Big Bear Luxury Properties

DO NOT STAY WITH THIS COMPANY! Scam artists!!! I have rented homes all over the world and have never experienced anything like this.
I planned my boyfriend’s birthday in one of their cabins. The home was large however the pictures in the ad made the cabin look much more modern. Upon arrival the furnishings were very dated and old and dirty. We were excited about the hot tub, but after removing the cover we discover it smelled awful and the water was murky brownish green. The very steep driveway was not cleared of snow even though we were told that we could park 4 cars at the property. We were told there was a driveway heater to melt the snow, but it was broken. The first night we parked on the street. In the morning a police officer came and told us we needed to move our cars. My boyfriend attempted to put my car in the ice and snow covered driveway. My car slid back and hit a rock and the axel was broken. I had to have the car towed back to San Diego where I eventually found out it was totaled. The police man who gave us the friendly warning and the neighbors around the property mentioned that the hosts never clear the driveway and this is a consistent problem surrounding this home and it’s guests.
Also many of the outlets in the home did not have power so it was difficult to plug in phones to charge.
You have to take your own trash to the trash dump outside of town and wash your own dishes although we paid a $ 200 cleaning fee. As my boyfriend was walking down the icy driveway with all the trash he slipped and fell and dislocated his elbow. He was not able to snowboard even though I had prepaid for a lift pass for him to snowboard on the day we were leaving. He spent his birthday in pain.
We were willing to accept the car and elbow situations as accidents, however to top it all off we were charged $ 245 for breaking a stove grate which we never even used and it would be impossible to break a rod iron stove grate without tools. After reading all of the reviews on Unilocal it is clear that this is a scam they have going on. They steal your deposit by accusing you of things that you never did.
None of my calls to the company have been returned so I have not had to deal with the rudeness other Unilocalers have reported, but this is overall just a bad business. Do not stay with them you’ve been warned!

I’ve never written anyone or any company a negative review but I owe you this one.
I rented multiple properties in the Big Bear area for a company trip, all through AirBnB, all with different rental companies. I didn’t have any problems with any of the other companies.
The house was nice though and the location was great.
Couple days after check out, the company contacted me for the following Losses & Damages:
–2 cracked snow shovels
–1 broken refrigerator tray
–2 missing pillows
The snow shovels were already in bad shape when we touched it, but the cracks did get bigger after we used it to shovel the snow. Apparently, its because we didn’t know how to use it properly. Well, neither did the owner, otherwise, it wouldn’t be in the shape that we found it in. But whatever, fine, I’ll pay for it.
The refrigerator tray was already broken when we arrived. We noticed it because the refrigerator door wouldn’t close all the way unless we took it out. I told this to the rental agent but the owner said we did it, so therefore, we must have done it. No ifs, buts, or maybes about it. End of discussion.
Missing pillows… why would anyone steal pillows from a rental property? Who knows how many slobs have slept on it, what they did to it, and the last time it’s been washed? I confirmed with everybody in our party and nobody stole the damn pillows. But the owner said we stole it, so therefore, we must have done it. No ifs, buts, or maybes about it. End of discussion. «Oh and here are some photos of decorative pillows that used to be there.» Seeing how they had a photo of every pillow accounted for ready to be sent out, seems like they used this tactic before.
The rental agent sent me a request for $ 300+ for the above mentioned damaged or missing items. This was on Thursday afternoon. By the time I woke up on Monday, the company had left me a negative review on AirBnB stating that I was «nice at check in, but took pillows and left damages,» portraying me as a pillow thief and probably hurting my ability to rent through AirBnB in the future.
There are plenty of reputable vacation rental companies in Big Bear that won’t accuse of you stealing pillows and damaging already broken items. This is not one of them.

STAY AWAY, DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY!
They are very dishonest and try to rip off their customers. We stayed at one of their «Luxury» cabins, there was absolutely nothing luxury about the cabin. Their description says sleeps 12 but there were only beds for 10 including two sofa beds. There were not even enough sheets for 12. The pictures shows the house is right by the lake but that was a total mislead, we had to walk at least 15 minutes to get to the lake. We returned the house just like we received it without any damage we even cleaned it. A few hours after we checked out they called and said that their cleaning lady noticed a damage on one of the furniture and they will not return our security deposit. That was a total lie, we DID NOT damage anything in their house, we go to big bear every year and we had never had any problems before. From the previous reviews you can tell this is their sham to keep the security deposits. We are very disgusted and will never rent from them ever again!

