Great time at Beach House near Grand Bend

Guest: Lisa (Toronto, ON Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/29/11 Review Submitted: 09/20/11

Actually deserves 4 1/2 stars. House was very clean and comfortable and big enough for our group of 10, including 4 kids. Large and well-equipped kitchen. Owners left lots of stuff in the kitchen for us to use. Property well-maintained with lots of areas for relaxing and playing in the front and back yards. The beach and lake were great, even with the rocks. Beach shoes a must. You could really walk for miles on the beach. Friendly neighbours who pointed out the less rocky areas. Lots of stuff around for the kids- toys, DVDs etc. Spectacular sunsets - true!! Grand Bend convenient for shopping, restaurants etc. Went cycling in the Provincial Park about 20 mins. away and noticed there are also hiking trails there. We all had a great time.

Owner response:Thank you for this wonderful review. We enjoyed renting to your group with ranged from seniors to young babies. Our neighbours commented that you were very friendly and polite. These renters left our home very clean and we would definitely love to rent to you again.

Recommended for:Families with young children, families with teenagers.

Just Ok

Guest: Tal Family (Richmond Hill)
Date of Stay: 08/19/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

The cottage was comfortable, the grounds very nice with a big front and backyard, and large beautiful trees. There is almost nothing to want for – the cottage and kitchen are very well equipped, and there are lots of things and games for the kids. There were some good aspects to the place but overall it wasn’t as convenient or comfortable as we expected and definitely not worth the high-price compared to others in the marketplace. We found the place quite dirty when we arrived, especially the bathrooms. The walk up from beach was more like a trek. As the owner mentions, there are about 30 steps to take to get to the beach but there is also a very steep hill that’s somewhat difficult to negotiate. Using the bbq is awkward because you have to walk through the house and garage to get to it – it’s frustrating if you forget anything and have to go back to the kitchen. There really should be a staircase from the upper deck (shown in the pictures) to the lower deck. Also, the photos and captions are a little misleading. The view was great but you can’t see it from the cottage because of the trees and bushes at the top of the hill. Lastly, the beach (and it's not private) and water are beautiful but with ATVs continuously passing by, it's a little annoying (and frightening if you have kids).

Owner response:This is definitely one of our worst rental groups ever who considered themselves young, seasoned and professional renters with older children. We do not want to rent to such a disfunctional immature group again who believe they can do whatever they want with a threat of a review, irrespective of a contract they sign. Our neighbours also had a lot of negative comments about this group which has never happened before. In our defence, we have never had a house cleanliness issue. These renters arrived earlier than their contracted time and did not allow the cleaner to do her job. They even stated that the house was just fine. Renter than left the house in an unclean state, with fecal matter in the bathrooms. Renters also went against the contract by having additional guests and their negligence caused major damage to outdoor furniture. We have had very senior renters (and most lane residents are seniors) with very severe illnesses from severe arthritis, heart conditions and cancer who use this common access path/stairs to the beach on a daily basis with no complaint. However, one has to assess their own fitness levels ... and I do not know what to say if walking approx 20 ft to the main deck where a BBQ is normally kept is considered tedious. The beach in front of our house is private as it is for each of our neighbours. Lane residents have a common pathway (next to our property) for access to the beach. We do not however stop lane residents or vacationers from walking along the beach front as we also like to take long walks on the beach and feel free to use any part of the beach. This is part of country living and sharing. Sometimes, there are ATV's further along the beach these are supposed to travel along the water-line. We have young toddlers who use the beach frequently and have not had any issues with these. Future renters, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Thank You

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August 2011 renters

Guest: Annabanana (Waterloo, ON)
Date of Stay: 08/05/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

Great place if 30 steps down to the beach does not bother you. (With very young children not convenient.) The yards are wonderful. Lots of shade in back yard with big trees and beautiful breeze from lake. If too windy front yard is nice to hangout as well. The house was spacious multiple level house. Well stocked kitchen for cooking with the pots and pans and kitchen gadgets. Nice tv room too. Will rent again when children are older. Nice and helpful owners.

