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Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting

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Enjoy lovely panoramic lake and valley views from the large windows or deck
Living area
Private kitchen
Dining
Bathroom

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10185.8 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Kitchen
  • Fireplace
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Dunlap, IA
  • Dow House Historic Site
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Yellow Smoke Park
    ‪35 min drive‬
  • Desoto National Wildlife Refuge
    ‪56 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 10)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Single Beds

Bedroom 4

1 Queen Bed

lower level common area

1 Double Futon

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting

Our newly remodeled split-entry "Hilltop Hospitality House" was my childhood home. Located one hour from Omaha in the lovely Loess Hills of Iowa, there are beautiful lake and valley views. With one queen bed, two double beds, two twin beds, one sofa sleeper, a full kitchen, two full baths, laundry, a spacious open floor plan for large groups, and a large deck overlooking my friendly hometown, this is a great space for groups and family gatherings. A nice studio apartment above the garage rents separately.

Property manager

Julie Kaufmann

Languages

English, Spanish

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 12:00 PM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
Hazards for toddlers: elevated deck, open stairs
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Dunlap

Located in Dunlap, this holiday home is in a rural area. While the natural beauty of Preparation Canyon State Park and Washington Park can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Harlan Golf & Country Club. Take the opportunity to explore the area for water adventures such as fishing and other activities like golfing.
Map
Dunlap, IA

What's nearby

  • Dow House Historic Site - 15 min drive - 17.3 km
  • Yellow Smoke Park - 35 min drive - 41.5 km
  • Harrison County Historical Village & Iowa Welcome Center - 39 min drive - 46.9 km
  • Desoto National Wildlife Refuge - 56 min drive - 67.2 km
  • Spider Car - 61 min drive - 78.1 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Dairy Sweet - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Gold Slipper - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Lampe's Pub - ‬15 min walk
  • ‪The Buffalo Club - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Main Street Cakes & Gifts - ‬16 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting?

Checkout is at 12:00 PM.

Where is Spacious house, beautiful views, peaceful setting located?

Situated in a rural location, this holiday home is 9 mi (14.5 km) from Dow House Historic Site and within 20 miles (32 km) of Washington Park and Crawford County Memorial Hospital. Preparation Canyon State Park and Yellow Smoke Park are also within 25 miles (40 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 75 out of 82 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 82 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 82 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 82 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 82 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Ami M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic!

We enjoyed our time at the home with cozy accommodations and a fantastic view. It was relaxing and fit our group perfectly. Will be staying there again when coming to this area
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lois C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Repeat customer!

Great place to stay!
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dawn C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very nice

Lovely home, clean, great place to eat in town, perfect for us 6 to stay in
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

Wonderful setting and western view. Easy walk to a park with a lake, disc golf, playground, walking path.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Peg s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

family gathering

Worked well for family in town
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Diana M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Christmas

Lovely home with a beautiful view. Had all of the amenities and space that we needed for our family Christmas. Our family gathered there from Arizona, Minnesota, and Iowa. We had a great time together in a great space. We would all definitely return if the opportunity arises.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stacy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Visiting for a family Grad Party.

Beautiful and comfortable place to stay, while we were in town for a family graduation party. We were able to have our kids and grandkids all stay with us. It was nice to have the park so close and also good to be on a quiet street.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

John S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect While Visiting For A Wedding

Felt very comfortable and relaxed during our stay, House and neighborhood was perfect and peaceful with very nice views.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Leo R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Dunlap

We enjoyed our stay very much!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anthony T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Randall House

Awesome as usual! Great place to stay when visiting Dunlap.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Katie F., Illinois

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Hilltop House

This was our second Christmas stay and it was wonderful. Great amenities, close to the park, friendly town. Wonderful owners. You won’t be disappointed!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michelle W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great space for girls' getaway

Loved the house. Great layout, very clean, great view. Would love to come back.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kirk B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The perfect family vacation

This was a vacation my kids will remember. My son is already asking when we'll get to go back to Iowa. Thank you so much for your hospitality!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

chad m., St. John, IN

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Getaway

Always love coming back and staying here. Great house/location/views. Thank you again!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Wendy M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved it!

It was a great time and very peaceful. There was a great winery not far. Host was easy to get a hold of and very accommodating.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Joel B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous

This was a perfect house for our Christmas gathering. We loved the space and the view of the landscape. We all had a positive experience and the owners were attentive and cordial. An all-around great place.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Glen Z.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Better each time

This is the third time we have stayed at this property and it never disappoints. Great house with nice views. Owners are awesome and really care that guests have everything they need. Highly recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jeanne R.

The house was spacious and beautiful. Perfect for our extended family!

We would stay again in a heartbeat! The house was clean, fully updated, and well equipped for a large group. I needed a large space to accommodate my family, including children and grandchildren and this home exceeded my expectations. Thank you!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Chris R.

