Vacation Rentals by Owner

Perfect for our Family Reunion

Guest: Bill M.
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

Our vacation at Kelly Kove was a great experience. We had a reunion at Big Bass Lake (we were one of 5 families) and our family was the largest group. The house slept 17 and we took advantage of every sleeping space. The 3 bathrooms, 7 bedrooms and especially 2 kitchens was perfect for us. With two refrigerators, we didn't need to make a daily run to the store, but shopped once for the week. The layout allowed us to have the younger families put children to bed downstairs without the parents and grandparents "shutting down early". We had an issue with the water one day, but the owner provided immediate service to help resolve the issue. Outside, the parking area was ample for the 10 cars we had - we did not have to move our cars around for anyone to get in and out of the driveway. The row boat was fun for the kids to be taken out on the lake. A gas grill would be a nice addition.

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

A Fantastic Time! Worth Every Penny!

Guest: Mar (Red Bank, NJ)
Date of Stay: 01/03/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/11

We recently stayed for an extended weekend and it was fantastic. The house is awesome. We can't wait to go back. We had 16 people in our group. The house is enormous and we never felt cramped or or top of one another. Having three bathrooms was the best thing in the world. No wait to use the bathroom! LOL The house has INCREDIBLY AWESOME views of the lake and was just really peaceful. There are two big fireplaces that we used all of the time. The family room has everything you can ask for with a pool table, plenty of seating, wall mounted flat screen, stereo...all we loved and made use of. The description in the listing actually doesn't do it justice for example we had plenty of room for our cars, the house was spotless and the owner turned the heat up for us so it was nice and warm when we got there which was great because it was only 22 degrees when we arrived. Being on the lake was just great. We went ice skating and the kids in our group went snow tubing on the open hilly field that is on the same property. They loved it! The nearby restaurants were great and took us no more than 10 minutes to get to them. I would highly recommend this house for anyone. You'll love it. The owner was terrific to work with. We are booking again in March and can't wait to work with him again. By all means pick this house first over anything else in the Poconos.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Family Reunion

Guest: JJ (Jackson, Wy)
Date of Stay: 12/06/10 Review Submitted: 01/11/11

In early December our family vacationed at Big Bass Lake Community to celebrate my parent's 5oth anniversary. We couldn't have found a more spacious and inviting home on the lake. The lake view and sunsets from the house were awesome. The kitchen was well stocked which made cooking for 16 a snap. The kids really enjoyed the pool table and big TV on the lower level, which was like hiring a babysitter. The rowboat also kept them entertained. This allowed the adults to relax and enjoy the fireplace in the upstairs living room. We all loved the house, the layout of the bedrooms, etc. The only snafu was a power outage on the second day. One call to the owner and an electrician arrived within two hours, located the problem (circuit breaker) and power restored. Talk about service! The side yard provided ample room for touch football and playing frisbee with the dogs. The state park was only a few minutes' walk from the house and allowed the kids and dogs to run wild. A special treat for our elderly parents was a trip to the casino in Mt. Airy, which is less than half hour drive. The kids enjoyed bowling at a nearby bowling alley. All of us wished we would have had more time to enjoy the house as well as explore the surrounding area more. It was a very memorable experience and we will definitely plan another stay in the future.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, pet owners.

Great Thanksgiving Reunion

Guest: Family Fun (Wayne, Pa)
Date of Stay: 11/24/10 Review Submitted: 01/07/11

My family got together at this house for Thanksgiving. The upstairs/downstairs arrangement and the two kitchens worked out great. We had plenty of space to prepare the meal and the kids could play and watch t.v. downstairs away from the adults who were trying to catch up and talk. The bedrooms are a little small, but they were fine and accomodated everyone. There was never an issue with getting ready in the morning because of the three bathrooms. We were suprised that there was always plenty of hot water. The lake and surrounds are really beautiful. It was nice to get out for walks outside--both at the house and a short drive away at the state park across the street. The swingset at the house is small but it was adequate to get the kids outside for a while. They also enjoyed skipping stones on the lake. If you have a big group, it is a great way to get together in a laid back, quiet environment.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners.

