Midweek stay during offseason good weather week

Guest: Jack (Evanston, IL)
Date of Stay: 03/21/12 Review Submitted: 03/26/12

My wife and I had a Princess cruise cancelled by the cruise line at the last moment so we booked At the Lake House on a moment's notice for a 3 nights stay at the end of March when the weather was actually excellent. The lake house itself was great and within very close driving distance of downtown and all the good restaurants. The owner (Mary) was very hospitable and helpful to us during our stay. I would gladly return to the lake house, although I would rather go during peak season when more tourists attractions are operating at full capacity.

Owner response:Thank you so much for the lovely review! Please keep in touch via face book with At The Lake House we often post last min. cancelations at reduced rates along with specials. I would love you both to have a chance to check out the beach and pool during the summer. Your sweet dog Heidi would love the walks along lakeshore. Many blessings and thank both of your dad's for their service ... ask your father in law, who I believed served in Desert Storm if he ever worked with my husband Andy Smyth he was in the Navy from 75 to 95. Take good care! Mary

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, pet owners.

Great Birthday Weekend for College Friends

Guest: Mrose (Milwaukee, WI)
Date of Stay: 03/16/12 Review Submitted: 03/24/12

OUTSTANDING and fabulous. We had a fantastic 50th birthday party thanks to Mary's hospitality. Mary was a lovely hostess from the initial greeting to our last day. The home is new, beautiful and was perfect for our weekend. The weather was 75 and sunny and we were able to enjoy the front porch both mornings - sitting overlooking lovely Lake Como. We felt like we were at a high end resort spa. The pictures only show a fraction of the home's charm. In addition to the lovely home, the location is super. The first night we walked 2 blocks to a local bar for fun. Saturday we drove 10 minutes to Lake Geneva for pedicures and shopping. Saturday night we returned back to Lake Como for more local fun. Lots to do if you want activities or a lovely place to sit back and relax and enjoy the lovely lake. I have rented several places through VRBO and this was by far the highlight rental. Thank you Mary for a weekend we will never forget.

Owner response:Thank you so much for your kind words! What a wonderful weekend it was ... you all made it so much fun with your dresses and wonderful personalities! Como misses you all! Very Hard to believe that any of you are 50 years old! You all seemed more like in your 40's! The sweetest thing that truly feeds us over being able to pay bills... is when we have provided our guest with a memorable and lovely get a way or a special place to kick back and relax with loved ones. It's what we had back in the 1960's when we first came to this little pocket of La La Land... So many wonderful family vacation memories! You all were such great guest... so much fun and laughter and I'm glad you all were here over St. Patricks Day weekend! I don't always make Irish Soda Bread for guest but it was St. Pats day and we were lucky enough to have a wonderful group of gals here to share it with. Be well ... many blessings and Thank you again for choosing At The Lake House!

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.

A Perfect Weekend

Guest: Jim and Doreen (Brookfield, Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/01/11

We stayed at “The Lake House” for a long weekend this fall with three other couples. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary that weekend and it was perfect. We rented the entire house and were able to be together for meals, football on TV and table games. There is space to be together and space to “get away” and read a book. The views are spectacular and the accommodations are extremely comfortable. Each couple had their own bedroom and bath. The bedrooms were spacious with comfortable beds. The bathrooms were tastefully decorated with everything we needed. Mary has a talent for not only decorating but for providing the “special” extras that made the stay memorable. Mary recommended restaurants and local attractions. One of many highlights was following Mary to Sunday Mass which was in the recreation room of the local priest. It was an experience even the non-Catholics in the group cherished. “The Lake House” is located near many attractions in southern Wisconsin and is perfect for visiting Lake Geneva and beyond. We would recommend staying there any season of the year. Our fall stay was beautiful, summer and winter must be equally spectacular. We loved it.

