Unable to access the property with 15 other family members in tow. No response on the day of check-in. Only office number is available, and no one returned my voicemails. I did receive a text from an unknown person/number several days prior regarding the property. Unfortunately, after checking, there was no mention of the number, name, or any other information on the property website indicating that this person was associated with the property. Additionally, communication via the Vrbo messaging was also sporadic and completely unhelpful in gaining access to the property. As it turns out, I was sent an email with the access code, which got caught up in my firm's spam filter. Not knowing this, my attempts to communicate via the Vrbo messaging function as well as contacting the only phone number provided did not help. In other words, the model works like this: 1) you pay in all in advance, 2) they send you several days in advance, an email from a generic email address with the access code (which, given the generic nature of the email address, can get caught in a spam filter), 3) there is no verification of receipt of such email, either with a phone call, or via the Vrbo messaging app, 4) there is no name, cell phone, or any other direct contact associated with the property that is given out either on the property website, OR, during the Vrbo messaging app, so there is no way to know that the person that texts you has anything to legitimately do with the property.
I have previously rented a similar property a few doors down on the same street. In that instance, the property manager's info, including cell phone and email, was provided, so when communication flipped to email and texts, it was seamless and verifiable. With this property, there is a significant lack of transparency and communication. My last interaction with them (after the fact), they hung up on me.
So in sum, I paid up front, and 15 other members of my family NEVER set foot into the property because we couldn't. Hence, the nightmare title of this review.