Bitter Sweet Experience

Guest: Slowpoke (Philadelphia)
Date of Stay: 11/19/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

We used the home for a family get together the weekend before Thanksgiving. The setting is lovely, but the home was not exactly what we expected. All three couples had trouble finding the property and the security/checkin office. The directions seemed clear in the initial documents, but they were not easy to follow. The home had a funky smell when we entered. After a trip to the hardware store to buy a candle and some room freshener, it was improved. The home advertises a hot tub and three bathrooms. The master bedroom bathroom and jacuzzi were locked and we were not able to use it. The boat was not in good repair and was not safe to use, despite the fact that it is shown on the pictures. We spent 2 hours thoroughly cleaning the home from top to bottom when we left (much cleaner than we found it) because we thought we had an agreement with the owner to forgo the cleaning fee. The owner decided not to refund the cleaning fee. Waiting 30 days for a refund (we got ours at 29 days) is high unusual.....I have never heard of such a thing. The owners explanation was that they had to make sure that there were no expenses billed to the telephone or tv services that were not paid from the rental party. Isn't that a simple phone call to the service provider to check the usage for that weekend? The Big Bass Lake area is beautiful and we will definitely return to BBL, but we will not rent this home again. It was not worth the money we paid and we spent too much time on things other than spending quality time with our family. When I discussed my concerns with the owner, he was defensive and made a lot of excuses. It was disappointing and took away from what was otherwise a lovely time with family. I hope this review is helpful.

Owner response:This is a great home for a private large group or family getaway. In addition to written directions, a map is provided to all guests to find the security check in center. A phone number of the security office is also provided as well as my phone number in the event guests need to clarify directions. These guests unfortunately did not take advantage of the many lines of communication I have set up for all guests. I had never received a report of a "smell" in the house, nor did these guests ever report a smell until now. These guests did unfortunately bring three dogs with them for which I had to pay additional cleaning fees to remove the odor of dogs they obviously had not serviced in quite some time. I am an animal lover myself and enjoy having guests who have pets, but of course some pet owners are better than others and these guests were very upset when I brought the poor condition of the house to their attention. The chalet is not advertised with a hot tub simply because there is no hot tub. It is advertised with three full bathrooms which...there are. The room these guests tried unsuccessfully to break into was a...cleaning closet. The boat is in excellent working condition. It is unclear what issue these guests had with the boat. It is also a lot of fun to use as a row boat. My rental agreement clearly outlines the refund of the security deposit which is 30 days for all guests. All my guests gladly abide by the policy and understand that it can take a month for certain charges to the rental stay to clear. When I explained this to this guest, she said she understood and now...she does not. These guests should not have received their deposit back, but I try to work with all of my guests so they have the best time possible and I have never missed in getting deposits back on time. These particular guests requested cleaning service, which it desperately needed following their departure. The chalet has an excellent housekeeping service which is outstanding in keeping the house in clean and sanitized order which came as a God-send following these guests and their traveling kennel. There is a cleaning fee. I am not sure why these guests thought there was not a cleaning fee since it is clearly outlined in the agreement, which they signed. I welcome all responsible pet lovers to my home any time.

Recommended for:Pet owners

An all around great place

Guest: Al (Pittsburgh, PA)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/16/10

This was our first time renting in this area and we were all very pleased. The property was well kept and we really felt at home moments after arriving. This is one of the first times renting where the pictures did not do the house justice...it was truly breathtaking. We will be renting this house again as it may have turned into our yearly family gathering place.

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

Good setting

Guest: Sharronna (Michigan)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/10

We had a nice family reunion in this house. The house does need some repairs, but I did not find that too surprising for a rental home. Kitchen is well stocked for cooking. There is no large town located nearby, so if you plan to go out, plan to drive some distance. We brought all of our groceries with us, so that was not a problem. There are no amentities included. Extra fee to use the pool, which is located a distance away. Everything extra seems to have an additional fee attached. That was very disappointing. The 7 bedrooms were very nice for our large family. The rowboat is in bad shape and needs to be replaced. We were still able to enjoy going out on the lake with it, but had to drain after use, since there is a small leak. Lake is mucky, so do not plan on swimming right at the house. There is a small play structure at the house, but it is in very rough shape and not usable. Probably a big liability for the home owner and should be replaced or torn down. All in all, the house served the purpose of us having a family reunion, but we will not go there again.

