I booked a week here and stayed with friends and family in September 2012. The four of us found the house clean, spacious and well situated. The highlight of our stay was the large, south-facing deck where we enjoyed spectacular views of the nearby marina, neighboring islands and sea life. We were captivated by a couple of beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and gazed at the stars while soaking in the hot tub after dark.

The house has three bedrooms and two large bathrooms with full showers. Two bedrooms are on the main floor (one is a fold-out double bed in the study), the third has twin beds and is located on the lower floor with a mini kitchen, entertainment room and walk-out to the hot tub. The hot tub is clean and well maintained. It overlooks the ocean from a more private location below the main sun deck.

The house is close to Sidney, Butchart Gardens and nearby beaches, but not within walking distance. If you want to explore, shop or walk along any of the large beaches in the vicinity, you’ll need a car to get there.

Although we enjoyed our stay, I found the onerous, one-sided rental agreement detracted somewhat from the overall experience. In fact, it was the source of a fair bit of stress and several questions throughout the booking process. I have stayed in other rental properties and never experienced anything as strict as this one.

We paid top price for our stay and were surprised when the final documents suggested tipping the greeter who basically meets your party, does a quick walk-through and turns over the keys. The same greeter, who was very pleasant, returned at check-out time to walk through the house and recover the keys. We pointed out the lack of bath/shower mats and the missing bathtub plug. We forgot to mention that the propane tank was not connected to the barbeque and was likely empty. I suggest future guests ensure the propane tank is full and connected to the barbecue prior to confirming their booking.