Craig Bastas (JZR Motorsports)
GBBeware This home is in total disrepair! Beware! Beware! This home is in total disrepair. Before I start let me say that we have traveled the world and stayed in many homes and condos, so I do not take writing this review lightly. We stayed at Beachfront Retreat. First the good. Location Location, this home is literally right on the beach. No dunes or walkway to walk over. It has a nice balcony overlooking the ocean and the underneath the home is a large deck area that has picnic tables, grill, outdoor shower (with hot water), and a hose to wash down chairs etc. Inside, the main room and kitchen allow for everyone in your group to be in the same room with plenty of seating. Now the negative. The dishwasher falls forward everytime you open the door because it is not attached to the cabinet. We also had to wash dishes by hand because the wash runs and dries but does not dispense the soap. The pods would just lay at the bottom. The grill is on its last legs and we had no propane. We called Ryson and they came out and brought propane but the grill still did not work. We asked about getting another grill and the Ryson people told us they would have to get permission from the owners. The faucet in the kitchen was not fully attached to the sink and flopped around. There were two steps on the outside stairs where the front panel would flop forward creating a trip hazard. The refrigerator worked but not very well, the back door to the deck was so bad I almost could not get it closed and the floor in the Master bedroom was peeling up and very soft. There were other minor issues too (such as bath drains draining slow). All these are small issues that could be easily fixed, but it’s as if the owner nor Ryson (the management company) care. This is the first time we have rented from Ryson and most likely our last. If this is the type of home that Ryson represents then why would anyone use them.
S Fogt
GBFirst and foremost First and foremost, I would urge people to reconsider choosing Ryson Vacation Rentals. We had plans to stay in a St Tropez Beach condo for ten days and the cold, snow and ice left Texas with tremendous challenges. We sent several emails checking on the status the area and the condo we had rented and finally received a phone call 3 days before we were to arrive. The boiler for the complex had received damages and although the complex had hot water there could be issues getting hot water within our condo. When asked if we would prefer to cancel, we chose to do so, hot water is expected, not a option we would choose to do without. The pool and hot tub were not working, they weren’t considered top priority. Quite frustrating to have Ryson Vacation Rentals to snag their $350+ fee on a property that wasn’t used under circumstances out of our control. Yep, they just sucked that right up for doing NOTHING, condo did not need to be prepared for us nor cleaned and prepared for the next guests! Think twice before you choose to book with Ryson, you may not get your money’s wort!!
Kim & Stephen
GBWe switched to Ryson from another… We switched to Ryson from another vacation rental company February of last year. We have been very pleased. Rental income doubled from last year . Highly recommend
Mks
GBPerfect location This condo was perfect! We could sit on the balcony and watch the waves each morning as we enjoyed our coffee. The location is so central to everything that it’s easy to park the car and just walk. We also loved being on the first floor as we could skip the elevator.
jo brou
GBRyson failed to meet our expectations We rented a Galveston beach house in September 2023. We had rented the same house in 2022 through Ryson and had a good experience the first time. This year was not so good. It started when we called them the day before our rental started and asked about early entry, which had been allowed the year before. We were told if the house had been inspected, this would be allowed. We got down to the island and went to the office at 2:30 to ask for the key. Entry is at 4:00 by the terms. We still had to stop at the grocery store and them make the 30 min ride to the house. We were told that for $100 we could get the key early! We went and did our grocery shopping, then returned to pick up the key at 3:30. We arrived at the house to find a maintenance man there trying to repair a large shade in the master BR. He could not repair it, so we had a dark BR with no view for our 5 day rental. Other problems with the house was 1) the microwave did not work, 2) the ice maker did not work, 3) the freezer drawer was broken and would only open slightly, so that we could not place large items into the freezer, and 4) the oven vent was so dirty that when we cooked our first meal and heat started rising from the pots, we had dirty grease dripping down from the exhaust! The house was supposedly inspected, yet we were not informed about any of this. Multiple calls were made to the Ryson office about the issues. Regarding the broken microwave, they said they had placed a mini oven/air fryer in the kitchen -- NOT the same. Can't reheat coffee, etc... Nothing was fixed while we were there. When we were leaving and dropping off the key, we asked to talk to the manager about the issues with the house and lack of response from Ryson. We were told that Rhonda was not in. Once home, we called and spoke to Rhonda about the issues encountered. She was attentive and said she would check with her staff and get back with us. A few days later, we received an email OFFERING US $100 IF WE DID NOT POST ANY NEGATIVE REVIEWS ABOUT OUR STAY!!! She was not interested in seeing that we were satisfied with our experience and the service provided by Ryson, only that we would not offer any negative publicity about the company. We did not take the bribe as we wanted others to know what they can possibly expect.