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Working With Leavenworth Getaways

By Wendy Thomas
Published: 04/11/24 Topics: Guest Behavior, Guest Management, Interview, Leavenworth WA, Lodging Management, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

Mike, a retired attorney and the owner of Icicle View Vacation Rental Home in Leavenworth, agreed to sit down with Leavenworth Getaways, a member of the Vortex VIP lodging managers group, for a few minutes this week.

For over 20 years, Mike and his family have owned Icicle View.  They’ve spent weekend, holidays, and new years there.  Their daughter’s favorite childhood memories have been at the house, and the entire family has enjoyed seeing the California Quail and Grouse in the backyard.  A special event for this family of birdwatchers.  Deer have even taken advantage of the carport to cool off during the summertime.
 
VIP: Mike, thank you for speaking with us today.  We’re so glad you are trusting your house to us.  What made you buy it 23 years ago?
 
Mike: The location was very important for us.  We wanted to be out of town, but have the benefit of town water.  We love the views of the hills, the night skies, and the sunrises and sunsets from our quiet hillside.
 
VIP: As a resident, what are your favorite things to do in the Leavenworth area?
 
Mike: Golfing at the Leavenworth Golf Course is one of the hidden gems for golf in Washington State.  We love to hike up in the Alpine Wilderness area in the Enchantments by Colchuk Lake.  Icicle Ridge Trail is beautiful.  We’ve enjoyed cross country skiing here.  There are three courses in and around Leavenworth.  Leavenworth is halfway between Stevens Pass and Mission Ridge for downhill skiing.  
 
We love going shopping at Apple Annie Antique Gallery in Cashmere, and there’s a diner there we enjoy named Café Jazmin.  It’s a 50s themed diner that we enjoy.
 
To enjoy the natural features of the area, we go to Ohme Gardens and overlook Wenatchee, Dry Falls beyond Wenatchee.  We love the geology of the area.  
 
Another great way to enjoy the beauty of the area is to rent inner tubes from Adventure River Tubing Leavenworth.  You can spend an entire afternoon floating down the Wenatchee River, right by downtown.  Some people bring food and drink and have a picnic along the way, or get out and stop for a while, then restart.  
 
VIP: That’s amazing, Mike.  Thanks so much for sharing all of that.  Sounds like you’ve been loving the area for a while.  When did you start putting your house in the vacation rental market?
 
Mike: It was during Covid.  July of 2020.  
 
VIP: Did you rent it yourself, or did you use a management company?
 
Mike: We started with Vacasa.  But we didn’t like how they handled it.  The house wasn’t consistently cleaned, and some of the guests we had were worrisome.  There was a fight in the house where there was quite a bit of damage.
 
VIP: That sounds awful!  We’re glad we are able to help you!
 
Mike: Bill said we’d have better clients, and you’ve kept your promise.  You’ve positioned the house well and marketed so we don’t have any more problematic guests.  We want to keep the house in our family for years, so making sure we don’t have guests who ruin it is very important to us.  
 
VIP: How do you like our local manager, Michelle?
 
Mike: She’s good.  We have a dedicated housekeeper who has been with us for 23 years, and she and Michelle have a good working relationship. Michelle is very businesslike, and it’s good.  She has been very helpful.
 
VIP:  Thank you so much for speaking with us, Mike.  We appreciate you taking time out of your day.  
 
Mike: It was my pleasure.

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Author: Wendy Thomas – Contributor, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0985 – 04/11/24

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