Date of stay Nov 18-21st

Guest: honeybadger21 (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 11/18/11 Review Submitted: 12/13/11

I decided to rent this cottage for a long weekend to spend some time with my brother, Mom, and girlfriend. We were very pleased with the home, cleanliness and its close proximity to the ocean. The bridge is only noticeable as you approach the house to pull into the driveway. The inside of the cottage is a well appointed, quaint, New England cottage with some charming historic details. Although they are building a bridge across the street it is hard to focus on anything but the view of the waterfront, sailboats, and sea birds. We spent more time at the cottage than expected sitting back at living room table enjoying each other’s company and the views. We plan to book for next summer so that we can enjoy the swimming. I am astonished to see the negative reviews and feel that we got what was represented.

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

Beyond Dissapointed

Guest: Dissapointed (NYC)
Date of Stay: 11/24/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

I was in utter shock walking into the shack...the pictures are a blatant misrepresentation of the state of the house. It was dark, dirty and very poorly maintained. There is literally a large hole in the upstairs bathroom floor that goes through to the kitchen, it's a vent that is broken and they chose to cover it up with a rug, which of course, resulted in a member of my party tripping over the hole and injuring themselves. The owner agreed ahead of time to provide sheets for the bed (per my request) but they were so disgusting that we had to wash them before we could use them. The closet in the downstairs bedroom smelled horrible and you immediately smelled it when you walked into the room. Not that anyone could actually stay in that room because you would have to be an acrobat to get onto the bed wedged between the walls. He did not provide ANY of the typical things you would provide in a vacation home including trash bags, light bulbs (since more than half were burned out) and there weren't curtains or blinds on the windows which in an east facing house the sun is extremely bright. When we arrived we placed our food in the refrigerator, only to find out the next day he failed to turn on the refrigerator and all our food was ruined. As for the construction...we were told there was construction happening and it was implied that the only inconvenience we would experience would be from the bridge being closed and getting to the house. There was never a mention that the construction work happens over our heads and start very early in the morning so there is no sleeping in on our vacation. Or that the entrance to the house will be a mud pit and very difficult to get into the drive way. I have successfully used VRBO for many vacation and usually have an excellent experience. This house is not fit for a vacation home. The house does not deserve the 1 star I'm required to give.

Owner response:Sorry you had a bad experience Tracy but I think you would probably complain at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tracy calls the house "dark" and then complains that the house is east facing and "extremely bright". Now let's address all of your complaints because some were legitimate and I will remedy the legitimate problems. 1. I was unaware that the floor register had a hole in it. It has already been replaced. These cast iron floor vents exist in most historic homes....they would allow heat to pass from the 1st to 2nd floor....I can't fathom how it broke, but I'm sorry. 2. House and Sheets were all professionally cleaned before your arrival. Sheets are a courtesy I occasionally provide free to out of state renters. Sorry you were disappointed, I may discontinue this service as it costs me additional money with this as a reward. 3. I already supply light bulbs in the pantry, but I never heard from you during your stay regarding this issue. I also only found one lightbulb in the center living room that was out (I think this may have been the source of your complaint)...and the only one out in the house. Light switches can be tough to find sometimes when you are in a strange place. 4. Next summer I will supply trash bags. Good suggestion. 5. Sorry the fridge was not turned on upon arrival. I had shut the breaker off located 5 feet away from the fridge to conserve energy. Very easy to turn back on if you would have called me. Not sure how you managed to pack a bunch of food into a warm, unlit fridge when you arrived and didn't wonder if it was on. 6. Construction on bridge will be near or fully completed by Summer 2012. The day to day impact should be minimal, although I had few complaints about the bridge. I always disclose the presence of the bridge and construction to renters. 95%+ concentrate on the beautiful waterfront on the opposite side of the house (one of the nicest view on the island. 7. Sorry there was a puddle in one part of the large driveway. It rained a lot before your arrival and most homes and streets had some puddles. My suggestion would be to avoid walking in puddles.

Recommended for:

A Wonderful Weekend!

Guest: jobrainez (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 10/23/11

There were four of us staying here this past weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday and we had an absolutely fantastic time. This house is positively adorable and it was perfect for us - and our two dogs! I honestly don't think the pictures really do it justice: it's super cozy and has lots of interesting details throughout. When you're in the rooms facing the water, you feel like you're aboard a ship. Breathtaking picture-postcard waterfront views. Per the review above, yes, the construction scene is rather unsightly, but because it's facing the front of the house, you don't really notice it except when you're driving in and out. We didn't find it dirty at all. My one nit was that the gate at driveway entrance didn't close enough for the yard to be completely fenced in (and to keep dogs from running out). For the price, the pet-friendliness, the location, the comfort, the decks, the charm and the views, we thought it was perfect. We would love to come back and stay here again. Thank you, Chris!

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

Summer of 2011

Guest: summer tanning (Northeast)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

Old world charm = Dirty I would not ever go back to this house. Dishwasher did not work, when it rained the porch by the water had water running onto the table and down many of the walls. No AC, and did I mention the house is really dirty! I understand they cannot control the fact that there is road construction happening however they need to tell people it is pretty much on top of the house. Yes on top of as the bridge for route24 is 50 yds (maybe) from the second floor window

Owner response:I would ask the VRBO staff to dismiss this review as you can see on my listing that I have never advertised a dishwasher or AC. My cottage is professionally cleaned every week (I have never had a complaint). I tell all of my renters that there is a bridge under construction across the street. The workers have been friendly, and the construction site is clean and organized. This complaint is a prime example of "you can't please everyone". I will own the leak in my roof which I thought was fixed this spring. We have had little rain this summer, and I will be addressing the leak when I have a rare week open at my cottage. If you want one of the only rentable waterfront properties on the island, and you don't want to spend $400-1200 per night for hotel rooms accommodating 8 people (and pet friendly), my house offers a great value in a scenic environment. Additionally, I have added 3 AC window units to the cottage. I plan to continue using AC as this summer has been hot.

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