7/9/11-7/16/11 renter

Guest: Jo and family (White Plains,NY)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/31/11

We rented 7/9/11-7/16/11 (5 adults and 1 child). We found the house to be nicely decorated and more than enough room. The house has a nice comfortable feeling and it more than lived up to its description in the advertisement. We found the house to be in a quiet neighborhood, but It is convenient to the beach and located near stores for food, newspapers, etc. Our daughter had rented the house in 2010 and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay so we returned in 2011. The owners of the house must be nice people because they have provided for everything to make your stay at the beach perfect. We had a great time and look forward to returning.

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

Spring Lake house

Guest: Bob (Potomac, MD)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 08/16/11

Nice house, spacious, well equipped kitchen. Lovely, shady back yard with patio seating area. Garage, not for cars, but for bike and beach equipment storage, is very handy. It was a shock to see that this house is contiguous to a 7-11, just a few paces from the house, very convenient for sure but is not mentioned in the listing. Noisy early mornings, driveway area congested w/loading trucks.  House is distant from ocean beach and the  0.8 mile, walk or drive or bike ride, is stated in listing. A headache getting beach stuff there. Easy bike ride but of course w/o beach stuff. Spring Lake and other area lakes are  not for swimming, but this not mentioned in listing. WiFi access was listed but was very unreliable, frustrating, unsatisfactory. Gas grill listed was filthy, unusable, ancient. Bath towels smelled, not fresh at all. We had paid extra  $$  for the towels and linens. Need to address linens in the property listing. Master b/r nice, spacious, but bedside lamp a safety hazard, electric fixture held together w/masking tape. Downstairs b/r lighting poor,  chest of drawers unsuitable for clothes storage, also had broken drawers. Downstairs toilet backed up twice, there was no plunger in the house. But, the 7-11 helped us w/loaner immediately.  Unfortunately, there are no beach equipment rental facilities in the area; it would have been helpful to have had that mentioned in the listing. Security deposit was unreasonably high, excessive, as was an additional  utility and cleaning charge, both of which should be included in the basic rental fee.  After checkout,  the owner called and asked if we had brought a dog there, which was ridiculous; he said that his cleaning people found dog hair everywhere, and thus threatened to keep our security deposit and did not willingly, nor initially believe our denial and word, and essentially implied we were lying. He appeared to be reaching and seeking additional revenue. This was a very unpleasant and unacceptable experience.  Daily beach passes @ fairly high $/day rate were mandatory for everyone, young children excluded. This was not clearly addressed in the listing; and, only two daily season passes were provided with this 4 b/r house. Should have at least no. equal  no. bedrooms.  Ocean beach itself is large and beautiful, but all food and drink other than water is prohibited. Coolers, containers, had to remain on boardwalk. Beach access is possible only  from boardwalk entrances and only to pass holders. We are un

Owner response: We welcome constructive feedback on our house and always try to make it better for the next guest. As a result the grill has been replaced. The wifi has been updated with a new router. We do not allow pets and unfortunately have had problems with people bringing them without our knowledge. The renters had asked if they could bring a dog and we told them that our house was no longer pet friendly. When they checked out our cleaning woman said she found dog hair and naturally we asked them if they brought a dog. They said they did not and we took their word, returning their security deposit in full. We make every effort possible to make our home inviting and comfortable, as well as answer any questions one might have before making a reservation.

Recommended for:

Great house, great beaches, great time!

Guest: Maggie (PA)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/23/11

From the minute we walked into this house we were thrilled. The decor is beachy yet sophisticated, the kitchen was fully stocked with everything needed to cook gourmet meals if you desire. The grill was great for outside cooking and there was ample seating for relaxing or eating outside as well. The washer and dryer were a big bonus and everything seemed new. The house is deceptively large...4 good size bedrooms and 3 full baths along with a large yard for the kids to play in! I cannot imagine what else we could have asked for in a vacation rental. Thanks you for sharing your home by the sea!

