Modern mountain cabin with nature in Valdres

The vacation home definitely has its highlights: the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the living and dining area and the view are truly breathtaking. The floor plan is also very well designed, and the fully fenced-in property is perfect—especially with a dog. Unfortunately, however, there were some issues that significantly dampened our enjoyment of the house. Above all, there was a lack of storage space almost everywhere. In the kitchen, the cabinets, drawers, and about a third of the refrigerator were filled with food left by the previous guests—some of which had expired as far back as 2022. We had to clear out a drawer ourselves just to store our own groceries. It was a similar situation in the bedroom and bathroom: Almost all the cabinets and drawers were filled with the owners’ personal belongings. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly make you feel at home. The cleanliness in the kitchen could also have been much better. There were crumbs and food scraps in the sink and in the drawers; the oven was heavily soiled and had large blackened areas or baked-on residue on the inside. To us, this didn’t seem like something that couldn’t be cleaned, but rather as if a thorough cleaning hadn’t been done in a long time. The iron-rich water we’d been warned about was also much more pronounced than what we’ve experienced at other accommodations. It had a strong odor while showering and visibly discolored the water in our dog’s bowl after standing for just a short time. Since a filtration system is in place, we would have expected appropriate maintenance or a filter change. A beautifully situated house with a great view and lots of potential—but a little more preparation for guests, available storage space, and maintenance of the water filter would make a huge difference in helping guests feel truly at home.