Owner response:The chalet is in the Pocono Mountains. It was presumed that these renters knew they were not renting in downtown Detroit. The closest towns are Daleville (5 miles) and Mt. Pocono (14 miles) The purpose of renting in the mountains is to enjoy the privacy and quiet that big towns and cities do not provide. If a Red Roof Inn near the Ann Arbor Shopping Mall is your expectation, this mountain setting does not provide that. The renters were informed on the first day they made contact with me that there was one flat fee for the use of amenities and that fee was quoted to them as it is all inquirers. The outdoor pool is 4.2 minutes by car from the house. For some renters, this could be a distance. However the renter failed to mention that the indoor pool is just a 2 minute walk from the house and that Gouldsboro State Park is down the street from the house, about a five minute walk. The chalet is a great family or large group setting and has much to offer a large group that loves the spaciousness of a large well kept home on a lot of land and with a large lake right outside the back door. The chalet is very private and quiet and provides a peaceful setting for anyone who enjoys the outdoors while having a whole host of community amenities just minutes away for the kids and adults alike. Look forward to hearing from you.

Recommended for:

Perfect Reunion House

Guest: if it says mine ... (Massapequa, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/21/10 Review Submitted: 06/10/10

My family has been coming here for over 5 years and our experience here is always the same ... EXCELLENT. The setting is perfect, the lake is beautiful, and best of all, it's stocked with plenty of fish for the fisherman in the family. There is plenty of room for everyone to gather on either floor, but there is also enough places to escape to when you want a bit of quiet time, my personal favorite place is the entry room upstairs on the couch, where you'll find me most of my time there. Some years you find us in the upstairs part, and sometimes in the downstairs around the pool table and TV. We don't usually cook dinner while we are there, but we do have breakfasts, and the kitchen has just about everything we need. There is a shopping center relatively close by, where you'll find a supermarket, pizza and other necessities. There's a local bar just up the road for pub food, or the other way there is now a Family Center (The Station House Irish Pub & Steakhouse) where we've been going the past 2 years. There's golfing near by, a bowling alley and a great state park with beaches and hiking. Something for everyone. We don't normally use the facilies of the Big Bass Community, but the time we did, we found them to be very pleasant, clean and enjoyable. The owner is fantastic with his communication, always responding within 24 hours. It has been a pleasure these past years and we will be returning in the years to come.

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

Wonderful Time!

Guest: ailey (New York, New York USA)
Date of Stay: 07/08/09 Review Submitted: 07/09/09

What a great house. We hadd looked at literally hundreds of houses for our group of 16, old school friends getting together for a week this summer. The house was perfect for our needs. It was private and quiet. Plenty of parking for our eight cars! The house is right on the lake which made the atmosphere very very special. The house is warmly decorated without being cluttered. Bedrooms were spacious, comfortable...I think the beds were brand new if not close to it and above all clean. We had some real clean nuts in our group and even they said how nice it was to stay in a house so clean. The grill was a bit beat up, but I understand from the owner it was only a year old and heavily used. The house has a boat which was neat because one of the girls in our group got engaged in the boat in the middle of the lake. When they came back we all had champagne on the beach and watched the sun set; it was really really special. The sunrises on the house and lake were just breathtaking. We used the community amenities and they were just incredible. There's a huge outside pool, a smaller kids' pool, a whirlpool, an adult lounge and almost any amenity you can think of. One day we spent the whole day at the clubhouse. The pool is heated and delightful to use. There is also a kids play ground on the property which was great since two of us brought their young kids with them. They spent hours out there. The local area was a lot of fun. There's the really quaint town of Mt. Pocono about 20 minutes away, movie theater and a bowling alley near by which was a blast. We had a lot of fun. One night we cooked at the house and have to tell you that having two kitchens was amazingly convenient. The house was just a perfect fit for us.

