Heaven!

Guest: Anna (New York City)
Date of Stay: 07/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/25/12

We can't say enough good things about this house. It is simply wonderful. This house seems to help our family grow closer and happier. We were there two years in a row, and it just seems to get better. In 2011, the owners got a new sleeper sofa on the sunporch which my brother loved. Despite having a bedroom upstairs, he liked being on the porch and feeling as if he had his own little world. The central air conditioning was a great surprise. We thought we were getting window units. Our friends who were renting the same week came by, and asked to stay overnight to get a break from the oppressive heat and humidity that often arrives in summer. Nice selection of books made for good summer reading. We also enjoyed Scrabble around the kitchen table which seems made for board games. And at the end of the day, the location simply can't be beat - this is "Ground Zero" in Oak Bluffs - closest you can get to everything and anything. We loved cooking in the kitchen (it was like living in magazine for a week!), but also found it wonderful to have the Old Ale House behind the house - their food was wonderful, and given the long wait to get a table there, we sent one person over to get our name on the list, and enjoyed wine on our own porch until our table at the Old Ale House was ready. We felt like we really "beat the system" with that trick! Only advice we have is to secure your week as early in the year as possible, maybe even in the fall the year before, if there is a time you prefer to be there (we had to move our week this year because each year the house is filling up earlier and earlier).

Owner response: Thank you for your kind words, and we hope you come back again this year. Teresa

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

The "Clarke Cottage" is a WINNER in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

Guest: Imani (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 06/12/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

I want to thank you very much for allowing me and my family to rent your lovely home. Words cannot describe what you have given us. I remember our first email exchange and how I knew for sure that I was going to rent your home (call it instinct). I stopped taking the other calls/offers. Teresa, our trip was fabulous. We cooked on the grill, enjoyed the game on the big screen, ate lots of seafood-all kinds, enjoyed the fresh donuts from "Backdoor Donuts" (my favorite night spot after 10pm), loved Ben's ice cream and were regulars (we sampled all the ice cream parlors in Oak Bluffs and they were the BEST), ate fudge, fudge and more fudge, shopped at C'est la vie, were in awe of the gingerbread cottages and cliffs, had the best clam chowder, enjoyed the view of Norton's home on the park, took strolls along the harbor, ate at Deon's, ran barefoot in Ocean Park, had the best Margaritas at the Mexican restaurant and on the harbor, rode the carousel and grabbed the rings, enjoyed the sunrise from the master bedroom, took a tour around the island, rode the bus to the Alpacas farm-they are too cute, won prizes at the arcade, built sandcastles in the “Ink Well” and finally enjoyed family talks in the nook in the kitchen and quite time on the porch rocking in the chairs. Thank you again!!!! God bless you and your family.

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

An Unforgetable Thanksgiving Treat

Guest: YGB61 (Teaneck, NJ)
Date of Stay: 11/20/10 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Our stay featured a stunning, yet comfortable luxury home. No expense appeared to be spared in this like new renovation. We loved the proximity right next to the beach and the shops. Everyone one who stayed in the home (ages 9 to 85) had something to appreciate and make them feel at home, from the latest technology to the relaxing views and living rooms. The view of the sunrise over the ocean in the morning is mesmerizing. Easily and comfortably accommodated our party of 12. The kitchen was a joy to prepare our Thanksgiving meal in (4 cooks in the kitchen!). Thanks for making our family Thanksgiving a memorable one that we will never forget! We will be recommending this property to all of our friends and look forward to returning next year!!

Owner response:Arnold, We are pleased that your family was able to enjoy that special time together in our home.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Best on Ocean Park

Guest: Candace (Montclair, New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 08/29/10 Review Submitted: 09/10/10

My family rented this house in August 2010, and we had what will go down as one of the best family vacations ever. Our kids are now 13 and 15, and when we have rented elsewhere on the island, I have spent much time as I do at home shuttling them around. But at the Clarke Carousel Cottage, they were able to be very independent, and walk to whatever they wanted: beach, pizza, ice cream, arcade, movies, etc. We were there in a heat wave, and all I can say is that I am glad we had central air conditioning. Our kids didn't have the normal crankiness that comes with being overheated - made it nicer for us. As others wrote, the house is fantastic with a dream kitchen. We have already booked for next year.

Owner response:Candace, Thank you for your kind words, and we hope you come back again this year. Teresa

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

This One's Not Like the Others!

Guest: Billie (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/04/10

I have rented several houses on Ocean Park over the years, and return to the area time and time again because of its convenient location to the beach and to town - I just love not having to be bothered with traffic in the height of the busy summer season. But many of the houses on Ocean Park that are rented out are described as "charming," which translates into a bit "shop worn" and tatty. It's OK with me because I am only there for a week with my children and grandchildren, but by the end, I feel like I have been camping, and am generally ready to go back to the comforts of my own home. Well, get ready for a completely different experience if you rent the Clarke Carousel Cottage. I never rented this house in particular, but was in it several years ago to visit friends who rented it. It fit that classic definition of a "charming," but slightly tacky and "interesting" house on Ocean Park. The new owner of this house has spared no expense in an "architecturally correct" renovation from top to bottom. We were there last week and it has every creature comfort you can think of: powerful central air conditioning, a dream kitchen, several flat screen TVs, blue ray, wifi, etc. The darn TV in the living room was so advanced, I barely knew how to use it -- it is connected to the internet and you can download any movie in the world that you want to see, including any movie on Netflicks - in an instant. Unbelievable. My son works in IT and had to use his laptop a lot during the stay. He said that the wifi is "wicked fast" -- owner must not have taken basic high speed, but upgraded to something better. Heck, the pots and pans in the kitchen are higher quality than the ones I have at home. If it were me, I wouldn't have such nice things in a house I rented out, but as a renter, I am sure glad that these folks chose all top of the line items.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Same on the outside, completely different on inside!

Guest: Herman and Vera (Philadelphia, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/24/10

We have visited this home for many years, and rented again in 2010 after new owner renovated house. Oh my goodness! This is not the same house! Amazing new kitchen, fantastic bathrooms; virtually everything in this house has been changed. The pictures do not do it justice. Owner should really update photos to reflect amount of money invested to bring this house up to first class standards. We shall return!! Herman and Vera

Owner response:Herman and Vera, Thank you for your kind message. We have taken your advice, and the photographs that accompany this listing have been updated, and now reflect the renovated house. We look forward to welcoming you back again in 2011!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Guest: Catherine and Ross (Fairfield, CT)
Date of Stay: 11/02/09 Review Submitted: 11/02/09

We have stayed at this house when it was owned by someone else and we loved it then. The location simply can't be beat. We walked everywhere - never needed a car. We visited for an autumn weekend after the new owners took over in 2009. We got a sense for what the house will be like - she has fantastic taste and class. Can't wait to see the finished product - it is well on its way to being significantly upgraded.

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