Dead Rat: No kidding, this was the first thing at the front door. There was a dead rat in a trap (that looked like it had been there ages) and rat poop everywhere. The entire house was covered in spider webs and various nests. The patio was so dirty and covered in spiders that we had to hose everything down before even going outside.
Proximity to water: The photo of the property shows a dock right on the water. The website does have a disclaimer that «due to the drought» there is no water in front of the house; HOWEVER, the water line is a good 20min walk from the house and has been this way for years. Upon check in someone even mentioned that it has not had water anywhere close to here for at least three years. The photos are not just misleading, they are blatantly false.
Booking process: Online the house was listed very specifically as «third night free» but upon booking they said that it was only the fourth night free. After showing them their website (which they promptly changed). They said it was a mistake and it was only the fourth night. It took some serious conversation to get them to honor what was on their website, and only after they realized one of the parties on the trip was a lawyer.
Summary: Go to airbnb, find a gorgeous and clean house for half the price.

Rented a cabin here for my birthday. We had a group of 12 people.
The cabin selection was extensive, the customer service was great, and the web site and business was very well organized.

Very expensive for what you get. The reservation process was difficult and it took 3 phone calls before the staff helped us. The house looked better online than in person. We’ve rented Cowboy Chic it was cozy but very dark. The house sleeps 6 but only has a kitchen table for 4. Checkout is too early and the Check in is late. We need to remove our own garbage and clean our own dishes or else you get a $ 50 fine for each even though we’re paying over $ 400 per night. The house is cute and cozy. The fire place is nice, the heat works well which is very important.

We recently rented a beautiful cabin called Grand Views in Big Bear. which was all that was advertised, my complaint is with Big Bear Properties, they charge a cleaning fee which is fine and also a security fee of $ 2500. After two weeks I e-​mailed them asking when my security deposit would be refuned I was told that they were sorry I wasn’t told but they found damage to the cabin, they said a rug was burned and a white spot was on a table and they would get back to me after they access the damage amount. Well nobody smokes in my family so I asked them where this was and I that I needed photos for my lawyer. Funny today they said they looked at the cabin and that the owner said to give me back our security deposit. Sounds like a bunch of BS to me. I will return to Big Bear but I will not use this rental office again,
PS I wonder if I didn’t ask about my security fee if they would of sent it.

They withheld part of our security deposit because we had moved blankets from one room to another. When I contested the charge and told them we followed their instructions to leave used bedding in a pile, I was told they don’t wash everything. Really? Not only is that disgusting, it’s also not my problem to deal with. If you don’t properly clean the cabins you manage, don’t expect to collect a $ 200 cleaning fee and then retain a portion of the security deposit without pissing off your clientele. I’ll never book with them again. With so many other options in Big Bear, I’d recommend you pick another place.

We are new OWNERS of a Vacation Rental up in Big Bear. We spent 6 months renovating our cabin to make it not only rentable and enjoyable, but to avoid many of the «complaints» I have read on reviews on the internet. Meanwhile, it was very hard to find a «Management Company» that has100% rave or 5 star reviews, and quite honestly scary, especially after reading so many negative reviews. After many interviews with several recommended companies, we went with our gut, and chose Big Bear Luxury Properties. We have a little cabin, and it’s not LUXURIOUS, in our minds eye. It’s an older 70’s style Gambrel with a lot of rustic charm. We were afraid they wouldn’t want our little cabin on their roster. We took the advice of JoAnn, the owner of BBLP, to go with a Western Cowboy Theme, and it has paid off. Our cabin has been booked every weekend since before Christmas, when it first went on the market.
Where our 5 star review comes in: After being away for 6 weeks, we returned for one night to install a 3^rd flat screen TV and DVD player. We had become quite attached to this little cabin, making it so cute and cozy with so many amenities, that it was hard to detach and accept the fact that things are going to go missing, get broken, misplaced, and abused. After all, no one takes care of your things better than yourself, and many feel if they pay the rental fees they have that entitlement to use and abuse. Okay, not everyone does, I don’t. I actually leave a hotel/​motel tidy and try not to use more towels than needed, put my trash in the trash can, and leave a tip before we check out. With that said, I had concerns, after hearing the «horror stories» and a few nightmares the past 6 weeks, worried our cozy little cabin was going to be trashed, then I was going to feel upset and broken hearted.
To our SLENDID surprise and relief, upon arrival, we found our cabin was exactly the way we left it, and any slight changes were for the better. Nothing broken, nothing abused, and nothing dirty. The only thing missing was a $ 5 flash light we had mounted on the bedroom wall, and it might just be misplaced. It looked like no one had rented it, yet it had been booked 7 different times since we were last there.
One side note: we are not a «Dog Friendly» cabin, although we LOVE dogs. We wanted to avoid the risk of pet damage, to be on the safe side. We did see evidence that lead us to believe a dog had visited the cabin during one of the guest weekends, perhaps more recent. I found small amounts of fur on the carpets, couch and bedspread. I tried to reduce it with a lint brush and roller for the next guests. There was NO damage or evidence of pet soiling on the carpets. I realize the management company can’t control what guests do once they have the key. If the maid has to take extra time to clean dog fur or damage from a pet that wasn’t allowed, I am glad management has that prerogative.
If any of our guests damaged or abused our cabin, then I expect it to be fixed and or replaced. That is what a security deposit is for. So far we have been very fortunate, the guests that have stayed in our cabin have been classy and respectful, but more importantly I really hope they have enjoyed their stay, and we’d love for them all to return again.
For those curious, here is our lil Cowboy Chic cabin. Check it out for yourself.

Just spoke to Stephanie on the phone who was so rude! We are looking for a cabin to rent for $ 1200/​night and she said that they do not have properties for less than $ 1400/​nt which I think is a little ridiculous. Moreover, their listings on VRBO list the wrong prices (that are within our $ 1200 budget) however very conveniently, they just raised their prices $ 200. Really really bad customer service.

RIP OFF!!! We stayed at one of their «luxury» properties on the North Shore. Paid $ 1000 per night for a dated, dysfunctional house, but that wasn’t enough for these greedy creeps. They charged us $ 250 for carpet cleaning. We DID NOTHING to their carpets. BE WARNED! THEY FEEL THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO STEAL YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT!!! They tried to charge us for a lot of other stuff which made no sense and we fought them, so they charged us $ 250 for carpet cleaning. TOTAL FRAUD!!! They don’t do a walk through and don’t provide pics of the damage. They just charge your security deposit and there is nothing you can do about it. TRY ANOTHER COMPANY… THERE ARE SEVERAL IN BIG BEAR.

Cancelled our rental less than 2 weeks from when we were supposed to go. Ruined our family holiday vacation plans. Held 8000.00 dollars from us for 4 months then contacted right before schedule arrival… uuummmm waited as long as they could to hold our money!!! Accept no responsibility total disgrace! Not even sorry… «out of their hands» Do not book with this rental company.

Rented from Big Bear Luxury Properties last year. Had no issues. Rented the same property this year. Was very disappointed. BBLP reduced my Security Deposit by $ 50.00 because they sent someone out to our rental property to request us to quiet down. BBLP didn’t bother to call the contact on the lease, or email the person on the lease. Took a few calls and emails to BBLP to get a reason for the reduction in Security Deposit. Absolutely disagree with them sending someone out, unwarranted, without a courtesy phone call.

Rented a the «Lakeside Cabin» from Luxury Rental properties for the weekend for a surprise birthday party with 7 friends. The rental agency was easy to deal with and very responsive when we were missing the foosball and pucks for air hockey (they were at our door within 10 minutes of calling them). We went during record breaking heat, so it was a bit hot with no air conditioning. There are also no windows in the master bedroom, only french doors (but no screens). The rental agency came with a couple of box fans for us, which helped. This probably wouldn’t be the best place if you are looking for immediate access to the lake. It’s pretty swampy and buggy as you walk up the lake… but a good view and the cabin itself was perfect for 8 people looking to hang out, play some games, and have a few drinks. The price was also very reasonable. The kitchen was well stocked, décor was very much what you would expect from a cabin in Big Bear.
Lakeside Cabin Pros: Game tables, spacious, well equipped, easy to deal with rental agency, a value, nice upgraded amenities.
Lakeside Cabin Cons: Not great lake access, no screens on doors.

perfection on all levels!!!
loved pine retreat and is now our home away from home
thank you!

Rented a cabin for Christmas through Big Bear Luxury Properties. They made the process simple and even accommodated us coming in a few hours early. Checking out was even easier than checking in. Put the dishes In the dishwasher, take out the trash, put the key in the lock box and go. They do the rest! I will definitely rent through them again!

We rented a large cabin in April for a bunch of our friends to get together. It was a very nice experience. Upon arrival, they prepared treats for my dog, and only took 10min for us to get keys and get up to the cabin. The cabin was clean, comfortable, new towels, and free wine/​snacks/​coffee already in the house waiting for us. We certainly had a good time. The only down side is the TV wasn’t really working much, but we were not there to watch TV. They also gave us free late check out so we could sleep in. Definitely recommend this place and will return again!

Decided to head up to Big Bear for the «RIDE THE MOUNTAIN» poker run sponsored by Big Bear Choppers. Found this place online & booked a couple of nights for our stay. My wife said «Did you Unilocal them?» Of course I had forgotten to. Upon seeing the 2 reviews posted, she immediately freaked!!! Called them to cancel, & was told we could not cancel, But… that they would refund our $ IF they could rent out our cabin to someone else. NOW the little woman is REALLY FREAKING OUT!!! We decided we would just roll with the punches. I called the office a couple of days before we came up. just to make sure our cabin was still available. I talked to Caeser & he informed me that, yes it was still ours. I explained why we wanted to cancel (because of the Unilocal reviews). He assured me that they have 1000s of satisfied customers. & that they would do everything in their power to make our stay an enjoyable one. So… we rode up & signed the paperwork & went to our cabin. When we arrived… we discovered that the place wasn’t a cabin. BUT RATHER A HOUSE!!! It was absolutely gorgeous!!! Wood burning stove, hot tub, cable, etc Quaint, charming, warm, & cozy. A beautiful «Welcome Basket» greeted us when we walked in the door!!! We can’t wait to go back!!! Thank you BBLP for an AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!! Note to Unilocalers We really could have missed out on a great experience based upon the reviews. Call & explain your concerns. It might pay off in the long run!!!

My — how I wish I would have checked Unilocal before I booked with these people. They don’t keep their word, their cabins are NOT as nice or as equipped as the descriptions/​websites/​photos make them seem. For example — our three bedroom cabin did not have enough living room space to sit and watch TV for more than 3 people (i.e. ONE couch) with a huge and uncomfortable table taking up living space that was pushed against the wall so you could not even use one side of it. The plumbing in the cabin was old and noisy and there was NOTHING luxurious about the property. Also — on our last day (even though I had emailed and confirmed a late check out) they sent their housekeeper at 11:30 AM to start cleaning the house for the next tenants who were checking in that day. Okay — fine — kill our relaxing weekend by making us check out 3 – 4 hours before we were supposed to. THEN — they didnt even refund our $ 800 deposit. When I called to ask about it — i got a RUDE email saying the contract states that they can hold it for 21 days. Umm — ok if you were not renting the property out immediately after us — then that would make sense. But why should MY deposit go toward someone else’s potential damages — which I am sure they charged THOSE people a deposit as well. RIDICULOUS. Honestly, in THIS economy with these cabins staying empty — these people should be ALL ABOUT customer service and they are NOT. They are rude, shady and UNRELIABLE! I will NEVER do business with them again! EVER! And I warn you not to either…

BE WARNED! I have a signed contract from this company that they refuse to honor.
Their website was incorrect and the boss now says that the place is twice the cost on the paperwork that they provided to me. They accept no accountability, while their contracts are nonrefundable. I even said to the lady that if the tables were turned and I was trying to get out of this contract, they would refuse to give me my money back. SILENCE was on the other end until I had to break it, since it was obvious I had caught her in a double standard.
Very disappointed, I wasted a lot of time on this, and now I have to break the news to the group and start over. Not a nice way to start off my birthday trip.
**addition to my first review** the lady whom I worked on the contract did feel bad, but she was stuck so she promised me she would email me alternatives. I haven’t heard a peep from her. They have poor customer service on levels I haven’t ever experienced before. Especially considering my transaction was going to be over $ 2000!!!
DON’T TRUST THIS COMPANY! THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS, ONLY ABOUT MAKING MONEY AT THE COST OF ANYONE, BUT THEIR OWN!