This rating is mostly due to the fact that the place was filthy when we got there and we still had to pay a 50.00 "Covid fee" that we did not receive back with our security deposit DESPITE speaking with the owners and letting them know the condition of the cabin upon entering. They responded apologizing, saying they wished they hadn't allowed us to check in early (1:00 instead of 4:00) and offering a free night to return when we really just wanted the return of our 50.00. We received a text saying the Covid fee was not a cleaning fee but it was instead intended to cover cleaning supplies, which we were not left, even though the agreement they sent states otherwise (photo below). We let the owner know we weren't even left the cleaning supplies that were supposed to be included. It's not the 50.00. It's the principle. The location is very unique and very close to Medicine Bow National Forest. The property had 3 horses and a cow that walked around and it was nice to call them over and interact with them. When we walked in it was simply not clean. It was to the point where when we walked in we didn't want to touch anything or let our baby crawl around on the floors. She kept picking up and handing us dead moths. They were literally everywhere. Piles of them in the corners of every room. It was clear that the place hadn't seen a vacuum. The bathroom sink and toothpaste holder were covered in dust and old bugs which showed us it wasn't wiped down at all. The shower had huge dead moths inside of it to the point where we had to get a broom to sweep them out before we showered for the first time. The hottest the shower got by the way was *maybe* lukewarm. We gave our baby a bath in the kitchen sink and we had to take her out because she literally had goosebumps. When you opened the curtains in the bedroom dust was everywhere. It was so bad that I didn't want to touch the curtains because you could see it all flying around and getting onto our pillows. I've included a photo of the window sill by the bedroom. The towels were all crunchy and we wondered if they were either used or possibly hung out to dry on a line? They did not feel clean. All the silverware and utensils in the kitchen were covered with plastic wrap but they were still dirty. It was clear that the owners didn't look through and wash in between guests, they assumed the previous guest had cleaned up after themselves. There was still old moldy coffee in the coffee pot but it was covered in plastic. We ended up buying paper plates and plastic silverware and eating every meal out on the porch on the floor picnic style. We didn't cook or eat in the kitchen once. We were grossed out but took it lightly as we were there to hike and don't typically complain. Honestly the only reason I am even mentioning all of this is because after I noticed we paid the additional fee for such a "through clean" I reached out to the owner and sent photos letting her know the condition we found the cabin and asking what the thorough cleaning entailed and received an apology for the oversight but no complete refund of the additional fee. I would like someone else to have a heads up. We are not high maintenance people but it was terrible. We took photos of everything because it is clearly stated that guests are required to clean up after themselves, take their garbage out, etc and if they don't they won't get their security deposit back. We were scared we would be blamed for the mess the previous guests left behind. No air conditioner bc "it gets so cool at night" and it was recommended that we open our windows. The first night, even though all windows were open we weren't getting any type of breeze into the bedroom and all woke up sweaty. The second night there was a breeze but the bedroom door kept slamming open and closed. It literally wouldn't stay closed, the wind just kept pushing it back open and then it would slam shut again. We have a 15 month old and this was obviously not ideal. The 3rd night it poured and we had to close our windows and again were sweaty. I think even a fan would have been helpful at this point. We read through the form that you need to fill out and there were supposed to be paper towels and items of that nature but we could only find 7 napkins for our 3 night stay. There were also only 3 Clorox wipes left in a container under the kitchen sink and the one garbage bag that was in the garbage can. This did not get us far and while we did manage it wasn't an ideal amount considering it stated everywhere you needed to thoroughly clean up after yourselves. It just felt like the tides were against us in that aspect. We were also never given a key upon arriving. read more

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Wonderful place to stay! It's a real working ranch with animals you even get the wild animals. I was lucky enough to get to see some hours old piglets. The scenery day or night anytime of year it's just gorgeous. You are not far from anything you can go to a big town a small town Hot springs is just over the range. They also have hot tubs!! Play all day in the snow relax in the hot tub in the evening under the Stars. The owners are wonderful hosts. I'd have to say this is a 10 out of 10 almost definitely will come back!!! read more

J4Brehm's Guest Ranch - I'm the sweetest little piglet! - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Laramie, Wyoming

