Even Better Than Expected!

Guest: Karen B (Zion, IL)
Date of Stay: 11/23/11 Review Submitted: 02/10/12

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at this house. There were 12 of us that traveled up for Thanksgiving last November and we not only enjoyed the beauty and comfort of this home, but loved the many different places within the home to hangout and relax. We also loved the many unique and beautiful items that fill this home. Every where you looked, there was something to engage you. As the chief cook for our group, I was particularly thankful for the two kitchens. However, I would give a warning about the upstairs oven - it runs hot so lower your temperature and keep an eye on whatever your baking! This was our first visit to Door Co. during the off season and I would highly recommend it. It was wonderfully peaceful and we loved walking into a quiet Al Johnson's where there was no wait and we could take our time enjoying our breakfast.

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

We'll be back!!

Guest: Ubuibme (Madison)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/12/11

It was with trepidation I drove to Bailey's Harbor to spend 5 days and 4 nights with 14 relatives on my wife's side, not sure how we'd all fit into one house. The moment we entered the front door my fears were dispelled as there was more than enough room(s)to find solitude among the multitudes. We rented the entire house and were more than pleased. The grandson loved playing with the dollhouse upstairs and the wooden toys on the beautiful 4 season room facing the bay and harbor. The photographs of the interior do not reflect the true scope of the rooms. They are huge!!! with a lifetime of wooden caricatures throughout collected from around the globe. The rooms were very well furnished and comfortable. The only problem we had was getting the TV to work in the ground floor suite. Although everyone thought they could get a signal, no one was successful. I think a page of directions here would be helpful. The whirlpool in the master suite was, according to my grandson, the size of a swimming pool and easily accommodated three kids, none of whom had ever experienced the water jets. The two bedrooms off the garage, while a little small, were nicely furnished and comfortable. One has to walk about 40-50 yards or a 3 minute walk to get to the beach. The water is shallow enough you can walk out about 100 yards and still not get your shorts wet. We would definately recommend this beautiful home to friends. We also will certainly be back; with my relatives.........

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, pet owners, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A Wonderful Escape!

Guest: Deborah (Berkeley, IL)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 07/17/11

After a recent visit to DOOR County, this property was a very rare find! We enjoyed staying in the Carousel Suite recently. The pictures in the web site do not do enough justice for what the actual property looks like in person. There was plenty of room for us to spread out & relax. The property has (2) duplexes, one in which is pet friendly, so our furry little friends were able to accompany us on our break. The entire suite was well stocked with every amenity imagined, and the views of the lake were spectacular, and at night - you are able to hear the waves put you asleep. The house has surpassed the word "charming", it has been so well kept - and the most interesting property also! Many wood carved pieces throughout the house, it is no wonder that such detail & care provided us with so much comfort! Locationally, it was perfect! Our daily trips around the Peninsula were short, since you are literally 15-20 min. from other neighboring towns. We used the bikes one day to explore Baily's Harbor, which in my opinion was the nicest town of them all! The suite also had a wonderful balcony, so not only do you get an indoor dining area, it can extend to the outdoors on the balcony which entails seating for 4 with sweeping views of the lake. This was my very first time in Door County in the summertime, and finding this property was the best part of it! Everyone we met were so friendly! Thanks to our visit, and this fabulous property - we will definitely be back again soon!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+.

Very enjoyable 40th wedding aniversary

Guest: Steven (Madison )
Date of Stay: 07/07/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

My spouse and I spent our honeymoon 40 years ago in Door County. So this year we decided to take our 4 daughters, their spouses and family and revisit the places that we did 40 years ago. We have our own place in Northern Wisconsin, so it seem strange to rent another place. But it was worth it. The area is still beautiful and the restaurants (a couple are still in business from 40 years ago including Mr G's, Wilson and Al Johnsons) are excellent. But I must admit the home with the many bedrooms and several bath rooms was quite nice and very comfortable for all ages from ourselfs to our youngest grandchild 2 years old. The house and yard overlook beautiful Lake Mich and our daughers hired a person to take photos of our family for keepsakes. The house, yard and lake really showed off well in the photos. You will enjoy the quite sitting, right across from a Catholic Church and near the down town area. Thanks for the memories.

