Relaxing Labor Day Retreat

Guest: Liz (Chicago)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 10/21/11

My husband and I had a great time at Debra's cottage over labor day weekend. We thought the cottage was quite charming with all the built-in shelves, vintage art, and bark cloth curtains! The kitchen was properly stocked with all the necessary amenities. Contrary to the previous post, we thought the bathrooms were perfectly fine. In fact, I appreciated the original fixtures. After all, It is a rustic lake house. I was pleasantly surprised that the patio was so big and offered such a great view of the lake. My only complaint about the weekend was the weather-- it was very rainy and cold. Luckily, the surrounding towns were fun to explore-- we especially liked Sheboygan and Plymouth. And the Kohler Design Center was great! I hope we have the opportunity to rent again next summer.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, romantic getaway, pet owners, families with young children, adventure seekers.

Nice location, but . . .

Guest: Prof Mica (Oak Park, IL USA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/06/11

I could NOT recommend this property to a friend or relative. Here are the reasons: The "private" beach has a pretty heavily trafficked public access right-of-way running through it. So not quite as private or secluded as we were led to believe. "Sweet" and "Rustic" are code-words for "rundown," "poorly maintained," and "outdated." This property was clearly not worth the rental fee we paid to use it. Many window screens were in poor repair and/or had gaps around the frames. A pretty critical issue considering there is no air conditioning in the property. Had to go into town to get some duct tape to perform make-shift repairs in order to keep the buggies out. Main bathrooom: pretty gross and rust-stained. (There is a reason it's not featured in any of the photos.) Most critical to me, however, was that the property does NOT have wireless internet, an advertised amenity that specifically brought us to this property for our vacation. After contacting owner about this missing amenity, she said what she meant was that she can usually get a pretty good signal from one of her neighbors' houses if she sits in her kitchen. Since I could not get a reliable and stable connection, I was forced to go into Sheboygan Falls each day to sit in the Starbucks to teach my online classes, as this was to be a working vacation. (FYI, I teach information literacy, so if there was a signal to get, I surely would have known how to connect to it with my laptop, tablet, or smartphone.) Even after calmly and logically explaining that this was a pretty critical inconvenience to me and that it daily took me away from my family on our vacation, the owner refused to refund even the smallest amount of our weekly rental fee as a good-faith gesture. She also said she'd amend the listing to remove the "Wireless Internet" listing in the amenity, but two months later it is still listed. The only reason property got an "average" rating is that it is, indeed, on the lake. We had beautiful weather. And the kids had a ton of fun on the beach. However, that said, in conclusion, keep looking. This is NOT the place you want to vacation.

Owner response:The internet problem has been amended. Prior to posting this review, this renter had expressed no complaints about his weeklong stay other than the internet problem and his wife had actually written to say they had a great time. We promptly offered the renter a discount on a future visit, which he declined, and have subsequently sent him a refund for his troubles. There are some people who, understandably, would feel more comfortable in a condo rather than a cottage and the area does have a newly built water park complex, with contemporary furnishings, air conditioning, TV and internet. This is the first negative feedback we have received. Overwhelmingly, renters find the property to be exactly what they had hoped -- a quiet, restorative beach vacation, a return to a little simpler life against the backdrop of the amazing lake and sky.

Recommended for:

Guest: Rick (-)
Date of Stay: 08/15/09 Review Submitted: 06/06/10

Debra, I felt compelled to write you a note to let you know how much we enjoyed our time at your cottage. My daughter has lived in the area since she went to college at Lakeland and in those 10 years I felt as though I had come to know the area pretty well. But, sitting outside this morning waiting for the sunrise, listening to the waves, and enjoying the music of the wind as it passed over the birch and through the pines reminded me that new discoveries are often in the places we are most familiar with. What a treat. My two sons, ages 16 and 7 had a blast and watching them together with their sister brought an incredible amount of joy to this father’s spirit. There is no greater gift than to see my 3 kids enjoying, loving, and caring for each other. The solitude of your home here created a space that opened everyone up to a more meaningful visit. Much as a warm blanket protects us from the drafts of the cold, this space shrouded us from the meaningless distractions of our everyday lives. While it was only for 24 hours, it was exactly what we needed, just at the time we needed it, and it reminded us of how deeply we love one another and what a blessing we are in each other's lives. I could go on but rather than consume your precious time I’ll leave you with those thoughts and my appreciation for sharing your home away from home with us. Rick

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