Happy House makes us HAPPY!

Guest: Sheila (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/12

For 20 years we have spent New Year's with our closest friends, another couple. For most of those years we've been moving around to different venues looking for the "perfect" spot. It needs to have a wood-burning fireplace, an outdoor hot tub, and allow dogs. Last year we discovered Happy House and loved it. We immediately re-booked and now have a standing reservation for our special weekend getaway. Between last year and this, they've completely renovated both bathrooms. They're GORGEOUS! The Sleep-Number bed is great. We watched one of the movies from the well-stocked supply. I can't say enough good things about Happy House and Shane is very easy to work with. It's also very kid-friendly though that's not one of our parameters.

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

Repeat Happy Vacationers

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/12

Shane and Martin, Thanks so much for opening your house on the holidays again this year. Our family of 5 adults 2 children and our granddaughter couldn't have been happier once again! Your Happy House doesn't dissapoint, and is well worth the 4 hour drive for some of our family members. We were welcomed back to the house with a pleasant surprise of brand new remodeled bathrooms. Great job, this is a huge improvement, and I can't even remember what they looked like before, but I new they were from the original house. The new linens, bed sheets and towels were also quite nice, I recognize some of the IKEA patterns, especially with all the extras in the closets. Your 10% discount was much appreciated for our return visit, and your recommendations for restaurants was dead on. We always go to the Oyster Catcher when we come to Coupeville, and found it to be superb once again. We will definitely return here for another visit, Thanks, Susan B

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

Not a winner

Guest: RomanticCouple (Lacey, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

My wife and I have rented multiple VRBO listings throughout the Pacific Northwest for romantic get-aways. This is by far the worst. The vacation probably should have ended the moment we opened the front door and were all but overwhelmed by a musty smell. In addition the "housekeeping" left out their supplies; the beds were not made; the silverware was dirty in the drawers; there was limbs and branches laying all over everywhere making it looked almost abandoned; and as a computer engineer it took me almost an hour to get the internet back up and running. We reported all of this to the owners, including some possible reasons for the musty smell issues and received a response by snail mail nearly a month later with our deposit returned. The response was, roughly paraphrased, "Too bad." I couldn't recommend the "Happy House" to anyone.

Recommended for:

So relaxing and rejuvinating!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/28/10 Review Submitted: 10/09/11

I will definitely stay here again! I was pleasantly surprised by the relaxing queit atmosphere of the house. Its perfectly sized for a family of six and wonderful get away place, so easy to get to from Seattle. I think it is underpriced, and I heard from the owner that they are doing some remodeling this winter, which will be amazing I'm sure based on the contemporary feel of the house. For a rental, this house pretty much has it all. Books, music, DVDs and tapes... But you don't even need that, because you can just sit on the deck and kick up your feet. You are completely surrounded by nature, and do not even hear your neighbors. This is a bargain for the house and the location, and is definitely a Happy House as advertised. Thanks for letting us stay!

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

This is a great place!!

Guest: Cindy (Salem, OR)
Date of Stay: 07/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

We enjoyed our stay at the Happy House so much. Everything was just as described. We especially enjoyed the deck with the view of the Sound and Mt Baker. We spent a fair amount of time relaxing there and eating there. The house was very clean and everything was in working order. Whidbey Island is so beautiful and has a lot of fun things to do. We went clamming one morning and made a stew with our finds. I'd highly recommend this place and I hope to return soon. We had 8 adults (2 seniors, 3 adult children and their spouses) and an 18 month old and this house worked well for us.

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

A Happy Place

Guest: Gina (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 04/07/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

We booked three nights at the "Happy House" back in April for the Whidbey Island Half Marathon and to celebrate a couple birthdays. It was so nice to have a cozy, gorgeous place to stay to rest up for the race. The weather wasn't great, but it didn't matter...having the amazing views, the hot tub, the unbelievably cozy couches and a great collection of movies helped us completely relax and feel like we were light years away from our busy lives. We also brought our dog and she enjoyed her little vacation as well. She slept for hours on the big dog bed provided by the owners, ran around the fenced yard, and loved taking nightly walks with us down to the water where she swam and chased seagulls. This is our second time at the Happy House and we can't wait to go back. Although the Whidbey Island Half Marathon course is a tough one, just the thought of going back to the house next year and soaking in the hot tub or sinking in the couches post-race makes it all worth it. This is one of our Happy Places and always will be.