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

Baileys Harbor Beach Hoouse

Guest: Bryn (Richmond VA)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

We had 16 people here for a family reunion and we LOVED this house!! The view is amazing and we sat on the porch or played games on the beautiful grassy lawn for hours. The accomodations were perfect with comfortable beds and plenty of bathrooms.We enjoyed exploring Door County from this convenient location and we had an absolutely wonderful week. This home was worth every penny and I would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

False advertising

Guest: last (Rockton, IL)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/11/11

My family and I were very disappointed with our stay. The brochures and website plus Mary's emails stated there was a pivate sandy beach, but in reality it was a huge mud hole that had signs posted falling rocks. You could not use the area at all...there was no sand. I asked the owner, Mary, about it and she said that it was there last week...well after talking to her husband and some neighboring people the beach has been gone for a while. This was my only request for a vacation rental!! They also still advertise a hot tub but there is not one. They need to update their website and their brochure!!! The description is inaccurate and the photos do not accurately reflect what the beach looks like. We were also woke up at 8 am to the doorbell on July 4th because the owner wanted to get in the garage to get chairs to stake his spot for the parade that started at 10am...after the parade they came in the back bedroom to use the restroom after my daughter told them that her brother was back there...they also said they wanted to later that night to watch the fireworks which I didn't think was a big deal but I didn't realize that they actually meant all their family and friends were invited over to watch. If the owners want to spend the 4th with family and friends at the house then don't rent it out. I thought they were very unprofessional. I would not recommend renting this house to anyone that I know.

Owner response:We are very sorry the family did not enjoy the beach that was there which is a few houses North of the larger public beach and a short walk (1/10 of a mile). People who understand beaches are willing to walk a few yards to the left or right if recent storm or wave action shifts the beach especially in shallow harbor waters. Our village of 500 people pay $10,000 to have a fireworks display which is set off about 200 yards from our house. The reviewer was upset that the yard was shared by people who have volunteered to help the community by subsidizing the cost.The reviewer's family enjoyed a deep discount for their stay in a prime location with a parade outside their front porch and fireworks off their balcony far from these other friends and community people. In conclusion, sharing is what positive, giving adults do.

Recommended for:

A relaxing place for a big family

Guest: double e (Lake in the Hills, IL)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/27/11

The house is huge and a wonderful place to stay with a large group of people! The view is amazing! The pictures show exactly what the house is like and it is kept clean. We traveled with our 3 boys and they also thought it was an excellent place to stay. The sun porch area was where we spent most of our time just playing games and reading books. It is only about 20 minutes from Peninsula St. Park and Bailey's Harbor is 15 minutes away from Egg Harbor and Fish Creek so there is plenty of places to check out.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+.

out of state

Guest: jtm (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 02/20/11 Review Submitted: 02/20/11

The listing description is accurate and the property is clean and well maintained. The owner has been very helpful in answering any of my questions. I would highly recommend this property to friends and relatives. It's a perfect location for a family vacation with many outdoor activities (all seasons), attractions, and restaurants. My friends, family and I look forward to a return visit to this property!

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+.

unprofessional

Guest: BF (California)
Date of Stay: 07/11/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

We booked our family reunion at the inn for a week in July 2010. However, we were literally kicked out a day early due to a scheduling conflict - a mistake on the part of the owners who double booked. They offered to return some of our money, but that was little consolation. Upon returning home and reviewing our paperwork, it clearly said - "leaving on the 18th." Well, we were all told we had to leave on the 17th, including family members from as far away as California and Nevada. I'll begin with the good. The home is decorated well with fun antiques and items for kids in mind. We loved the location. Lake views were absolutely beautiful! Besides the obvious - hearing the doorbell at 8:00 AM and being told to leave a day early, there were several other issues that make for an unprofessional inn. First, the owners have lots of their own possessions (clothes, etc) in the dresser drawers and closets. The downstairs bedroom closet was not usable because it was filled with their things. The home is not cleaned well at all. You can tell it gets a surface cleaning each week and that is all. Lots of junk under tables, dust and cobwebs. In fact, we had to kill 2 large spiders that were on webs over the beds upstairs. The inn is next to a gas station, with a huge dumpster next to the house. The gas station owners told us it smells so bad because lots of people drive by to drop off their fish refuse. The smell was horrible, and we could not keep windows open on that side of the house. The ad says they have a private beach and shows a picture of a boy playing in the sand. There was not a sand beach at all when we were there, only slime covered rocks and dirty water. We had to drive across to Peninsula State Park several days for the kids to play in the water. Finally, the ad says they have a hot tub. When we got there, the owner explained that he had to remove it due to code issues, but did not offer any money back even though we rented it as an inn with a hot tub. Overall, we still had a good time, and would have overlooked a lot of these issues, if we were not wrongly told to leave a day early. The owners refused to acknowledge that they made a mistake. A sincere apology would have went a long way. Overall, just a real unprofessional job on the part of the owners. They really need to hire professional cleaners and property managers and treat this as a real business if they want to charge as much as they do.

Owner response:The clients refused to acknowledge they'd paid for only 5 nights and with an extra night free which is our policy, they had reserved a short week of 6 nights. In addition, we gave them a check for another free night because they were so upset. After they left, we noticed the guest book entry from their kids which stated it was the best place they had ever stayed!!

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