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DO NOT STAY HERE!!! So much of what the previous reviews said resonates with us. It was supposed to be a long-term rental but because the conditions became so uncomfortable, we left early. We too had to deal with: -List of items that are supposed to be included (such as soap not there) -Mouse droppings in the sink (we trapped 3 of them) -Dead moths among the dishes -Poor quality (unusable) kitchen utensils (ended up going out and buying new knives, pans etc.) -Wood stove a primary heat source with no fire extinguisher in the place (unsafe- we went out and bought one) -No proper supplemental heat which resulted in frozen pipes and no workable shower for at least three occasions -Frequent sewer smell -Was intended as a winter rental but the cabin in NOT winterized. We could feel the wind come through the walls and the snow blow in where the floor and walls join. -FINAL STRAW!! ALL the pipes froze, and we had NO WATER AT ALL for over 24 hours. My husband requested water to flush with and Jim came over with two gallons. We never got a text, call or anything to see if we needed anything! We purchased our own water and cleaned the place better than we found it and left to stay at a hotel. After a month we did not get our security deposit back and we contacted them only to get the run around and after two months we got it back with $200 taken off for cleaning (really??). She is a con!! Comes off as nice but.... We are frequent renters of vacation homes and have an excellent review record. read more

We did not receive our deposit back due to the fact we were "Very hard in cabin". We use VRBO 10-15 times a year and have never not received our deposit back. The place has not alternate heat and no flue on the wood burner so every 2-3 hours the fire would go out which kept us up at night and also made the house fluctuate from 50 degrees to 80 with the upstairs having to open windows in 0 degree weather due to the high temperatures up there. The bedding is covered in plastic and pillows as well so every time you move, you wake other people up as well as it being very uncomfortable. The shower drain was broken which gave us the "opportunity" to shower in water up to our ankles, and after exiting the shower we would have to wedge a knife handle in the drain to allow the shower to drain before the next person could go in. 5 people for 3 nights, we were allotted 2 rolls of toilet paper and had to go buy our own in Laramie once we ran out. The TV is on a switch at the door so when shutting lights off or turning on lights the TV and cable would shut off every time due to a wiring issue. The outlets have odd covers on them which none of our android or iPhone chargers would work on so we had to use the surge protector upstairs to charge our phones. They also said there was plenty of room for our truck and trailer to turn around back by the house and there was not. We had to back up a hill every day 100 plus feet in order to get turned around and out of the long driveway. With all this being said, I was not going to leave a negative review on any of these issues, but when we did not receive our $150 deposit back because we didn't wipe down a table that had crumbs on it and left towels hanging over the ledge, and then we were told that we broke the coffee pot a month after we stayed there. When I asked for pictures of the damage and mess, she was unable to provide that. But said she did have hand-written notes on how bad of condition we left the place in. If you want a place to stay, go to Albany or Centennial, would not stay here again even if it was free. read more

After learning we were booked at J4Brehm's I happened upon several poor reviews. Ultimately,we were baited and switched for a room that could only be described as the hated mother-in-law room over the garage. Literally,the entrance was through the garage. I picked up the rule book only to find food from someone else. I looked over everything before putting my own food in the fridge, to find it was was dirty, and the cabinets had crumbs. I also did read the rules, they are written in a vague and wordy manner. I will just leave that there. There was nothing pleasant in the room, it was dimly lit, dusty and the furnishings were likened to college end of year cast off's.The host said there was bedding, there was none, with the exception of hospital room quality pillows covered in plastic and an bed also with a plastic covering.With no additional bedding it meant our son would have to sleep on top of an old couch or dusty old futon-the only one with an actual mattress. The Hide-a-bed in the couch had a blanket caught in the workings and had to be forcibly removed in order for my son to have a blanket. Then there were the mouse droppings in the so-called bathroom along with a "shower" that was perfect for a chihuahua. Another first in our unforgettable 3 hour stay was having said mouse run out full throttle from under the bed and disappear from view into the wall. The lack of cleanliness surely contributed to the mouse, not the fact it was the prairie, as the host tried to tell us. We requested a full refund when we left that evening. Update:Several weeks and much effort,one email and an illegible letter later we did receive a full refund. read more

