Mid July Myself, my husband to be, and about 6 other family members rented and stayed in this property for a week while in Santa Barbara for our wedding.
Pros:The owner, was very responsive to our inquiries and extremely accommodating. As far as the size of the house goes, for a large group, I can assure you there is more than enough room. The rooms are large and the master bedroom is very large. The floor plan has the rooms spread out enough from the living space of the house so you don't feel cramped. The kitchen is gigantic and very conducive to cooking large family meals. It is also equipt with all appliances and cooking utensils one could ever need. There are two separate living room areas both with large couches. Now lets talk about the backyard. A-mazing!! Honestly the backyard itself makes this house worth renting. Huge pool with several different seating areas and a full sized BBQ. The pool and hot tub do have a locking fence around it (for those who worry about small kids like we did). surrounded by fresh fruit trees and oh did I mention a totally killer view of the ocean. very quiet community and lots parking out front.
Cons:Okay while they're were by far and away way more pros than cons there were a couple of things I thought would be worth mentioning. While this property is a peaceful oasis close to the airport and grocery stores it is not in prime location for those who desire lodgings a in walking distance to typical SB attractions i.e downtown SB, state street and sterns warf. Probably at least a 20minute drive to state street or Sterns Warf. Additionally, there is no air conditioner in the property. 95% of the year this is not a big deal in Santa Barbara (yes we used to live there) but one can safely say that if you are planning to stay here during the months of June and July prepare to be a bit uncomfortable especially at night. Lastly, my husband and I have stayed at many different VRBO properties in various cities and we both agreed that this was the one that was the most "lived in". That is not to say it isnt in good condition because the condition of the property is amazing. However, The house is more cluttered with the owners personal items than we were used to with other VRBO rentals.
All in all we were extremely happy with this large private hilltop oasis for our wedding week. Never felt cramped with all our family there, very clean and in great condition.