Beautiful home, amazing view

No complaints, worked out great
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Matthew S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Iowa, A Place to Grow

This could not have been better for our family gathering, morning coffee on the patio, walks around the pond, and evening thunderstorm watching from the deck. Kitchen is well equipped for BBQ, baking, and chopping. Host Julie is a wonderful person who takes care of her guests.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Son’s Wedding

This place is in a amazing location. Between the weather and our busy weekend we did not get to enjoy the walk paths or the beautiful wrap around deck as much as we would’ve liked to.. The house worked out perfect for our family as we were in town for our son’s wedding.. Thank you, Susan Hoyt
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Melanie A., Minnesota

Family Thanksgiving

Our family enjoyed the Hilltop house for a family Thanksgiving get together of 20. Then of us stayed at the house and the rest drove in for the day. With the nice weather and large outside deck there was plenty of room for us to spread out a bit. We had plenty of room to seat everyone at tables for the big dinner. The main floor bedroom worked great for our parents. Basement beds could be updated but were ok. All in all it was a good experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Tony J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing Stay, Well-Appointed Home

My boys (4 boys from 9-19) and I were visiting Omaha for the College World Series and zoo, but we decided to stay outside Omaha to save some $$$. We sacrificed some drive time as Dunlap is an hour from Omaha, but this home was perfect for us. Tons of space, everything we could have needed an amazing wraparound deck for morning coffee with some amazing views. The home is on a dead end up high on a hill and near a lake and a 9-hole disc golf course, which we loved playing. Julie was fantastic and made sure we had everything we needed. To me, high speed internet and coffee is important, and this home had both. The internet “blipped” out a couple times on us but always returned. We would not hesitate to stay at Julie’s place again. Thank you.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Dale T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The ABSOLUTE BEST !!

I can't say enough about this gorgeous home and it's owners. We rented because I wanted to give my 95 year old father in law a special home cooked special Thanksgiving. He is in nursing home in Iowa and we live in Tennessee. Everything was perfect. The house is so warm and homey and it has EVERYTHING we needed. Julie.. thank you for your small notes all over the home and your hospitality. The view is stunning and it just happened to be snowing the few days we were there. I truly hope that my father in law will continue in good health and I can come back and give him that special experience again. If you are looking for a truly spectacular home that has everything you need and more, you have found it. Dale
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Patty B., Solon, Iowa

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing Retreat

Our family stayed 3 nights for a relaxing get away. My oldest daughter and her husband came from Omaha (with their 3.5 and 2 yr old kids). We traveled from eastern Iowa along with our 17 and 22 year old kids). There was room for all of us! The view off the deck was a outstanding! Nice outdoor space in the backyard with a stone fire pit, chairs and a picnic table. Large yard (approx 2-3 acres). House is located at the end of a dead end street in a quiet neighborhood.The property is adjacent to a park which includes a disc golf course, pond with a walking path all the way around, and a very nice updated playground area for kids. My son and son-in-law were able to catch quite a few fish off the docks at the pond (playground and pond located down the hill less than 5 minute walk from the house). Kitchen is well equipped with utensils and cookware. We prepared most of our meals at the house, other than ordering pizza one night. (Pizza from Town and Country Store was pretty good for gas station pizza 😉). Overall a great place to relax and spend time with family!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

About the host

Hosted by Julie Kaufmann

Host profile image
My husband (a farmer) and I (a retired nurse) purchased my childhood home in 2016 from my dad. My parents loved to meet people and hosted many international visitors. We had two foreign exchange students while I was growing up and going to school in Dunlap. My husband Lee and I are also loving this opportunity to meet and host many gracious guests at our Hilltop Hospitality House, and at the adjoining Hilltop Studio Apartment (above the detached garage). We have four grown children and three young grandchildren, which we thoroughly enjoy. We like to travel some, especially in the winters. We live near Dunlap (Harrison County) on my husband's family farm in rural Shelby County.

Why they chose this property

This hilltop property is very special to me, not only because it was my childhood home, but also because it really has a very nice location with beautiful views of the valley and small lake. I love the shade trees and we are so happy to share this place with our many gracious guests. We also love to come here with our adult children and young grandchildren when it is not rented. Sharing this house as a vacation rental has enabled us to keep it in our family, to meet new people and make new friends, and to provide a very nice place for people to stay who are visiting my hometown.

What makes this property unique

The house sits atop a hill on the edge of town, overlooking the town, the rolling hills of Iowa,and a pretty little public fishing pond/lake. (You need an Iowa fishing license, but one of our guests said they caught a big 9# trophy bass there!) You can see for many miles from the very big (new) picture windows. There is a gas fireplace for cool weather. This is a quiet setting. We have very good, friendly neighbors on the hill--many whom I have known for much of my life. We find this property to be a very peaceful and pretty place, with extremely lovely views in all the seasons. We enjoy the porch swing when we are there. The big elevated deck on the back of the house (part sun and part shade) has a large table and there are 10 outdoor chairs to sit, eat outdoors, and enjoy the views. There is a gas grill to use. The house is very close to the public golf course. There is also a free public frisbee golf course, adjoining our property. We have frisbee golf discs in the closet by the back door for your use, as well as a bean-bag toss lawn game. A very nice public playground for children is by the lake, within walking distance just down the hill. We absolutely love the location of our property and we love to share its unique benefits with others.

Languages:

English, Spanish
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