Vacation Rentals by Owner

Beautiful place

Guest: April G.
Date of Stay: 03/30/12 Review Submitted: 04/16/12

The place was beautiful, the house clean and roomy. We loved splashing in the little creek. It took a little longer to get to and from Hot Springs than we thought it would but it was pretty well worth the drive. It was so nice to come back to this beautiful, serene place at the end of a long day of sight-seeing. The kids loved all the room to run and we adults enjoyed the fact that it was quiet. The owner was super nice to leave the grass uncut so we could do our Easter egg hunt with the kids and make it a bit more challenging for them. We had a wonderful weekend and hope to come back another time.

Recommended for:

Glenda Adams

Guest: LadyG (Dixon, MO)
Date of Stay: 03/16/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

It was a very peaceful get away for my sisters & I, we are true country girls and absolutely loved the house & property. The little girls loved playing in the stream and looking for rocks. My favorite thing to do was to have a good cup of coffee in my hand and sit on the porch before every else was up, listening to the birds singing and the sound of the stream in the background. So much better than a unpersonal hotel room. The overall experience was excellent for us, we are thinking of doing it again next year. Thank you so much for the experience of staying in your home.

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

PAW PAW

Guest: TEXASBOY (Rowlett, TX)
Date of Stay: 03/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/15/12

The grandkids had a great time at the facility. Being city kids they were able to play games on real earth, wade in a beautiful river, and watch a sky full of stars. The accommodations were very comfortable and the staff were very helpful and available.

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

great spot!

Guest: Janet (Indiana)
Date of Stay: 12/14/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

The house is in a perfect location, close to interesting attractions, yet away from it all. It is a very peaceful setting and sharon is a wonderful host. The property has lots of room inside and out and the stream in your front yard is really great. The Hot Springs area is an undiscovered gem!

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

Restful Retreat

Guest: A & J (Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 12/07/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

I had a lovely time at this home in December. It was quiet and beautiful. I loved being in the forest in this modest yet comfortable and clean home. There was plenty of space to rest and interesting attractions near by. Thanks for a wonderful vacation for me and my dog!

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

A testament to the deceptiveness of photos

Guest: Bob1 (Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 08/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

Home looks much better in photos. In actuality it was not clean at all. There were sticky spots on the sheets, parts of the home smelled like mildew, and there were dead and live bugs everywhere. I counted about 5 living spiders, and that was in the bedroom. Years of deferred maintenance. I just felt dirty during the whole stay. I will definitely think twice before I debt a home without using a rental company again.

Owner response:I am very surprised to read this guest's review. I have rented this home consistently all summer and all of the other guests have been very complimentary. If I had known this guest was not happy while he was present, I would have provided additional cleaning services immediately, including correcting any problems with spiders, sheets, etc. I also would have appreciated being able to see what maintenance problems he was talking about so that I could correct them. I will certainly correct the things he listed and look for any additional problems that need fixing.

Recommended for:

Guest: Scott, Heather & lots of kids from 2 families
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We came from Texas and Tennessee for 3 days of fun. Our favorite part was playing in the creek together!

Recommended for:

Guest: John, Marlene, Matthew, etc.
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We went to the farmer's market in Hot Springs and walked around bath house row and visited the art galleries. We went hiking near Wagner Crystal Mine (the view was gorgeous!) and dug for crystals there. We brought up lots of very nice stones. We also swam in Lake Ouachita at Twin Creeks. Some of our favorite times were just spending time together at the house. The house is very comfortable and a good place to come home to each evening. Very restful.

Recommended for:

Guest: Kimberly and William
Date of Stay: 06/30/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We had a wonderful stay. Your home was just what our family needed. Thank you!

Recommended for:

Guest: John and Jo Ann
Date of Stay: 06/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

We came to visit with our son and our 16 yr old twin grandchildren and to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary. We went downtown (Hot Springs) and saw the wax museum and the bath houses. We enjoyed our time together and your home fit us perfectly.

Recommended for:

hard to believe the reviews when they are all entered by the property owner.