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

'At The Lake House' is the perfect place to stay when visiting Lake Geneva

Guest: High School Friends (Chillicothe,IL /USA )
Date of Stay: 07/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/19/11

‘At the Lake House’ was the perfect place to stay for our annual high school friends’ trip. The four bedroom suites and spacious living spaces were perfect for us (four bathrooms for seven girls was the selling point for us). We enjoyed the beautiful view of Lake Como and the peaceful surroundings; and the fact that it was only a few minutes’ drive to downtown Lake Geneva. Mary, our hostess, was very gracious and also helpful with suggestions on local restaurants and events in the area even while we were still planning our trip. We have already told our family and friends about the wonderful time we had staying ‘At the Lake House’ and have recommended that they stay there when planning a trip to Lake Geneva.

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities.

The Perfect Get-away!

Guest: Bernie (Springfield, IL)
Date of Stay: 10/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/13/11

We visited "At the Lakehouse" in the fall, with another retired couple, and rented the upstairs unit. We love the fact that from each couple’s bedroom there were gorgeous views of Lake Como in all its' dynamic fall colors. The balcony, which stretches across the entire length of the house, offers such wonderful access to the outdoors and the beauty of the lake. It is a perfect place for leisure morning breakfasts, quiet afternoons reading or napping, and in the early evening, sharing stories of the day’s adventures while having a glass of wine before dinner while watching the sun make it’s way down behind the trees. And the living space itself ,the seating, the kitchen and eating area,the bedrooms and baths, all were exceptional in design and decor. No one could have asked for better accommodations - every room was tastefully decorated and well equipped. Nothing was left unattended. It was obvious that Mary’s main concern was to provide visitors like us with everything to make our stay easy, relaxing and so enjoyable. We loved it. .

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with teenagers, pet owners, people with disabilities.

Vicki and Family

Guest: Vicki (Melrose Park, IL)
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 09/06/11

We just want to thank you again for your hospitality and tell you how much we loved your B&B. The house is absolutely beautiful and fit 10 people comfortably. It had all the immenities we would ever need and it is located so close to everything. Thanks for all your recommendations on restaurants, zip lining and parasailing. It is over a month later and we are all still talking about the wonderful time we had there. It was a nice getaway for the kids and adults. We had fun boating, rafting, shopping, making a campfire and playing the games you had there. We couldn't have stayed at a better place. We will definately stay there again --- maybe even a girls getaway next time.

Owner response:Vicky, Thank you so much for staying At The Lake House. It was our pleasure getting to know your family. It was especially nice getting to meet your parents. Give them our best. I'm so happy you had a memorable vacation get a way! I was glad that the motor cycles were able to fit in the garage... otherwise my husband would have been drooling all over them.... especially the Harley! Hope the kids have a great year at school... try not to work too hard! Thank you again, and we hope to see you back soon!

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, families with teenagers, pet owners, people with disabilities.

A Wonderful Christmastime!

Guest: Jack and Linda (Nashville, TN)
Date of Stay: 12/24/10 Review Submitted: 01/26/11

My husband and I live in Nashville, TN and we rented this spectacular home for our family Christmas 2010. We have 4 adult children with assorted significant others who live in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Our experience was absolutely wonderful! Mary King, the owner had the house decorated for Christmas like something out of a decorating magazine and she had special holiday treats waiting for us on arrival. The home has four good sized bedrooms and a family room with a convertible sofa/bed. Each bedroom has a private bath, one with a steam shower...we all had to take turns with that one! The kitchens are very well appointed with everything I needed to cook a traditional Christmas dinner for our big bunch. The house is large enough so that we could have privacy but so cozy that our family time together made us feel at home. There were plenty of entertainment choices for cold days; video game systems, plenty of televisions, board games, etc. There was also plenty of parking which was great considering we had 4 or 5 cars there at all times. The laundry facilities were great and very handy to have. You could not go wrong renting this home from Mary. She made us feel so welcome and we really couldn't have asked for a better holiday. We'd love to come back in the summer sometime!

Owner response:Thank you so much Jack and Linda, It is our pleasure to share this sweet home and beautiful location with other lovely families such as your own! Knowing that families are visiting Lake Como and creating special memories is the best gift we can receive! I really couldn't believe that Jim got out there after it snowed and shoveled the drive way... it was his vacation!!!! You must not get much snow down there:-) Thank him again for us... he's a keeper! Please do come back and take advantage of 10% off your next weeks stay. Do check out At The Lake House on face book we have up loaded some fun picks.. the lake is quite a frozen wonderland of activity... airplanes, hovercrafts, snowmobiles ... oh My! Thank you both again for choosing At The Lake House for your families Christmas Holiday Home!

