Island Lover

Guest: cricket (So. Calif.)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/04/11

Our disappointment with this house was with the failure of the owner to consider the overall comfort of the renters. There were a total of 4 coat hangers in the closets. The house is advertised for 6-7 people (no way 7...the trundle and hide-a-bed cannot be used at the same time.). But there were only 2 chairs in the back yard, 2 wine glasses. The lighting is abysmal...several torchiere lamps for atmosphere, and two small gooseneck lamps which we carried around the house for reading, puzzles, etc. She did say she would bring lamps...didn't happen. This house might be fine for a short stay..no extra sheets and no washer/dryer, so doesn't work for a longer stay. We needed to obtain chairs, hangers, and even a light bulb for the refrig.

Recommended for:Pet owners.

Perfect for us!

Guest: Marjorie (Lake Oswego, OR)
Date of Stay: 07/13/11 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

My husband and I and a friend just returned from staying the house in Eastsound and found it to be perfect for us. The view from the lovely french doors in the living room was gorgeous and we found everything we needed in the house. One of the best features was to be able to let the dog out from our bedroom to the enclosed yard. We took advantage of the opportunity to walk around town and even to the enclosed dog park not too far away. With Orcas having primarily private beaches we found a short hike to a beach where the dog ran free, then a lake for her to rinse off in! Even with lots of rain and some construction activity mentioned by an earlier reviewer nearby, we couldn't have asked for a better stay. The owner was responsive to our calls (internet question) and we would certainly return.

Owner response:We are thrilled this was a great spot for you! Please come enjoy again.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

We loved it!

Guest: jmo (Napa, CA)
Date of Stay: 06/18/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

We stayed in this bungalow last year and had a wonderful time. Yes, it is located on Main Street, but Eastsound isn't Bellevue so the traffic really wasn't bad at all. I'm confused about what dunenewt wrote regarding the misleading picture of the park. The main photo clearly shows the street between the bungalow and the park. How could they have not seen this? Anyway, we enjoyed sitting on the deck with our morning coffee watching the locals go about their business while the eagles landed in the dead tree right across from us! Yes, there was construction going on when we were there (it looked like they had just started the project. It must be almost done by now) but it was very quiet in the evenings. We spent our days visiting Moran Park and other the beautiful sights so the construction didn't bother us at all. We plan on returning to this rental property next year.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, age 55+, girls getaway.

Love this place!

Guest: Kat (Fair Oaks California)
Date of Stay: 07/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

I have stayed at this house before, for 2 weeks, and absolutely loved it! It has a grogeous view of the water, and althought it is across the street, there is so little traffic on Orcas, one hardly notices it. The beach is fantastic...especially when the tide is out. I could walk to all the fine eateries and shops in Eastsound, and when at the cottage, I found it warm and comfortable and inviting. I don't know what the other reviewer is talking about, perhaps they should try the city next time. PS The fact that this cottage is dog friendly was a huge plus for me, a very nice enclosed yard is a great feature!

Owner response:Thank you!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

misleading photos

Guest: dunenewt (whidbey island)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

We did not get what we expected from the description and the photos. To get to the park you must cross a fairly busy street - the picture makes it look otherwise. At least once you are down to the water it's a pretty great little public but fairly deserted little stretch of beach to play with the kids and dogs. The backyard is half the size of how it looks in the photo. When you are told to turn into the first driveway as you enter Eastsound, in actuality you are turning into the bank parking lot. The house is situated between the bank and new construction...when we were there (and truly this is not an exaggeration) heavy machinery (mostly a backhoe) began at 7:30 in the morning. This backhoe was literally 50 feet from the bedroom window. I have video of the vibrations and racket (end of June 2011). We did not want to spend one minute in the house from 7:30 until at least 4:00. Luckily Eastsound is a sweet little town, Moran State Park has lots of great hiking and of course Mt. Constitution, and the best hike we found (when hiking with a 4 and 8 year old) was down to the water in Obstruction Pass State Park. Honestly the only reason I'm writing this review is because when I mentioned my complaints to the owner she said, nowadays with technology as it is, I should have done my homework better and should have done an aerial search. Regarding the construction, her come back was that she has absolutely no control over that - a warning and an apology would have been nice!

Owner response:We are sorry the guests did not receive what they expected here on Orcas. The bungalow's address IS 35 Main Street - in the heart of Eastsound. We are a working community and commerce continues throughout as it does in any town. Every guest has our cell phone number and we ask they call us with any questions or concerns once they've arrived. If we had received a call during their stay we would have done everything possible to find accomodations better suited for them. As it was we never heard from them until after they had left the island after their four day stay. We were told they didn't want to pay what was owed. They then informed us that their dog had put a "few scratches on the door" after they had left ithe dog unattended in the bungalow. We told them to not worry about it and we would take care of it , not realiziing the damage was actually a ruined door and trim which cost more than $200 to repair.

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