Questions
Everything guests ask us
Grouped by subject. If your question is not here, call or write and one of us will answer it properly.
Booking and payment
How do I book?
Open the home you want, put your dates and the number of guests into the panel at the top of the page, and you will see the whole total including cleaning and taxes. If it suits you, carry straight on to checkout. If you would rather talk to a person first, call or write and one of us will answer.
Why is there no price shown until I enter dates?
Because a range wide enough to be true would be too wide to be useful. Our rates move a great deal by season and by how long you stay, so a number like “from $169” would be honest for two nights in November and misleading for a week at Christmas. Enter your dates and you get the real figure.
Is it cheaper to book here than on Airbnb?
Yes. We always set our direct-booking rates lower than our rates on Airbnb and Vrbo because booking here avoids their marketplace commissions. For an exact comparison, use the same dates and guest count on each site and compare the complete totals.
What are the taxes and cleaning fee?
Both homes are registered short-term rentals, so we are required to collect the lodging taxes and tourism assessments that apply in each location. You may see multiple tax lines because each required tax is listed separately and paid to the appropriate tax authority. The cleaning fee is paid directly to the local professional cleaning team that prepares the home before each stay. Your complete total is shown before you pay.
What is the cancellation policy?
The same for both homes. More than 30 days before arrival: 97% refunded. 15 to 30 days before arrival: 50% refunded. Within 14 days of arrival: no refund. The 3% we cannot return is the payment processing charge.
When do I pay?
You pay 50% when you book, and the balance is collected automatically from the same card 30 days before you arrive. Your card is handled by the payment processor over an encrypted connection and we never see the number. You get a written confirmation with the full total straight away.
Is there a security deposit?
Yes. We place a $500 hold on your card 2 days before you arrive, and it is released within 5 days of your departure. A hold is not a charge — the money is reserved on the card rather than taken from it. We only draw on it for damage, missing items, excessive cleaning or a breach of the booking terms, and we would always talk to you first.
Is there a minimum stay, and who has to be on the booking?
Minimum stays vary by home and dates. They are usually 2 nights, although 1-night stays are occasionally available. The person booking must be at least 21 and needs to stay at the property for the whole reservation.
Can we have an early check-in or a late checkout?
We will always try to accommodate an early check-in or late checkout when the schedule allows. We may not be able to offer one when another guest is arriving or departing the same day, or when cleaning or maintenance is scheduled. Contact us close to your stay and we will confirm what is possible.
Do you take pets?
Pets are not permitted at either home.
Who will I be dealing with?
You will be dealing directly with the owners. We own both homes and answer messages ourselves before, during and after your stay. There is no management company in between.
Northstar
About the home
Is it really ski-in/ski-out?
When the Coyote Fork run is open and there is enough snow on it, yes, you can put your skis on at the door and ski down, and ski back to the building at the end of the day. That is most of the season. Coyote Fork is how skiers get off the mountain at the end of the day, so Northstar keeps it open until the resort closes for the year. On the early-season days it is not yet open, it is a walk across the parking lot to Condo Run and Village Run and you are skiing again in a couple of minutes.
Are the pool and gym included?
Access is available, but admission is not included in your stay. Staying in our condo makes registered lodging guests eligible to use the private Northstar Property Owners Association Recreation Center, which is not open to the general public. NPOA currently charges $10 per day for each guest age 5 or older; children age 4 and younger are free.
Is there a washer and dryer in the condo?
Not in the condo itself. There is a laundry room shared by the building that you are welcome to use. We mention it because the amenity list on the booking sites simply says washing machine, and that has read as in-unit to some guests.
Is there air conditioning?
There are portable air conditioning units in specific rooms rather than central air throughout. At this elevation the evenings cool off quickly, and there are ceiling fans as well.
How many people can stay?
Six. That is the maximum on our Truckee permit and we do not book above it. Four of the six sleep upstairs in the queen and the twin bunks, and two in the downstairs queen.
Where do we park?
Your stay includes two parking passes for the Ski Trails Condo lot beside the building. Spaces are unassigned, so you may park in any available space. Parking is limited to two vehicles.