Owner response:Thanks for the wonderful review. Your group was lovely and took great care of our property as though it was their own. Some of our rental groups have had very young children (under 2) and not had issues with the slope/stairs. However, some find it more difficult. We ask future renters to assess their individual capabilities and please ask us for more information before deciding to rent.

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Great family cottage

Guest: Siobhan (London On )
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 08/11/11

We LOVED IT! what a great cottage. All up to date and clean. Great for families. They had alot of the things we needed for our kids. Saved us from bring stuff. High chair, exersaucer baby gates etc. Great lot for playing and the beach was clean. A little rocky at times but just need a pair of water shoes. The soft sand was nice instead of the pebble sand you find at beaches. Overall great place, well maintained.We WILL be back! Thank you :) Oh- the neighbors were great too. VERY friendly and welcoming.

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

Good for large groups

Guest: Robbie D (Burlington)
Date of Stay: 07/30/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

Pros ------- large cottage for groups > 10 ppl all amenities desired relatively clean awesome large property with firepit (had a fire every night) great neighbours that don't mind music after 11 absolutely beautiful private beach, alittle rocky but good spots to swim close to grand bend (not walking distance though) very private great local farms great if you have young kids(works for teens too) toys, umbrellas etc all up there 42"+ LCD and cable/sat for the rainy never, didn't watch and hour of TV outside the whole time cons ------- spiders, everywhere.... the walk up the stairs from the beach (good daily exercise though) only 1 recycling box, and one garbage can, makes garbage mgmt tough with a lot of people disappointed in the air hockey, pool table and ping pong are actually an all in one mini table air was a little musty at first internet was not operational but weather was so nice we were never inside master bedroom retreat never cools down, A/C was not working in master at all with portable A/C unit alittle expensive All in all a great experience and would go back, weather helped, hot and sunny.

Owner response:Most cottages in the country have bugs/mosquitos /spiders outside and unfortunately we cannot control this although we make every effort to spray the outside each year. There are only 30 steps to the beach and fortunately we have never had any complaints from the more senior members of our family or rental groups. Note that while we are not within walking distance of the main Public Grand Bend Beach, our beach is Private, Sandy and Beautiful and less than a minute walk as it is adjoined to our property, . We take our renters comments very seriously and have already installed a new A/C in 2011. The A/C in the master bedroom is controlled separately and now working properly (someone had mistakenly switched on the timer for the old one) Note however that when one opens the windows on both sides of the bedroom, the wonderful lakebreeze completely eliminates the need to use the A/C. Plug in internet service is always available, WIFI is dependent on weather conditions. We have also purchased more recycling boxes to help in garbage management. Other members of your group have already requested a week next year and we hope they find their stay comfortable. Once again, thank you for taking care of our cottage and keeping it as clean as you found it and hope to see you again soon.

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

Relaxing Retreat

Guest: Christine (Hamilton)
Date of Stay: 06/11/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

Our family booked the beach house for a week long vacation in June 2010. The cottage was very clean, comfortable and spacious. The kitchen, laundry and bath amenties were up to date and well maintained. We enjoyed daily walks on the beautiful sandy beach. The location was very peaceful and private and locals were very friendly. We've had a great week and were sorry to have to leave.

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

Guest: Melissa DArcy (Ontario)
Date of Stay: 08/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/19/09

We had a wonderful week. One of the best vacations ever! The cottage was lovely. We felt at home the moment we arrived. The beach was beautiful and the weather was perfect. We couldn't have asked for more. The Beach House is definitely on the top of our list to book again.

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Guest: Hunt Family (-)
Date of Stay: 07/28/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/09

A great quiet sandy beach location on Lake Huron. Cottage is large, clean and well kept. Ideal for either multiple families or large families. Close to a few small towns for shopping on rainy days. We really enjoyed our vacation there and wouldn't hesitate to book it again.

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