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

Beautiful Experience

Guest: Mar (Red Bank, NJ)
Date of Stay: 05/09/09 Review Submitted: 05/17/09

We just came from a week at "Kelly Kove" this perfect home on Lake Natalie in the Big Bass Lake Community. It has seven very spacious bedrooms. We were a group of 14 and we had plenty of room and bathrooms...three full baths and two full kitchens. It was terrific for when we made dinners at the house. We were near a lot of nice restaurants, shops and there is a bowling alley just 15 minutes away which was great. None of us had been bowling in a while. The community is very nice. The indoor pool is actually within walking distance of the house, a great convenience for us. The house was very nicely decorated, clean and the owner was terrific to work with. We are planning a week there this summer and can't wait to go back. By the way, we rented a little ahead of the summer season. The owner gave us a great deal which made the vacation actually happen for us. We would recommend this house to anyone who is planning a vacation with a larger group.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

7 Bedroom Lakefront Home Property 100092

Guest: R.D. (Dover, Deleware)
Date of Stay: 11/02/08 Review Submitted: 01/02/09

We just stayed at this property and what a wonderful experience. We can't wait to go back! The property is large, very private and great for our family. There was plenty of parking. The community was terrific. Our kids enjoyed everything they had to offer. And, when the kids got ancy, we actually had our own private playground for them to play on while the grown-ups made dinner or were getting ready to go out. Inside of the house was immaculate and clean. (I even looked under the beds; nothing, not even dust!) The house was very well equipped and we wanted for nothing except more time. We had a large group so having seven bedrooms and three full bathrooms and two full kitchens was a God-send. The house has two large fireplaces and we had them going all of the time. The family room was perfect for entertaining with pool table and flat screen TV. Worth every dime we paid. We stayed a week but could have done two! Great value!

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

Perfect for Girls Getaway

Guest: Wilson1 (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 09/19/08 Review Submitted: 08/18/09

My family has been reuniting here for five years. It is a wonderful layout for catching up with friends and family. The upstairs kitchen flows right into the living room where there is plenty of room for everyone to gather. The two kitchens make it a perfect place to cook feasts together. There may not be many restuarants around but who needs them when there are two full kitchens- we make everything there and enjoy the space and scenery to dine. Another perk is that shopping is only a twenty minute drive to all the outlets. Anyone who is looking for a relaxing place to have a reunion- this is it. The landlord has also always been very responsive and agreeable.

Recommended for:Families with young children, girls getaway.

Stay away!

Guest: girls3 (Rockville, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 08/16/08 Review Submitted: 08/26/08

Property very poorly maintained. Great views of Lake Natalie and mini beach great for toddlers. Overgrown driveway almost impossible to find even when you know where it is. Inside the house, a wreck. House has been abused and not kept up. Cob/spider webs galore (ceilings, screens, corners). Dust bunny heaven. Musty smell in lower level. Shredding carpet. Rusting heaters. Sofa's with no springs. When complaint given to rental agent, he sent housekeeper in. She only mops kitchen and bath tiles vacuums rugs between rentals. She acknowledged prior abusive tenants. NOT WORTH ANYWHERE NEAR THE PRICE. Location is good for access to Gouldsboro state park. Big Bass Lake development has pools and some kid activities, but is not very friendly to renters. No decent restaurants within 20 miles.

Owner response:The trees on this property as well as its secluded location are what guests are looking for. In fact, it's what they come back for over and over again. When they drive down the tree lined driveway to the breath taking view of the lake, they are impressed. Nothing but compliments about the house and location being exactly what they are looking for in a hideaway/vacation location for family reunions or large groups. I am not sure what houses these confused guests stayed in before; but the chalet is very well maintained; well kept and the housekeeping is impeccable. Over 40% of the guests to the house are return visitors who love the size, comfort, location, coziness and most especially the affordability of the house. Families and groups can have all of these great amenities and not go broke doing so. There are almost no homes in the Poconos of this size and acreage; the house sits on nearly three acres, and a LAKEFRONT! that rents for the affordable price of this chalet. The community is among one of the best in the Poconos. Everything from its Olympic size outdoor pool, to the beautiful indoor pool, which is across the street from the house, to all of Big Bass Lake's terrific amenities. The chalet is an attractive value for any family or group. As for restaurants, we have plenty of them. You'll enjoy them. Because you are staying in the mountains, they are not next door, but, that's part of the fun of vacationing or spending a weekend in the Poconos, exploring all of the wonders that nature has to offer and ending it with a great meal at the end. If your expectations are to stay in a Holiday Inn with an attached McDonalds, then the chalet is not for you and prepare to pay twice the cost.

Recommended for: