Vacation Rentals by Owner

Spring Break 2012

Guest: Tom (Maryland)
Date of Stay: 04/04/12 Review Submitted: 04/19/12

My family and I enjoyed a great week in this home. Everything was exactly as they described right down to the high speed internet that was actual high speed internet, the premium cable that was actual premium cable with about 100 HD channels in the family room on top of the normal digital channels, and the fully stocked kitchen that was FULLY stocked. They even have nice thick dishes and nice glasses, plenty of spices, toothpicks in the cabinet, and even a good set of grill utensils which is not what I expected to find in a vacation rental. The hot tub was great, the stream was gorgeous, the wildlife was amazing. There were turkey and deer in the yard by the dozens at some points and we even saw a bear! The hiking and waterfall attractions were all very close and family friendly. We had a great time and we plan on coming back to stay again soon.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

South Carolina- 10-8-11

Guest: South Carolina (Anderson, SC)
Date of Stay: 10/02/11 Review Submitted: 10/24/11

My husband and I rented this property for a week and loved staying there. If you like nature and enjoy watching wildlife , then this is the place for you and your family. The house was wonderful and furnished with everthing you could ever need. It is secluded but still close to restuarants and grocery stores. The hot tub was such an added bonus that we enjoyed after our long days of hiking. We hiked, then grilled, then soaked in the hot tub and sat by the fire. What a vacation!! Thanks Valarie for sharing your lovely home with us. Hope to see YA'LL soon.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Delightful, Beautiful, Great View

Guest: Carrie (Home, PA)
Date of Stay: 09/26/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

My husband and I stayed at Robin's Nest for our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time. We saw a doe and a buck in the yard. We enjoyed the hot tub. We also went to Bushkill Falls. The falls were beautiful. The house was clean, comfy, and inviting. We will def. stay again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Absolutely Wonderful!

Guest: Katie (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/05/11

We rented this cabin for a bachelorette party weekend. We had a fantastic time, the house is absolutely beautiful, and clearly newly redone. The backyard is breathtaking, and sitting in the hottub, or at the tables listening to the water go by is SO relaxing. There was plenty of room for all 9 of us to enjoy the weekend. We were just a 5 minute drive from Bushkill falls, and had a great afternoon hiking the falls. Valerie is so helpful, we hope to rent again, our weekend was so wonderful. Thanks so much!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

"Robin's Nest"

Guest: Kerri W.
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

We rented this house for a week for my husband, myself and my 8 month old daughter. The house itself is nice, and it's secluded. The stream is beautiful and it is pretty close to everything. Other than that there were some things that if I had known about, I wouldn't have rented this property. When we got there it seemed like nothing had really been cleaned. The wood floors were sticky, and the area rug in the living room area was covered in dog fur, we had to find a vacuum when we got there because the fur was bothering mine and my daughters allergies. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and the clean dishes in the cabinets had food residue on them. The outdoor hot tub was one of the reasons we rented this house, but it smelled like a swamp when we opened the cover. We called Valarie and she said it was just the cover and we should leave it off for awhile and it would be fine. We did this, and went in that evening, but the smell was still there. We called her the next day and asked if someone could come look at it. She came over that evening and told us it was pretty dirty and she needed to change the filters and add chemicals. This is something that should have been looked at before we even arrived, but no big deal, she came back to change the filters and swapped them out with 2 very obviously USED filters that were gray instead of white. She replaced the ones in it with the used ones. She added the chemicals and told us the smell would go away and she added some scented bath salts to it. Well the smell of the bath salts made it smell ok, so we went in, but the next day both of our bathing suits smelled horrible. I washed them there twice and washed them several more times since we got home and the smell will not come out, our bathing suits smell like they sat in a swamp for a week. So did my hair for days after. The deck outside the house is dirty and has moss on it. It rained while we were there and a few hours after the rain stopped we went outside to build a fire and I fell down the stairs because the moss turned slimy from the rain. I couldn't walk for a day and had a bruise and lump bigger than a softball. If you like to cook I suggest bringing your own pots, pans and knives. The ones provided were in pretty bad shape. This house could be really nice, and the owner is very sweet, but I feel like things are just not taken care of properly and I would not rent this house again or recommend it to anyone I know.

Owner response:Kerri! I am SO sorry to hear about all of this! I didn't realize the hot tub still had an issue after I was there! I would have drained it if I had known that was the case. I am actually draining it as we speak, just in good measure. The people who were there before you had a dog that must have shed pretty badly. That throw rug you are referring to in the living room can be tough with fine dog hair. I will also tell you , I will be going threw the entire kitchen looking at the pots/pans, etc and getting new of whatever we need. It is a busy time of the year and I should have know to keep up with that better. I am ordering the deck to be power washed tomorrow. The moss you are talking about comes down from the roof (that also needs to be replaced) after hard rains. All this to say-THANK-YOU for bringing all this to my attention. I will be emailing you to offer restitution to you privately. -Valarie

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A Little Piece of Heaven

Guest: Neva S. (Lititz, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/19/11 Review Submitted: 08/02/11

My husband and I, and our 3 young children, were very pleased with Robin's Nest and the Bushkill area. The layout of the home was ideal for enjoying one another, being able to keep tabs on the little ones (7, 4, 1), and sleeping comfort. We were amazed at how private, peaceful and WILD the outdoors were! We saw more deer and turkeys and BLACK squirrels (rare) than we ever have!! The sound alone of the stream slows down the most restless of souls : ) . We creek stomped, ventured over the hill into the forest and were in the hot tub over 3x's per day, easily. We hike as a family... and without a doubt any guest of Valarie's should venture to Bushkill Falls and the trails along the Delaware River. . . it would be impossible to be disappointed. Our trip was 5 star. Thank you Valarie for tending to Robin's Nest so we and others could have such an enriching and relaxing experience.

Owner response:Thank-you!!! So nice to hear how entertaining the wildlife always are! Hope to see you again! -Valarie

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

TRANQUILITY !!!!!

Guest: Esty (Brooklyn NY)
Date of Stay: 05/22/11 Review Submitted: 06/06/11

We had a wonderful stay @ Robins nest . House was very clean & comfortable. Peace & quiet prevails, alone, only wildlife come by to visit. Vallerie Is extremely nice & helpful. Would come again as soon as possible. THANX-A-MILLION

Owner response:It was so nice meeting you...Hope you come back to stay here in the Poconos again, soon!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Unbelievable Hospitality!!

Guest: Kecia T. (Central New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 02/04/11 Review Submitted: 02/07/11

I really don't know where to begin the praises for this rental transaction. The transaction was smooth and Valarie was very easy to work with as well as accommodating for the requests made from the group. We were "iced in" on Friday and unable to get out to go grocery shopping....this couple graciously walked through the ice bringing breakfast fixings for 10! They then moved our stuck cars up the hill so that we could access them to pick up our soldier from the airport. Their hospitality doesn't end there. On Sunday morning Joe & Jerry came to the rescue by carrying our luggage on a tractor uphill so that we would not have to carry it as well as trudge the hill. I could write a book regarding their hospitality. Truly truly a blessing. Oh yeah, the house is great too but Valarie, Joe, Jerry and Charlie take the cake! Thank you for such great memories.

Owner response:Thank-you, Kecia...you are so sweet. Looking forward to seeing you again!

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

Robin's Nest

Guest: Robin (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/11

Just stayed at Robin's Nest and have only very positive things to say about the experience. The house is great - its spacious and charming and you can tell its been recently renovated. One of the highlights is the hot tub and deck - you can sit in the hot tub and look up at the stars and watch the river running in the backyard. I also loved the fireplace. And the hundreds of movie channels. You can easily have fun days staying in the house all day or doing something out and about the area because there is plenty to do in town. Lastly, the house owner was so nice and so easy to deal with - I would highly recommend this house to anyone.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway.

"Robin's Nest", an idyllic home away from home

Guest: Christine (New Haven, CT, USA)
Date of Stay: 09/22/10 Review Submitted: 10/07/10

unbelievable! I came with high expectations for the home and property after seeing the pictures and description online, but after I arrived here, the actual home and surroundings greatly exceeded my expectations. I am used to exaggeration and embellishment in marketing, but this place was honestly everything it said it was and more. I came for a romantic getaway with my husband, and to rest and rejuvenate, and we greatly enjoyed sipping champagne in the outdoor jacuzzi and walking along the stream in the backyard! However, although it was romantic, I kept thinking to myself how next time I rented the house I would come with a huge group of my girlfriends for a fun 'girls only' weekend b/c there was ample sleeping room for a large group of people. Besides all this, during my week there, I decided to throw a dinner party and invited nearly 30 people. After the party was over, it occurred to me all of a sudden that I was able to comfortably host a party for that many people in a rental property!!! THAT is how well-stocked and supplied the kitchen was! Initially when I contemplated writing a review, I was hesitant. Robin's Nest is one of those well-kept secrets, where you tell people that you didn't like it, so no one will go there, so it will stay just the same, for the next time, for you. Because it was SO PERFECT that you really just don't want anything to change it. But while that is true, it would be wrong to try to keep other people from enjoying it, so whether you are looking to spice up your marriage, spend quality time with your family, or strengthen the bonds of friendships, you should rent this home. You will not be disappointed.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Gavin Family (Norwood,Pa)
Date of Stay: 02/02/10 Review Submitted: 02/02/10

We had a great time at "Robins Nest" Beautiful home! We all had a great time watching the deer, playing with our dog and Charlie in the stream! Great location and the scenery is amazing! Thanks for making us feel so welcome! We will be back when Bushkill Falls opens.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/11/10 Review Submitted: 01/11/10

We had a great mini-vacation over the holidays in the Robin's Nest. The house was clean and nicely decorated, tons of ammenities. The owners are wonderful to work with and the pictures and Val's youtube video are great indicators of how you will find the house. All in all, a wonderful experience for our family of 6.

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Guest: Claudia22 (Langhorne, PA)
Date of Stay: 10/06/09 Review Submitted: 10/06/09

We had a wonderful weekend in your beautiful home. The house, the scenery, the deer, and Charlie made our "girls" weekend so much fun, but the hot tub was the icing on the cake! Thanks for everything.

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Guest: Chris182 (Kingston, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/13/09 Review Submitted: 09/13/09

Stayed for a week before school started back up in Sept. Had a great time, fed the deer right out of our hands!...bring baby carrots, lots of them!!

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Guest: Brad21 (Lanc, PA)
Date of Stay: 08/30/09 Review Submitted: 08/30/09

Beautiful setting and spacious but cozy quarters for entire family. Very enjoyable retreat.

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Guest: Steve Davis (NY, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/27/08 Review Submitted: 05/27/08

We all (9 of us) had such a great time staying at the "robins nest" during the memorial day weekend. Enjoying the deer in the backyard, finding ways to get across the stream, hanging at the lake all was great. very relaxing, awesome "home away from home!" feel. We thank you also for your hospitality, and the directions when we were getting ready to leave to avoid all the traffic getting to 80! AWESOME! =) My kids (and niece/nephews) also say hi to yours!!! Thanks again for all!!! HMMM only bad thing, I can't figuire out how to click positive a few MORE times =) Steve Davis

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Guest: Marlene Olsen (Glens Falls, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/16/08 Review Submitted: 04/16/08

I cannot say enough positive things about your beautiful "home away from home". Our weekend was so enjoyable and relaxing. The house is absolutely beautiful. The setting, with the woods, stream and wildlife is beyond compare. We also enjoyed the many activities only a few minutes away. I will definetly recommend this vacation spot to others. You and your family are the most gracious hosts and you go above and beyond in making every aspect of the stay comfortable and enjoyable. Thank you and I hope to see you again soon. Sincerely, Marlene Olsen

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Guest: Faith1 (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 04/11/08 Review Submitted: 04/11/08

We spent the weekend at this fabulous home in April. The home is equipped with everything you could possibly need to ensure that you feel right at home. The location is great - off the beaten path & the stream out back is so tranquil. The owner is stellar and we plan on visiting again...

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Guest: Meliza Jacob (Peekskill, NY)
Date of Stay: 02/19/08 Review Submitted: 02/19/08

We stayed President's Day weekend and had a fantastic time. The house is situated in a very tranquil environment and the creek tops it with a cherry. The home is very warm and cozy. The owner has great hospitality and created a smooth business transaction. I would defintitely recommend the Robin's Nest. Great location and accessible to all activities.

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Guest: Redding/Wagner Family (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 01/13/08 Review Submitted: 01/13/08

We had a wonderful time in your home. It was beautifully decorated & the property was tranquil. We would (& already have) recommend this home to others looking for a relaxing vacation.

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Guest: MrBil2007 (Norwood, PA)
Date of Stay: 11/29/07 Review Submitted: 11/29/07

This was a really nice place to vacation. It was comfortable & had all of the comforts of home! We loved the wildlife we saw right in the backyard. Very private!

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Guest: Cheryl16 (Agyle, NY)
Date of Stay: 11/29/07 Review Submitted: 11/29/07

Beautiful house! We were really impressed with the decor and all the house had to offer for accomodations. The owners were friendly and we are looking forward to coming back!

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Guest: Ann Northgard (Queensbury, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/08/07 Review Submitted: 09/08/07

Just loved your beautiful home! Really enjoyed the deer. I got a picture as close as 4 feet away right off the deck! Enjoyed Bushkill Falls 5 minutes away as found in your very discriptive house book. Also enjoyed the lake 3 minutes up the road. The Petrycki's were very helpful & friendly...we will definitely come back! Thank-you so much for sharing your beautiful home. ~~~Ann~~~

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