Fabulous Place!!

Guest: TracyandJoeandCharlie (Alexandria, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/06 Review Submitted: 09/20/06

We had such a wonderful time at Serene Waterfront Getaway! Nice and private and a beautiful location. The house has everything you could need. Holly even made sure we had a large pot to cook chick lobsters in! Very accomodating. Top quality water and hiking gear for your use. The new canoe and trolling motor are awesome! The place even came with a cute little duckie that followed us around the pond! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! ps - I don't know why my name comes up anonymous, this is Tracy!

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Serene bliss!

Guest: Jersey Skiers (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 08/27/11 Review Submitted: 09/15/11

We just returned from a glorious 2-week stay and I miss the pond and the loons already. Watching the sun rise over the pond was majestic... The house is in a great location, especially if you want to hike in the White Mountains. There are beautiful trails everywhere. We loved being so close to N. Conway, but away from the tourist traffic. The view from the house is so peaceful and bright that we didn't even mind having 3 days of rain. Lots of comfy sofas to relax on and read a good book. We have already reserved for next year.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Definitely a serene getaway

Guest: Bob R (Middletown, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/20/11 Review Submitted: 08/30/11

Great house with all the amenities and very clean. Surroundings make for a very quiet, beautiful, peaceful setting yet outdoor activities, shopping and very good dining are only a few minutes away by car. Pea Porridge Pond is extremely clean and perfect for boating and fishing. The watercraft suppied are in great condition with all necessary equipment supplied (electric motor, life vests, etc.). We hope to vist again next year.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

fantastic

Guest: mike (hudson mass usa)
Date of Stay: 02/12/11 Review Submitted: 02/13/11

We found the house to be perfect and exactly as described. We had the best time skiing and the mountains were 10 mins away. We would highly reccommend this property to any body and this house can handle many guests comfortabley.Thanks for making the trip that much more enjoyable by supplying the perfect house!!!!

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

Family vacation

Guest: Wendy L. (Nahus NH)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/25/10

My family and I have vacationed at this location for 4+ years. Every summer for two weeks we enjoy the quiet lake, loon calls, fishing, swimming, and nighttime fires. The cabin is well kept, clean and comfortable. Plenty of comfy sleeping space, two full baths, and a deck overlooking the lake, where I sit in the early morning and enjoy a coffee with the lake gods. The owners take great pride in the upkeep of the property and beautifully maintained private beach. As my family grows older we find new magical moments together during these peaceful two weeks. Wish I could live here yearround! W.L. and family

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

DO NOT RENT THIS HOUSE WITHOUT FIRST INSPECTING IT

Guest: jeff k. (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 08/22/10

We found this house to be not as advertised, disappointing and dirty. The website advertised “five separate sleeping areas,” which included a “new bunk room, great area for kids away from the adults.” The “bunk room” was in fact a basement hallway with a couch and a trunk in it. This was neither a sleeping area nor an attractive area for kids to congregate. The website advertised an “eat in kitchen” that “comfortably seats 8 people. The photos of the EIK and the description were not accurate. We could barely get 5 adults around the cramped table. The “extensive sandy beach” was extensive, but the website neglected to say that the swimmable area in the water was less than 10’ x 10’ given the thicket of vegetation, mud, and slime. And, the “four beach chairs” described on the website were nonexistent. In addition, there were many “little” annoyances and deficiencies that contributed to a unpleasant stay. There was no place to put trash until the dump run at the end of the week. We called the caretaker and were told to keep the trash inside the basement hallway. (We ended up buying a trash barrel). The screen door was torn which allowed flies, etc, to enter at will. Lights didn't work. The beds were not made. The sheets and linens were literally hidden, so it took us a bit of hunting to find them. The bathroom was dirty upon arrival: hair in the drain and soap scum. The kitchen barrel had a thick coating of mold on the bottom. The refrigerator took 3 days to cool properly. The kitchen was not adequately stocked with sufficient pots, pans, and tupperware. It took us 2 emails and a letter to get our security deposit back. During our stay, I called one of the owners and was sternly reminded that "you are not renting a hotel." We get it. He admitted that the website needed "some updating." We certainly didn't expect the amenities of a hotel. Over the past 11 summers, we have rented 22 different homes as we typically rent 2 different homes each summer. We rent via the internet, site unseen. In fact, we rented another of this owner's properties in Madison a few summers ago and it was fabulous. We have never lodged a complaint about any of these homes. The bottom line is: rent this house with caution. I'd inspect it before renting. and make sure the website has been updated.