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

not as advertised

Guest: tell-it-like-it-is (PNW)
Date of Stay: 08/07/11 Review Submitted: 08/12/11

This home was quite a disappointment for my family. My in-laws travelled from out of state for this vacation and we were excited because the reviews were so good! After our arrival I really thought we were at the wrong place. As soon as we walked in the first thing we noticed was a really bad smell. It was similar to wet dog smell. The house obviously had not been cleaned since the previous occupants left. We had to wash sheets & towels and sweep hair, food crumbs, and dirt that had all been left behind. Not a great way to start a vacation!! We are reasonable people and understand that sometimes things happen. After calling the owner, we were told they would get someone over right away to clean the place. It never happened and there was no more communication from them since then. After traveling such a long ways, we tried to make the best of it. It only got worse. We discovered the bathrooms were in serious need of repair. The drains did not work and left standing dirty shower water in the downstairs tub and it was no better in the upstairs sink. The kitchen has no disposal yet the owners don't provide a lid for the garbage where all the food obviously has to go. This did not help with the overall smell in this house. There are cobwebs and spiders throughout on the walls and ceilings. The base around the hot tub is falling apart. The bottom of the hot tub is incredibly filthy and when you turn on the jets, bubbles shoot 2 feet in the air making it look more like a fountain than a relaxing, quiet place to enjoy a soak. We tried to walk around the property to see the view of the water since it is obstructed by overgrown trees and shrubs, but the trail was covered in thorny bushes and hard to find. So instead we tried relaxing on the deck with all the dead, brown plants in the pots and the weeds growing out of the gutter. This house would be a lot more "happy" with a little TLC and a lot of maintenance. Anyone who is planning a visit should be aware of these issues so you can be prepared before your arrival. I wouldn't want anyone to waste a vacation (like we did) because you didn't know what to expect.

Recommended for:

Thanks for an awesome week!

Guest: rpruthie (San Marcos, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/08/11 Review Submitted: 06/17/11

Thanks so much for sharing your home with us for a week! Everything was just as stated plus even better than I anticipated! Being 2000 miles away from home, it was so relaxing to have EVERYTHING that we needed right there in the house! The house was comfortable and relaxing - the well stocked kitchen made it easy to prepare meals. The washer and dryer made for a much easier trip as well. The deck area was beautiful and relaxing at all times of the day and night. The location was perfect! It's just far enough out of town to get the "away from it all feeling" but close enough to enjoy all the amenities of the area. This house was "hip enough" to keep the young ones entertained but comfortable and cozy enough to keep grandma and grandpa happy as well. I'd highly recommend and be quick to return!!

Owner response:So glad you had a wonderful time! Glad you could enjoy it just the way you wanted! Look us up again when you come visit! Shane

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

Great Place to Stay for a Family Get-Together!

Guest: Marvin (Corvallis, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 02/10/11 Review Submitted: 02/25/11

Thanks for sharing your house with us. It had plenty of room and a great view. It's a very comfortable house to lounge in and visit! Lots of table space and a variety of rooms to use. We've stayed at many other places, and this one felt the most like we were staying at someones home. We were happy to find it well stocked with games, books and movies. We didn't use any of the toys, but would recommend this place for families with younger children. The walk to the beach was short. It was quiet, beautiful and somewhat "private feeling". We saw lots of birds and two mature bald eagles just down the street from the house. We got lucky and were able to use the hot tub under a clear evening sky. Thanks again for sharing your house with us…It met our needs well!

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

Lovely Christmas vacation at the Holiday House

Guest: Fi (Everett)
Date of Stay: 12/23/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/11

We had a wonderful 4 days at this wonderful house. Very calm, serene, and perfect for lying around readying, napping, hot tubbing (every night) or watching movies. The hosts take wonderful care of you, and everything was laid out ready and waiting for us. Including ice cream!

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