About the area
How far is Northstar from Reno airport?
About forty minutes in good conditions. Reno-Tahoe is the easiest airport for Northstar by some way. Sacramento is roughly two hours, and both drives can take considerably longer in a winter storm.
Do we need a car at Northstar?
Not really, once you are there. The Village is a ten-minute walk from the condo and the free resort shuttle covers the rest. You will want a car to get from the airport, and to visit Truckee or the north shore.
Is Northstar good for beginners?
It is one of the better mountains in Tahoe for learning, with a lot of gentle terrain and a well-regarded ski school. It is also a comfortable place to be if half your group skis and half does not.
What is there to do at Northstar in summer?
Hiking and mountain biking on the mountain, the lake about twenty minutes away at Kings Beach, and Truckee about ten minutes away for shops and restaurants. The Village stays open with its own summer programme.
Caldera Springs
About the home
Which Caldera Springs amenities come with the house?
Quarry Pool and Fitness Center, the tennis and pickleball courts across the street and the nearly nine miles of paths inside Caldera Springs are included with the house. Access reserved for owners and guests who book through Sunriver Resort Vacation Properties is not included: Forest House and its pools, lazy river, waterslide, fitness center and bowling; Caldera Links golf; equipment from The Outpost; and Sunriver Resort benefits such as The Cove, Crosswater and other resort golf, the resort spa and fitness center, resort pickleball courts, resort transportation, concierge service, the Mt. Bachelor shuttle and resort discounts.
How is this different from staying in Sunriver itself?
Caldera Springs is its own community just south of Sunriver, with its own pool complex, courts and path network. It is quieter and more contained, which is what most of our families are after. Sunriver Village and its shops and restaurants are about ten minutes away by car.
How many people can stay?
Ten. That is the maximum we book to. The four bedrooms and the study give you a lot of ways to arrange a group, and the upstairs loft is usually where the children end up.
Are the bikes and kayaks really included?
Yes. The house has six Cannondale bikes and two kayaks for guests to use at no extra charge. We service the bikes regularly, although not between every stay. Occasionally, a bike may be unavailable while it is being serviced, so we cannot guarantee that all six will be available throughout every visit. Before riding, please check the tires, brakes and overall condition. If anything does not seem right, please do not use that bike and let us know. The bikes suit the paved and soft-surface paths inside Caldera Springs, and the kayaks are for Obsidian Lake.
Is it a good base for skiing at Mt. Bachelor?
Yes. Mt. Bachelor is about thirty minutes away, and the house is a comfortable place to come back to after a day on the mountain. There is a drying room for your gear, a private hot tub, a full kitchen for making meals together and plenty of room to play games or relax with your group.
Can we bring a dog?
Pets are not permitted at either home.
About the area
Is Caldera Springs the same as Sunriver?
No. Caldera Springs is its own community just to the south, with its own pool, courts, gym and paths. Sunriver Resort is separate, with its own membership, and our rental does not include access to it. Sunriver Village is about ten minutes away by car.
How far is Caldera Springs from Bend?
About twenty-five minutes to downtown Bend, and about forty-five minutes to Redmond airport. Mt. Bachelor is about thirty minutes.
Which amenities come with the house?
Quarry Pool and Fitness Center, the tennis and pickleball courts and the nearly nine miles of paths inside Caldera Springs are included with the house. Access reserved for owners and guests who book through Sunriver Resort Vacation Properties is not included: Forest House and its pools, lazy river, waterslide, fitness center and bowling; Caldera Links golf; equipment from The Outpost; and Sunriver Resort benefits such as The Cove, Crosswater and other resort golf, the resort spa and fitness center, resort pickleball courts, resort transportation, concierge service, the Mt. Bachelor shuttle and resort discounts.
Is it a good base for Mt. Bachelor?
It works well. The mountain is about thirty minutes away and the house has the space for a group coming back off the hill. Winter is quieter here than summer and the rates reflect that.
Still not sure?
Call us or write. We would far rather answer a question now than have you arrive to a surprise.