Owner response:We take guest comments seriously and we understand that this guest experienced some annoying issues. But we are puzzled for the following reasons: Cleanliness – rarely due to factors such as power failures, service between stays doesn’t go as planned. . In our literature we acknowledge a possibility of service issues. Guest should contact our caretaker on arrival to arrange a remedy. This instruction is posted at the home. Refrigerator – Apparently power failure caused refrigerator reset. Our new Fischer Paykel refrigerator displays its status. Our caretaker noted the refrigerator was shut off. These guests didn’t observe the fairly obvious warning. Once reset the fridge worked fine. Kitchen capacity / bunk room – These guests signed an occupancy agreement specifying occupation by 2 adults and 1 child. We left the home configured for a small party. Note in our ad we show this configuration and we also show pictures of before and after upgrades. The home features a master bedroom on the upper floor, two bedrooms each with a full-sized bunk beds first floor and a queen sized Murphy bed on the lower floor Standard occupancy is 6 and maximum 8-10 and fees apply for larger groups. The home layout is shown in scale on our web site . Beach –We have a large area cleared of the weeds and nicely sanded see our photos. At the start of summer water levels were unusually low full 2-3 feet below normal due to drought and dam mismanagement. Everyone was affected. Outdoor chairs –There are four chairs up on the deck and 6 more out in the screen room including 4 custom made cedar Adirondack chairs. Garbage can / trash –Our homes are in bear country, so trash can’t be left outdoors. We do have an area of unfinished basement for trash storage. We suggest our guests double bag trash . We also provide pickup for a fee at our cost and a transfer station coupon. We don’t know why this guest didn’t see our barrel. Now we have two as we bought this guest another. Screens – The screen mentioned by the guest was damaged by the previous guest. We replaced it as expeditiously as possible. Given the screen room outside and central air conditioning, one damaged screen did not seem to be a huge issue. Security deposit – During this guest’s stay, the screen room was destroyed, probably by a bear, probably because food was left inside it. The occupancy agreement states that, when there is damage, we have thirty days after the guest leaves to assess charges

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A great place to stay!

Guest: EB (Wakefield)
Date of Stay: 10/17/08 Review Submitted: 10/20/08

I just got back from a great weekend at the waterfront getaway. The place was perfect and if you want to rent a great place where the owners care just as much about your stay as you do then look no further. I hope to get back soon!!!! I was going to rent this place earlier in the month but there was a screw up so Holly offered me a weekend for free in the prime of foliage season. She did not have to do this, but this goes to show just who your renting from. You will feel at home here and Holly now has a customer for life!

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/08/06

Emily and I had the most amazing two winters here of our lives. theres so much to do, and the scenery is beautiful. its so private, and so relaxing. at the end of eery winter it is sad to pack up and come home, because it is just so amazing. we hope to go back so soon and make so much more amazing memories. Lauren and Emily

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/01/05 Review Submitted: 12/02/05

Very comfortable home in a beautiful spot. Everyone had a very relaxing week--kids didn't want to leave. Summertime must be great, but the snow on Thanksgiving was lovely.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/05 Review Submitted: 07/06/05

An incredible winter wonderland!! The location, home and nature's surroundings made our stay unforgetable. Clean, neat, and very accomodating owners. We can't wait to have the opportunity to to stay again!!

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