best pocono vacation !

Guest: linda&george (ridgefield park, nj)
Date of Stay: 07/11/08 Review Submitted: 07/28/08

When our first granddaughter was born in 2001, we decided to start an annual tradition of spending 2 weeks doing fun things together and just bonding with family. So, this is our 8th year renting a house in the Poconos, and we have never stayed at such a lovely home, with such accommodating hosts. It was really more like being in a bed and breakfast. It’s not just a house; it’s a real home, in fact, more like staying in a friend’s home. The house is decorated and maintained beautifully, and everything they advertise about it is true (and even modest). We had the best time we’ve ever had, and our extended family members who came with us were impressed that we finally found the perfect vacation home (they’ve stayed with us at the other houses we’ve rented). We cannot thank Jean and Dan enough for sharing their getaway with us, and are already making plans to return next year. Honestly, I cannot say enough about it, I would highly recommend this house to anyone, and in fact, have already told several friends about it. As far as things to do, because our 'kids' are small, they are very happy at the pool and beach (and arrowhead lake pools and beaches were great); and also going out for ice cream and 'jumping' at the arcade/mini-golf/ice cream/etc entertainment place not to far away on Route 940. A bit further, but worth the trip, is the lovely town of Jim Thorpe, with sightseeing, train rides, shopping, restaurants ... very quaint for a day out.

Owner response:Thanks so much for your kind comments - you were also the perfect guests! Jean and Dan

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

A Great Experience!

Guest: Family of Five (Bergen County, NJ)
Date of Stay: 08/28/11 Review Submitted: 09/04/11

This was our first time renting through vrbo.com. Right from the first email exchange with Jean, we were impressed. We emailed her many times through the end of 2010 as we prepared for our August 2011 vacation and Jean never failed to provide a timely, thoughtful response that made us even more excited for our adventure. Less than a week before our trip, Hurricane Irene began to march up the coast. Jean was understanding and compassionate and we worked together with her and tweaked our plans to ensure safety (of course!) and maximize our chances for a wonderful experience. Jean and her sister, Jane, made sure that we were comfortable (it was cooler than we expected) and answered our questions promptly via email and/or phone. Jane even came to help us with the gas fireplace when we had a little trouble getting it started. The home is exactly as pictured in the listing. There was plenty of room for our children to run around both in and outside. The Arrowhead Lake beaches and pools are very nice and were not at all crowded when we were there, in fact, at times we were the only people there (Hurricane Irene may have contributed to this and the fact that the PA kids are already back in school that last week of August). We enjoyed seeing deer and wild turkey, taking the golf cart for rides, the hot tub and the fire pit and porch swing. We primarily used the top two levels of the house (the first level was a little damp most likely due to the storm), however we spent some time on the first level at the awesome pool table where all three kids had a ball. We found that the Island Pool was the place to be (a short drive) and one day took a rowboat out onto the lake and had an amazing time. The kids loved the water features at the pool such as the water jets and the mushroom waterfall. The "zero entry" pool made it easy for our youngest child to safely splash around. We ventured out two nights to the local mini-golf/arcade and enjoyed delicious ice cream. We were very happy to have brought a weeks worth of food with us and Jean's kitchen is fully outfitted for family cooking. The kids especially liked sitting at the high table sipping milk from their cereal bowl with built in straw! We also used the high table for doing a 300 piece puzzle that we puzzle glued and gave to Jean, Dan & Jane. It is a lake scene that we named, "Relaxing at the Chalet." Thank you to everyone for making our trip to the Poconos fun and relaxing.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children.

Great Family Week!

Guest: Funtime (Shirley, New York)
Date of Stay: 07/29/11 Review Submitted: 08/06/11

We had a great time renting this chalet. The place is exactly as the pictures show on the web site. Jean, Dan, and Jane were very welcoming and accomadating. The place was very spacious and comfortable. The porch swing was great. We enjoyed both the hot tub and the pool table. Jean had everything ready for us when we arrived...very fast check in. The temperature was very comfortable in the whole house. We even set up a net on the side of the house and played volley ball and some other fun games. We went to the lake and rafted and kayaked. We blew in with a tornado watch and left with the sun. My brother even commented he would rent this home again, so I would definitely recommend this place to my friends and family. We went to camelbeach water park and we went to Jubilee restaurant. The food was very delicious. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Beautiful, Clean Home

Guest: mgms (Rochester, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/10

We just returned from renting this chalet for Memorial Day Weekend. The home looks just as pictured, and was extremely clean and well-kept (which was important for us since we were three families with 7 children under 5). The bedrooms were all good size, and plenty big enough for 1 or 2 pack-n-plays each. The bunk bed room was perfect for the older kids to share. The layout of the house, with 1 queen bed and bathroom per floor, gave each family their own space. The kitchen was very well stocked, and we had no problems cooking and serving whatever we needed to. The gift basket was very nice and welcoming, and Jean was very easy to deal with. This was our first time to the Poconos and Arrowhead Lake, and we were very pleased with the beaches and playgrounds around the lake. Our little ones had a blast playing in the sand and in the wonderful, heated Island Pool. Both the beaches and the pool were very clean and well kept. We would have loved to stay a little longer to enjoy them more. Overall, this is a lovely chalet and I would certainly recommend it to friends and family looking for a relaxing vacation.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

The Perfect Rainy Weekend

Guest: Ellen and Friends (Harrisburg)
Date of Stay: 03/12/10 Review Submitted: 04/04/10

A group of friends and I wanted to get away for the weekend, and we couldn't have found a better place. Even though there was a wind storm and a downpour of rain alllll weekend, we had a blast. We spent the time watching movies, shooting pool, cooking large meals, and beating the rainy day blues in the hot tub. We felt so comfortable and at home. The home is so cozy and stocked with everything to have a great weekend trip. The welcome basket was a great touch and we used just about everything in it! Thank you for a memorable time!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Didn't want to leave

Guest: Sandra (-)
Date of Stay: 02/20/10 Review Submitted: 02/24/10

It has been very hectic since returning from our weekend retreat. I wish we were still there. We had a great time. The house was gorgeous and we only wish we could have stayed longer. Time went way too fast!! Thank you so much for the wonderful basket of goodies! What a nice surprise! We will probably be in touch to see about availability sometime in the late spring or summer. I would love to see how different everything looks when there are leaves on the trees.

Recommended for:

BEAUTIFUL HOME!! You won't be disappointed

Guest: matt815 (Philadelpha, PA)
Date of Stay: 01/29/10 Review Submitted: 02/01/10

This house is immaculate. Exceeded expectations. Beautifully decorated and very clean/well maintained. From the moment you arrive you will feel special. The great room is a sight to see at night time. Jean and Dan were very easy to deal with throughout the whole process. I would highly recommend this house to any friend/family member. If you are in the mood for some takeout Dominic's Pizza was only a short drive from the chalet and was very good. I would definitely stay here again. Thanks Jean/Dan for letting us stay in your beautiful home.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful Getaway!

Guest: Cassie (-)
Date of Stay: 01/15/10 Review Submitted: 01/30/10

Hello Jean. The vacation was great!! Everyone loved your beautiful place. Thank you so much for the welcome basket (very nice touch). The accommodations were wonderful and it is obvious that you take care and pride in your home, there was not a single thing we needed over the weekend that the house did not have (cleaning supplies, cooking utensils, etc) which made everything so easy and convenient that I did not have to unpack half of the things I brought. We did a lot of cooking and grilling over the weekend, actually we never ate out all. The hot tube was a great addition and very relaxing after a long day of skiing (which many of us were trying for the first time).

Recommended for:

Wonderful Place for Easter Break

Guest: WBG (Camp Hill, PA)
Date of Stay: 04/08/09 Review Submitted: 05/23/09

We had a wonderful time at this beautifully appointed chalet. Our family enjoyed both the hot tub and the fire pit during the cool days and cold nights over the Easter vacation. We were all accommodated comfortably in the cozy bedrooms (the linens were great) and had ample space in the living and dining room for family games and meals. The pool table was another special extra. The welcome basket was much appreciated: treats, extra toiletries, bubbles and especially the map of PA. We rely so heavily on our GPS system that it was fun to lay out the map and plan some day long get- aways. We visited over the Easter break so we didn't get to use many of the Arrowhead facilities but they are beautiful and warrant another trip at the various seasons. Thank you so much for providing the place for a memorable family vacation.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Weekend Get Away

Guest: Robin and the bunch (Harrisburg, PA, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/13/09 Review Submitted: 03/02/09

This chalet had all of the amenities that anyone could want. From the kitchen that had everything needed to cook your meals to the large and lovely bedrooms and baths... nothing was missed in appointing these rooms!! The location was lovely and close to many attractions!! And it was also just a really nice place to relax and watch movies on the TV and play games with our family and friends! The owners were very accommodating and wonderful hosts that ensured that all of our needs were met and to our satisfaction!! Thanks for a wonderful time... we can't wait to come back to view the scenery at a different season of the year!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.