After this property was offered on VRBO we moved to book it to see our son at the university over parent's weekend; but the advertised booking was not available. The property owners offered another accommodation instead, and as this process went on we came to find that what had been advertised had not been available for many months through the site above. Still, it seemed to be an interesting place and in the midst of these exchanges all reasonable accommodations in Laramie had been taken, and so we booked it but later my wife read rather negative reviews about deposits, refunds, etc. So, we arrived and got the lay of the land and then went to see our son, and upon return later in the evening unfolding the beds we found that there was only appropriate bedding for one bed, that another hide-a-bed had a torn blanket in the gears and the place was not exactly clean on examination. Then, we found old food, mouse droppings in the bathroom, and I heard a mouse chewing on what sounded like a cabinet. After that, we thought we'd tough it out, my wife went into the kitchen and screeched as a mouse ran across her feet. We were done, and I called to inform the owner about our intentions to leave, the desire to have a full refund, and that because of the late date and events in town, the closest reasonable accommodation was in Cheyenne - over an hour away. It has been two weeks, I emailed a week ago inquiring about the refund, and have just logged a complaint with VRBO - I'd advise staying clear of this place. read more

We would never stay at this place again. As another reviewer said, there are rules for everything and they take the slightest things out of your security deposit. For example, we had families staying at both cabins(and the lodge) and would have dinner together. Apparently a pot that belonged in one cabin was left in another and we were charged for them having to walk it back to the other cabin. They also charged us because they had to tighten a screw on a rocking horse that one child sat on for about 5 minutes. We also had a hard time even walking to our car because they feed their geese right where you have to park so we had to have one person keep the geese away as the other got the kids in the car. Then the geese would peck at the side of the car as we left. The accommodations are very small and the main cabin's kitchen is so small it is difficult to open the cabinets. You definitely cannot have more than one person in the kitchen at a time. The cabin's only heat source is a wood burning stove and they provide pine wood to heat so you need to get up every hour or two to ensure the cabin is not freezing. The main cabin is also connected to some sort of barn and we could hear something climbing and scratching at the walls all night. I could go on and on but I think I have made my point. I have never taken the time to write a review before but felt I should here so you could avoid this experience. Our other family members had very similar experiences and we all agreed that we would never stay in this place again. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE!! The owner is rude and communicates poorly. We were told over the phone and email that 6-7 people could stay here. When our 7th person showed up they were asked to leave because we "were violating our contract agreement by having 7 people". This was not true and they were very rude to our friends. We were charged a cleaning fee for "not following the check out list found in the stay booklet". We were never given a "booklet". We cleaned all the dishes and left them out to dry, we couldn't find anywhere to take the trash so we left it there. For 6 of us there was only one role of toilet paper to be found for a two night stay. It took over a month to receive our deposit back, which was sent taped inside a trifold brochure, not an envelope. read more

A thoroughly uncomfortable experience, I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. If you need this opinion explained, I would be happy to oblige. At first glance the ranch is quite pretty. The surrounding countryside was also very nice. Rolling hills and featuring animals such as abundant pronghorn. This was offset by the fact that it seems like they absolutely hate that other people are in their home despite the fact that these people are guests that are paying to be there. We have stayed in other Airbnbs before, in which you are staying in the home of the host with them. And they have been overwhelmingly positive experiences. Therefore we were expecting a similar experience here but were sorely disappointed. Everything has a rule attached to it, and all these rules are explained in ways that are both incredibly wordy, and also vague. There are rules regarding how many rolls of toilet paper you can use; many, many rules regarding how many cars you can have parked there, and where they can park. Again, there are no designated parking areas, but you will get an ear full if you inadvertently park in the wrong spot, or, God forbid, bring one too many cars. We found the limit was three when a friend was reduced to tears for parking in an apparently unsanctioned area, despite the fact that the area is vast and there is no signage indicating where one is meant to park. There are also dozens of personal items scattered around the guest areas that the guest aren't allowed to use or even touch. These towels are decorative, these blankets are not for the guests, dozens of little labels that are easy to miss if the room is dark or you wear glasses. Several of our party do not wear their glasses into the bathroom, and thus inadvertently used the "wrong" towels as they could not read the tiny labels indicating which towels they were meant to use, which they were later chastised for. And every little rule is explained in more words than are in this review, it's really hard to believe. In this rule book is explained the fact that almost everything in the room has a price. There are towels that you are allowed to use (I think) but other towels that you have to pay for. And hats and sunscreen, and other random things (kitchen utensils etc.) that anywhere else would be for the guests to use, but here are for sale. Like the toilet paper I mentioned earlier. Instead of the bathroom being stocked, every guest house is allowed two rolls. Two rolls for what could be 4 people staying over 3 or 4 days. And if you accidentally leave your roll in the common bathroom and someone else uses it, you're out of luck. Why is this rationed so much? Is it that expensive? This isn't high quality toilet paper. It is motel 6 quality, 25 cents a roll toilet paper. Also, everything is wrapped in plastic, the mattresses and pillows come to mind. This causes lots of noise everytime someone moves and all your sweat to stick to you, causing you to both be cold, and soaking wet, not entirely enjoyable. If you can get past this you get to experience the joy of having family time intruded upon constantly, or at the very least watched like you are in a prison camp. Is there a polite way of saying "this is a family vacation, can you please leave us alone?" We were constantly watched, to the point that the host at one point sat in the dark and watched us play cards. Additionally, the host at one point asked about the contents of our garbage! Why are you going through that!? What triggered this investigation of our garbage was what appeared to be a very small stain on the couch. This we learned after being away, all day. Upon our return we faced accusations that one of our party had bled on their couch. This, despite the fact that there is a very elderly dog wandering around the guest area (there is no separation to keep the dog on their side) and, as we later learned, there were other people passing through our guest area to use a pool table and attend a shower downstairs. Despite all these other people (and animals) that may have used this couch, the host was convinced it was us, to the point where she assumed one of our party was on their period and the host searched for evidence of this in our garbage. We don't even know that this was blood. The stain was maybe the size of a dime, indicating that the area designated only for our use was clearly scoured top to bottom while we were away throughout the day, and some of our belongings had been moved, which made them frustrating to find later. I cannot recommend anyone else stay at this ranch, particularly in what is referred to as the lodge, as this is in fact where the owner lives, and as I stated above, it couldnot be clearer that the host was exceedingly uncomfortable with having people in her house. This made staying there extremely uncomfortable and soured a very special occasion. read more

Future guests with kids beware- we were surprised to find that everything in the bunkhouse cabin had a price tag on it, including expired snack foods (...but not including the dead mouse under the kitchen sink- eww). The stairs leading up to the loft are unusually steep, unguarded on one side, and overall unsafe for children. We diligently cleaned the place before checking out, including sweeping up snack crumbs from other guests, cleaning windows and mirrors, and wiping dust from the windowsills. Over a month after our stay we received a partial security deposit refund with nit-picky notes about kitchen appliances not put back in their precise place and missing game pieces (which were missing from the checkers set already- we had to improvise to play). Seems like they welcome families so they can keep their security deposit- you might as well consider it part of the cost to stay. We won't be back and I don't recommend other families stay there, either. read more

PLEASE DO NOT STAY HERE!! We have waited over 10 weeks for a refund (we cancelled more than 60 days from our reservation date). Not only have they NOT sent us our refund, they won't return our emails or phone calls. Wyoming is a beautiful place, but this kind of hassle just isn't worth it. read more

We could not have asked for a better place to stay. Our group of fourteen family members was visiting Wyoming for the first time to attend a wedding and booked both the guest house and bunk house for a week. James and Jeanine were amazing hosts and went out of their way to make us feel welcome in every way. Both cabins were clean and comfortable and the decor was everything we would expect in a Wyoming guest ranch. The kids loved wandering the property and took advantage of every opportunity to feed the pigs, horses, chickens, and turkeys. The ranch is located conveniently between town and the mountains providing easy access to all that Wyoming has to offer. If you are planning a trip to Laramie, Centennial, or anywhere else in southern Wyoming, stop shopping around and book with the J4Brehm Ranch; you will not be disappointed. read more