The grounds and entrance way with excellent parking were lovely. The kitchen was convenient for four people. Dining seating was limited to one round table for four, which we knew when we rented the property. Furniture and wall hangings were delightful, with a Turkish theme. However, the interior of the house was very tired. Walls needed to be painted and it generally looked unkempt. The bugs were distressing but were limited in number (ten). For the rental fee we expected a well kept property. The house is located in a mixed area of beautiful homes and shacks....convenient location if you have a car. Light bulbs were burned out, but the management company replaced them quickly. Hot water was limited and we had to have schedules for showers. It was very peaceful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, but luxurious it was not.
Our friends and we would not recommend this property because of the cleanliness issue.
The manager and staff, in general, were most accommodating. It would have been helpful to have a "how to" book available for guests regarding appliances, especially the television sets, which were very complex even for an engineer.
There were instructions about the fireplace, though we never used the bedroom fireplace. Also, there was information about local restaurants which would be helpful for guests who were not familiar with Santa Fe. Living room seating was limited and not enough for four people as the sofa was very strange and not comfortable.
Restaurants we enjoy were Maria's, Rancho de Chimayo, The Shed, Zia's, Geronimo's, Santa Café (two times) and would not recommend the Wine Bar. We mainly visited with family though we did tourists things with friends who were staying with us: Museums, shopping, Taos Pueblo, Rio Grande bridge were highlights.
Response from Two CasitasI am glad you enjoyed your stay all around and took advantage of some of our fine restaurants and enchanting landscapes. We are pleased that you enjoyed the grounds of Tranquility house, the kitchen the furnishings the tapestries and that Two Casitas hospitality. Thank you for mentioning all of your positives along with the things you were less than pleased with. There are a few things that we would like to clear up and for you to know. The walls are finished in what is known as “Diamond” plaster and it is a common choice in high-end Santa Fe homes. It is a old world and modern form of finishing off adobe construction, and therefore has an earthy feel that could be interpreted as unkempt to those whom are not familiar with this type of construction. This type of wall does not get painted; plaster is applied with a trowel in an old-world way. This is the wall finish of choice in fine Santa Fe homes. In terms of the neighborhood you are right and this is one of the joys of the “City Different”. The town is not yet, thank goodness, completely gentrified. Another example of the “City Different” is that many of the roads in the hillside neighborhoods are winding streets and are unpaved dirt roads unlike other places in the country. This is all part of the authentic Santa Fe character and charm. As far as the bug problem goes, there are bugs in New Mexico and if there are any doors open, they can sneak in. The house shows no signs of an infestation however. This was checked out during your stay as well as after and if any of our houses do have a bug problem we deal with that problem immediately. Two Casitas has had the same cleaning staff for over 12 years now and we might get a complaint such as yours once a year. We do receive many complements on how immaculate the homes are. The best way to know we are doing a good job is being able to state proudly that half of our guests are repeat and referral. A concern that you have brought to our attention that we are currently investigating is the state of the hot water heater, as it should not have such a limited supply. Our apologies for that issue. We hope to have this problem fixed as soon as possible, and if the current system cannot be fixed, we will have it replaced. Our guest manuals do provide instructions on how to use the entertainment facilities in our Casitas, but we understand that because we have modern TVs, that they can be unnecessarily complicated. We are happy to answer any questions our guests have
