We put our personal items away and then headed north to a little restaurant in Duncan Mills that has the best New England clam chowder I have ever tasted! We went north to Jenner and hiked a short trail to the ocean. we enjoyed the sparcely populated beach with our dogs. We came "home" to a relaxing atmosphere. We sat on the deck in the back, where there is no way anyone would be able to see you unless they were really trying (the window is stained glass in the upper above and a person can't see through stained glass). The umbrellas were placed in such a way that no one would know you were there unless you responded as we did when the neighbor needed vinegar for their Easter eggs. Nice people begat nice people. We gave them the vinegar to use. The bed was so comfortable. The fireplace was just right and as far as the fully appointed kitchen, it was perfect for the Hummingbird studio cottage. It is only for two people, not a family. We enjoyed the spa so much. No one can see you there either. We are now talking about getting one at home. However, no spa at home can compare to the relaxing atmosphere we experienced at Monte Rio. Nice aura over the whole area. We have already recommended to our friends and coworkers. We will be back! read more

Sorry the worst choice made in desperation to find a place to stay...not good, bad value. Hated every moment

Room smells like old grandma perfume. Very strong. Pillows and sheets smelled moldy too. Not worth the price. Bummed about this selection

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful stay here. After some confusion with the booking website (We booked one of the smaller rentals only to find out it wasn't really available) the staff upgraded us to Suite Loretta for the same price. It was spacious and clean, and we loved the private backyard/patio area with our own fire pit. It was very peaceful, especially being surrounded by all the tall beautiful trees. The area made for a really nice run in the mornings. Being walking distance to the river and close driving distance to Guerneville was nice, too. An added bonus, Monte, their black kitty, hung around with us the whole time and we loved him! We definitely hope to stay here again sometime. read more

M:y husband & I had a wonderful time at the Monte Rio Cottages. The cottage was well-equipped, clean, charming & comfortable. The hosts were very gracious. We can't wait to go back! read more

VERY DOG-FRIENDLY - a huge plus!!! Nancy was helpful & accommodating. We stayed in the Heron Cottage. Beautiful, spacious cottage. Big kitchen with plenty of supplies. Gorgeous property, surrounded by the redwoods. Huge deck in back. Deck in front with a nice hot tub. Space for parking our car next to the house. Fenced-in front & back areas. If you have small or medium dogs, be careful because they could slip under the fence in certain spots. A relaxing enjoyable vacation spot. Within walking distance of a dog beach. read more