Grand Canal Getaway - Balboa Island

I booked this home to celebrate my birthday with my 5 girlfriend. We received a call from the property manager on Thursday before our Friday check in staying that the heat was out at the property and they were expecting it to be fixed on Friday morning but there was a chance it could be Friday afternoon. We arrive on Friday, December 6 and when we arrived the home was 52 degrees!. I texted the property manager and was told that the part did not arrive. We were told that space heaters were in each closet and we could use them. I also told him that the smoke alarm was beeping and the battery needed replace. He instructed us to take the battery out. I ask for extra blankets and he went to Target and purchased more for us and dropped them off later that afternoon. He also replaced the battery in the smoke alarm We plugged in the space heaters and was only able to run 1 heater at a time as the fuze kept blowing if more than 1 was plugged in at a time. Only 1 bedroom could use the heater so that meant the other 3 bedrooms were freezing all night. We had to wear our coats and wrap in blanket while we were in the house at all time. We tried to light the gas fireplace but that did not work either. The next morning we all showered and were trying to get ready by using hair dryers and curling irons. You could only use one hair appliance at a time as the fuze would blow.

This place was so bad that I asked management to refund three nights out of a two week stay. I had agreed not to post a review however since they have elected to review me here goes. Till now I’ve never Posted a negative review on a VRBO property. The place look great in the pictures however, they are not an accurate reflection of this property. My first arrived. The keys were not by the front door as stated. I searched high and low and finally had to call the management company. I located the keys off the alley in the rear of the property, attached to a gas meter. The parking spot was better suited for a golf cart and not a car. Once inside, I noticed a really bad smell. It smelled very strongly of mold or mildew. Management later tried to tell me the smell was from the canal. This was not true. The smell was coming from inside of the unit. I tried to open , the beautiful bay windows that are pictured. The cranks are broken and the windows are taped shut. The wind window that would open could only be opened a couple of inches. I was never able to get rid of the smell. They were places in the floor , it would give away under foot and it felt like you were going to fall through. There was clearly some sort of issue with structural integrity in the spots. The light fixtures in the bathroom were rusted. The light in the master bedroom ceiling fan was black with dirt and dead insects. Absolutely horrid. worst Property I have ever stayed in. This property is in need rehab.

The pictures online were great, however it was not at all what was advertised. The lock in the front door was broken, and as soon as you finally manage to get it open you are immediately greeted by a horrible moldy smell that did not dissipate after several hours of leaving all the windows open making it unusable. This is a second story unit, which was not clear in the posting. The stairs are steep, uneven, and the laminate on them is peeling up creating a tripping hazard. Not at all safe for our toddler or adults honestly. The unit had peeling paint and tiny bedrooms that could not accommodate a portacrib as we were assured they would. There is very minimal furniture and a lot of it was torn/worn. The kitchen is miniscule. The heat didn’t work, and the unit didn’t get above 66 degrees while we were there in December, making it unusable for yet another reason. The back porch is very run down and not a place you would want to spend time. The front porch is not part of the unit, it is for the downstairs unit only, despite what the advertisement states. Even if it were something we had access to, the furniture was in terrible condition with peeling paint and broken wicker. We immediately reached out to the rental company and got zero response despite several attempts to contact someone over the weekend and into the following week. Ultimately we did not stay here due to the horrible shape it was in and did not receive our cleaning deposit back. Do not rent from Grand Welcome.

The location was good, very convenient to the town itself. The home was a bit warn as compared to the conditions in the pictures online. It's a beach place, so all-in-all suitable. Clean, comfortable beds and water pressure in the showers was great! Thanks for allowing us the use of this home.

Fantastic location! Everything is walkable. Great to be on the canal and nice outdoor patio upstairs. Definitely needed to air the place out when we arrived. The air was off and it was stuffy. The parking is rather tight and best suited for a compact car. It wasn’t easy to find the lock box. Very limited amenities so bring some coffee and your own filters.