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

Linda

Guest: Alexa (Flemington New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 02/15/11

Our group used the house as a quilting getaway. We sewed, cooked and enjoyed the company. The house was very clean and pristine. It was decorated beautifully. All of our questions were answered prior to our stay. There were many places to go as well as great restaurants. Would highly recommend this property to future guests.

Recommended for:Girls getaway.

Retreat

Guest: Gen (Polizzotti)
Date of Stay: 01/14/11 Review Submitted: 02/14/11

Great, well equipped house. Very cute inside and comfortable Would definitely return. We were there for a retreat so have no comments about beach and area.

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, families with young children.

Home for Thanksgiving

Guest: Jersey Girl (Concord, NC)
Date of Stay: 11/23/10 Review Submitted: 01/02/11

The home was exactly as described - charming! We stayed in the home over the Thanksgiving holiday; my husband, my two adult children and their "significant others"- we couldn't have asked for a more pleasant place of residence. The rooms were large and spacious and the kitchen was very well equipped. Due to the cold weather, we did not get to experience the outdoor decks but I am sure they are wonderful in the warmer months. Perhaps the only drawback (for the males in the group) was the desire for a larger screen TV to view the football game. Within walking distance to coffee shop and several breakfast eating places. I would be happy to rent this home again.

Owner response:We recently replaced the TV with a larger LCD HDTV.

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

Lovely Home By the Sea - Spring Lake, NJ

Guest: Family from Miami (Miami, Florida USA)
Date of Stay: 05/16/10 Review Submitted: 09/26/10

My extended family stayed in Spring Lake at this lovely home by the sea to attend my nieces wedding. The house was exactly what we had imagined.....and exactly what was advertised. It was very clean, well kept, and had everything you could ever need. There were even toys and outdoor play sets for the children. The neighborhood is lovely and the beach is right down the street. The owners are really special folks who helped us after we checked out!. My son-in-law left medication behind and the owner made a special trip out to the house so that he could overnight mail it to us in Miami. If you are looking to stay at the shore....this is th place to be.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Family Vacation!

Guest: Brenda (Falls Church, VA (DC Metro))
Date of Stay: 08/28/10 Review Submitted: 09/09/10

We had a wonderful vacation in Spring Lake. Our rental house was extremely charming - full of personal touches that really made it feel like a home. The fenced-in backyard was great for the kids and our dog and we loved the location! Not your typical Jersey Shore. Beautiful beach, town, lake and parks; great restaurants. Not full of tourists (even in August).

Recommended for:Pet owners, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

Excellent location for family holiday in New Jersey (Spring Lake)

Guest: FamilyFromDublinIreland (DUBLIN, Ireland)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 08/18/10

We spent 2 weeks (July 2010) at this house in Spring Lake. The house is immaculately kept and had loads for room for our party of 5. The location is very quiet and peaceful (perfect for family holiday) and the beach nearby is pristine clean and very safe with lots of lifeguards. We used the house as base to visit New York (train 15 mins away by walking), Washington DC (Amtrak from Trenton - 45 mins drive away from the house), and the Amish Community in Pennsylvania (2.5 hour drive). We had a wonderful holiday and would recommend the house and location. Finally, it was a pleasure dealing with the owners.

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

Great Beach Vacation Rental

Guest: Carrie in Bend (Bend, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/08/10

We loved staying at this house! The decor was very cute and beachy and really clean and nice. We were with our 2 kids who are 2 1/2 and 5 and they just loved running around in the backyard. Plus, one of the bedrooms has a perfect set up for kids. The backyard is fenced in which is great. We also loved the outdoor shower. It made it so easy to come back from the beach and get all the sand off the kids. The house is about a few minutes drive to the beach. My sister and her family rented a place right on the beach. It was not nearly as nice, but they paid the same price. It just depends if you need to be right on the beach. We enjoyed having the space of a home. It was easy to cook and nice to have room for all of us. We would definitely stay again!! We had a wonderful time. And Spring Lake was definitely a great central point for visiting the Jersey Shore. We went south to Point Pleasant one day, but the other days we were in the Spring Lake area or a bit north.

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