The Gondola was broken the entire time we were here! This was so disappointing. We specifically booked this place because the Gondola stops right at the property. We learned that the Gondola was broken last year too so this seems to be a reoccurring problem. Without the Gondola, the property really isnât in a good location. Itâs not walking distance to restaurants, supermarkets or other amenities and the bus stop to town is a 10 min walk away - not ideal for families although we made it work!
The low rating is due to the management company (TurnKey Vacation Rentals). They have a combative relationship with the hotel managers on site and this doesnât make for an enjoyable experience for the guests. The hotel front desk told us that we couldnât use the hotel shuttle because we didnât book directly with them! Every interaction with the front desk was awkward because we were never sure what hotel amenities we were allowed to use.
We should have read the previous reviews that said how bad the management company really is. We will never book another property with TurnKey Vacations Rentals again. We have rented with HomeAway many times and every previous property had a specific contact person that was very helpful with any questions and very knowledgeable about the property. TurnKey Vacation Rentals uses a call center with canned responses to any inquiry. The agents that you talk to have no real direct knowledge of the property. The agent we spoke to on the phone didnât even know what a gondola was and said that the Gondola was not an amenity that was offered (even though itâs advertised as such and they charge a premium for it). They also refused to call the hotel to allow us to use the shuttle in lieu of the gondola.
The condo itself was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. It was a perfect size for our family (2 adults, 3 kids). The kitchen has a great layout for cooking and gathering. The unit was stocked with lots of extra items: laundry and dishwasher detergent, sugar, salt, pepper, coffee, sandwich bags, plastic wrap, humidifier in bedroom, & Netflix.
We love Steamboat but we wonât stay at this location again unless there is a new management company. Weâd recommend that the owner work directly with the management company that runs the hotel so that customers can get full access to all of the amenities on site and be in direct contact with a specific property manager that is more involved and familiar with the property.