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

A perfect holiday family gathering place!

Guest: Kendra (Kenosha, WI)
Date of Stay: 11/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/13/11

My in-laws rented all the rooms in "At the Lakehouse" for us to hold a family Thanksgiving gathering for all their kids and kids' spouses. Let me tell you.... it COULDN'T have been more perfect!! Mary went out of her way to help us coordinate the best holiday gathering, ensuring we had everything we needed to prepare a huge Thanksgiving meal (using their two kitchens, which was awesome!) and added little & big touches to make our time special. Unlike many of the rentals around the area, this home's interior design and decor is truly modern and upscale and really does look like something you would find in a magazine. Each room/suite was incredible, and all have lakeviews. Our shower had 4 shower heads, others had a steam function or incredible tub. Flat screens in every room and two great family areas to relax and play games or watch a movie. A truly pampering stay! The house is conveniently located only a few minutes from Lake Geneva, and we liked the quiet environment with the great lakefront address. A belated "thank you" for our perfect stay! -Our family

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

Absolutley Perfect!

Guest: LakeGenevaGoers (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 12/30/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

My wife and I had the pleasure of staying "at the lake house" for 3 nights over new years with 4 other couples. No details were spared, from the door walking into the home to the sheets on the bed, everything was beautiful. Mary's attention to detail and decorating is something off of HGTV!!! Each bathroom was amazing and different, from a "steam room" shower to a champagne bubble bath tub with shower head! The views were GORGEOUS from the second and first floors, it'll be a great place to sit out and enjoy in the summer months. We ALL recommend staying here, get there as soon as you can, it was amazing. Mary's goal was to build a dream home that all can enjoy, she accomplished that.

Owner response:Thank you so much for your kind words Adam! We wish you and your beautiful wife "Shawna the Queen of the Jungle" all the best! We hope you come again and bring your new bundle of joy! Thank you again for being our first New Years Eve Guest you all were very sweet. Nice that you both have such good friends to enjoy a winter get a way with ! Take Good Care and Enjoy! Mary and Andy

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

The Lake house

Guest: jacobsmommy (chicago il)
Date of Stay: 07/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/20/10

We visited the lake house in July of 2010. We were the 2nd group to stay there. There were 4 adults, 2 teenage boys and 2 four years old, we ALL had a blast. We stayed with out seeing any pictures of the house because at the time we booked the house was still being built!We have stayed in another property that Mary has owned, so we trusted Mary. I can not say enough on how wonderful EVERYTHING was. Mary made us feel like we were part of her family. There is a private beach that we used, it was about an 8 block walk. The beach was small but perfect size for 2 small kids. There was also a small park for the kids. Just ask Mary for a pass and watch out for the little old man who patrols the beach!! He takes his job very seriously. He will honk his little horn till you answer and you BETTER answer! The house is located across the street from the Lake. So the view was great!!! We were also allowed to use the grill in the back-yard, so that was a lot easier than dragging everyone out to eat every night. Mary also prepared breakfast every morning. So delish!!! The one room had an x-box or Nintedo, sorry not sure which, but the kids were entertained. The steam bath was great. The beds were comfy! The whole house had a comfy feel with out being stuffy, in fact the house as you can see from the pcitures is very modern with all the the modern amenities. Everything was comfy about our stay, cant wait till summer of 2011 we will be back!! One thing, if you want to see downtown L.G. you will NEED a car. I would recommend this property to anyone who is looking for a low key relaxing stay with the amenities of home. Thanks for everything Mary!!

Owner response:I am so pleased that you, the children and your extended family had a great time.... your great guest!! Your little ones were such a treat for Andy and I... they are precious! I was thrilled that we had the house completed in time for your vacation . We are still moving forward with new artwork and accessories. Now it's time to find the perfect decorations for the holidays. The little ones were a treat for Andy and I! Thank you again for the beautiful home warming gift... I"m still loving it and the scents! Be well and keep in touch! Andy and Mary

Recommended for:Families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway, families with teenagers, people with disabilities.