Looking for a place for family to spend Xmas in CB and locked onto this place because it accepted dogs. We booked the place in October for five nights over Christmas. A few days later the owner messaged us that she had forgotten to raise her rates for Xmas and we either needed to cancel our reservation or pay an additional 125 a night. With all of the fees, we were already paying over 500 a night and told her we expected her to honor the rate that she had advertised. She reluctantly agreed, which we appreciated. The place overall is nice and comfortable. It is one of 3 units in the building. As others have said, the unit is upside down. 3 bedrooms and one full bath on main floor. Kitchen, living/dining room, and full bath on the second floor. Anyone with mobility issues will have problems getting up and down the spiral staircase. The bedroom with bunk bed is tiny and the "double" bed on bottom is very uncomfortable. The other two bedrooms were good size and comfortable. Bathrooms all very nice and clean. Linens could use an upgrade. Kitchen was large, newer appliances and nice supply of dishes/cookware etc. Had everything we need. Some cleaning supplies to wipe down stove/countertops etc would have been nice. Living room couch is also quite uncomfortable, but we enjoyed the wood burning stove. Very conveniently located to shuttle to mountain as well as restaurants and shops.
We hiked over West Maroon Pass to spend the night in CB. The property was perfect for us because we wanted to be in town. The property manager was lovely, reaching out to be helpful as soon as we committed to the rental. The house is very charming and cozy. Our bed was so comfortable and fresh.
We arrived at 4 pm check in to find wet towels in bathrooms and all beds unmade and obviously dirty. The host did not respond to me at all until I got on the chat with vrbo representative. A housekeeper finally arrived around 6:45 but we were already starting our own loads because we were exhausted and wanted to shower.
The host eventually got back to me and apologized about the mixup and offered to refund the $180 cleaning fee. This is the first negative experience with vrbo after years of wonderful rentals and hosts.
I wouldnt stay here again. The manager took 2 days to respond to messages. Couch is literally on cement blocks. Nice appliances, beds are comfortable and unique place. Too expensive per night for what you get
Positives: The location to town and the free ski bus could not be better. We even walked to free cross country ski track for a day of cross-country skiing. Overall, they did a nice job with the conversion of the old barn.
Needs Improvement: The appliances in the kitchen were top-notch.... but that is where the luxury accommodations ended. The pots/pans were and extremely dirty; we had to scrub everything before use. Cooking utensils and a sharp knives were also limited. Bring your own soup ladle, knives and cutting boards if you're looking to cook.
Thumbs-down: The beds. Worst nightâs sleep all 3 couples have ever had. 1 king bed had springs that were felt through the mattress topper and poked into the hips all night. The other king bed was like a taco bed; we rolled into each other towards the middle and the foot of the bed was higher than the head. The middle room with 'bunk beds' barely had enough room for the beds themselves w/space to walk. The mattress in that room was non-existent. We had to pull the mattress bedding down from the top bunk to cushion the bottom bunk, and every time you rolled/moved the plywood underneath squeaked. The middle room and back room might as well have been one single room, we could hear each other through the wall very easily.
Overall, all 3 couples felt that this rental was not worth the money charged. I've stayed at several other rental locations in CB and had a much better experience and better value for $$.
The Mule Barn has great history and is really well converted into a comfortable modern but rustic place to stay. It is very comfortable and is close to restaurants and other in town locations. Highly recommended.