Westport Vacation

Guest: Suzanne (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 07/18/09 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

We stayed in this house with our extended family--grandparents, kids, grandchildren. We had a terrific time--the house was perfect for all of us. The big kitchen, playing cards in the dining room, the yard, porch, and multiple bedrooms all made it a great place for us. We loved going to the beach, eating lobster, and we just loved Westport! Thanks for a great stay!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Lovely Country-Beachy Retreat!

Guest: Grandmother (Raleigh, NC)
Date of Stay: 03/03/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

I stayed here with my extended family recently, and while the weather didn't cooperate, relaxing in front of the huge stone fireplace in the kitchen, playing games and reading stories, was great bonding time together. My grandchildren especially loved exploring around and invented endless games using all the hidden nooks and crannies. Owner was responsive and available when we had questions and property was as expected. It was clean, but not fussy in appearance. We used the home's gorgeous restaurant-style stove with pleasure (great for preparation of large family meals!). We also recommend trying Ellie's restaurant in Westport, down the road from Lee's Market for great home-cooked fare. We'd definitely stay here again. Highly recommended!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, age 55+, pet owners, sightseeing, families with young children.

Excellent Property and Location!

Guest: Westport lovers (Bethesda, MD)
Date of Stay: 07/13/08 Review Submitted: 03/23/11

This house provided us a great family vacation experience and we'd definitely recommend it. Our favorite aspects were mornings in the huge, light-filled kitchen, time outside on the porch and in the garden areas, the working farm atmosphere and the gorgeous surrounding countryside. The location is choice, close to Horseneck Beach, Westport Harbor and town. Thanks -- a grand old place!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

We had a great time

Guest: K.K. (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 03/21/11

My family and I stayed here in the summer of 2009. We had a great time. Loved the kitchen and since we had friends visiting from out of town as well as friends in town, the fabulous stove lent itself to some great dinners. Go get you some fresh lobster, cold beer or champagne, good friends and enjoy. Location is great! We did have two children (ages 7 & 10). The yard and house were big enough to keep them entertained.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children.

Unfortunate Experience for a Family Vacation

Guest: HF (Easton, PA)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 12/26/10

My in-laws, my sister-in-law and husband, and my family rented this home the first week of August 2010. Upon arrival, it was not what we expected based on the pictures and communication with the owners. The home had multiple items broken, including the screen door that you entered into. A rocking chair with a broken seat sat in the corner with a caved in seat and a note attached from the previous tenants. None of the dining chairs were sturdy, nor was the table itself. Multiple light fixtures did not work and there were random wires hanging from the walls. One of the double beds had a bed frame so bent that it could not possibly be slept on as it tilted heavily to one side. My husband and father-in-law took it apart and moved it out of the bedroom, reassembling a bed from another room in it for my sister-in-law and husband. The upstairs bathroom, while the shower appeared to have been professionally installed with a seamless door, leaked badly all over the floor and tiles were falling from the shower walls. The kitchen was filthy with food items left all over the shelving units. The stove and refrigerator were terribly dirty despite a cleaning crea having been there when my in-laws arrived. The first nigh we were in the home, the water pump went and we had to spend the night without water in the home. The owner did not offer to accommodate us elsewhere until the problem was fixed.The washing machine and dryer kept blowing the fuse box and it took multiple times to get one load of wash done. We were traveling with 3 small children and this was not what I considered a safe environment for them to stay in. My husband's family used to spend each summer in Westport and this was the first negative experience they have experienced.

Owner response:To care for future guests we took seriously – and remedied – elements in this review. Actually even for this family we responded immediately to the rare event of a well pump failure, fixing it hours later, and we gave them a partial refund. But students were prior tenants, and we were admittedly caught off-guard by a few of the items (e.g. such bad luck to arrive through newly broken screen doors to a house with no water!), a first impression that seems to have colored their experience of a rambly old house that has given us – and other guests – lots of pleasure. Still, we used this precipitant to visit the property, hire a handyman, caretaker, and new cleaners, and to make improvements. Thus we have a go-to-guy for future repairs and inspection between guests, which we had before erroneously relied on the cleaners to do. Changes include: Screen doors – fixed. Well pump – new that day. “Random wires” – were just unused doorbell wires, not dangerous, and not worrisome to us or others for 10 years, but now capped & stowed. Lights unworking – were bulbs out, now replaced. Shower leaks on floor – merely needs shower head directed away from the (large, elegant) glass door that indeed has gap below; this instruction added to our house-welcome-folder. Kitchen dirty – yes, seems this had been overlooked by cleaners, who we since replaced. Bent bed – this one remains a mystery, we suppose attributable to the prior students. But it was an extra bed anyhow…there are 6 solid ones Fridge – though functional and we used it ourselves when there, it was old & unattractive – now replaced with a beautiful stainless steel model. Additional improvements: We also purchased a new gas grill for the deck, brought in two comfy leather couches, painted and re-mounted a gorgeous antique decorative mantel that had been in storage, and bought 8 “new” chairs (solid, sturdy wood, think “shabby chic”) for the dining room. More to come at some point too, but you get the idea… If you’re looking for rustic charm, quirky character, “wash-and-wear” style, old-world elements, plenty of private spaces and a get-away-from-it-all rural feeling, this can be a great rental. It is not, however, a polished, sanitized, hotel-like experience and we should take responsibility for perhaps not making this clear enough to these renters. We hope you have a great experience at Shoreland Farm or wherever you choose! Cheers, Kate & Doug Novotny

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