Guest: concerned customer (nashville)
Date of Stay: 06/22/11 Review Submitted: 06/22/11

I am just browsing and am considering renting this property, But i dont know why all the reveiws are entered by the property owner. That, for me removes all credibility of the review. There are just a few (3 i think) that have been placed by renters but they are 5 star reveiws. Maybe all buisinesses and hotels should write their own reviews, we would be a much more satisfied customer( at least on paper).

Owner response:Hi Concerned Customer, I understand your question. The reason that most of these reviews were entered by me is: Most of my early guests were busy people and did not write a review after their stay. So I placed a guest book in the house. All of the comments on this website were written in my guest book by my guests. I simply copied them into the website. BTW: I didn't add any stars. Other people have done that. I hope you'll give our home a try. About 99% of our guests love it! Best wishes, Sharon Burch, owner

Recommended for:

Guest: Rory and Tanya
Date of Stay: 04/15/11 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

We really enjoyed your home. Thank you!

Recommended for:

home away from home

Guest: kevin m. (helena)
Date of Stay: 03/25/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

We enjoyed our stay and the property was clean and well maintained. The listing of the property was accurate and the layout was very spacious. We had a good and peaceful time. And the owner of the property was very nice and sweet. Thanks you and may God bless you

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Jim & 10 family members
Date of Stay: 12/29/10 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

Three families came from 3 different directions (including Beijing, China) for a family reunion over New Year's. We hiked, ate, caught up with each other and played games. Everything was great! Especially seeing our grandchildren!

Recommended for:

Guest: Jim and Deb
Date of Stay: 11/14/10 Review Submitted: 11/22/10

We came here to relax in the mountains and see the fall colors. We really enjoyed staying here and recommend it for visiting the area.

Recommended for:

Guest: Reva, Robert, Peggy & Alvin
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 11/07/10

We enjoyed our week at your house in Mount Ida and the surrounding area. It was lovely. And the people we met were very friendly. We relaxed, played games and took day trips including the Science Museum and Garvin Gardens in Hot Springs, Mount Magazine and the local sights in Mount Ida. Thanks for everything.

Recommended for:

Guest: Steve, Debbie, Jon, Natasha, Alexandra & Boris
Date of Stay: 10/08/10 Review Submitted: 11/07/10

Our family from Dallas and Illinois met here (near the middle). The weather was BEAUTIFUL! We took walks, threw rocks in the stream, grilled on the porch and visited Hot Springs. This is a wonderful place to stay! Very clean and comfortable! We really enjoyed our stay :)

Recommended for:

Guest: Jeffree, Dione & Ruby
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 11/07/10

We loved your home and the land around it! We found crystals, went sailing on Lake Ouachita and breathed in the beautiful nature here. The weather was perfect: 70s and 80s in the day and cool at night. We saw great stars!!! So different from what we see in Atlanta! Peace and Thank you!

Recommended for:

Guest: Jeanne & 4 Girlfriends
Date of Stay: 06/13/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

This place ROCKS! We'll come back.

Recommended for:

Guest: Keith, Casey, Hector and Diane
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

What a cool place! We enjoyed fishing and relaxing at your hidden home. We were very pleased with everything and hope to come back soon. Thanks again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/26/10 Review Submitted: 06/30/10

What a wonderful home! Thank you so much for opening this glorious space for visitors to enjoy. I spent my 40th birthday here with a pal from Austin, TX and it was everything I wished for. I only wish I could stay another day or two. We had much fun at the crystal mine and even more fun hunting for bargains at the thrift & junk stores. Today I go to the Crater of Diamonds state park before I head back home to Nashville, TN tomorrow. I have a feeling I'll be back again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Melody & Alisa
Date of Stay: 05/25/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

Namaste to you. Groovy home! We could not have chosen a more perfect weekend getaway. We minded for crystals and checked out all of the thrift stores between here and Hot Springs. We're both sad to be leaving so soon but we'll be back. Finding this beautiful, peaceful space was confirmation for trusting our instincts. Sat Nam

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 05/10/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

We really enjoyed the peace and quiet. Thank you!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymout
Date of Stay: 05/03/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

Your home was very peaceful and since my purpose was to write, it was perfect. Thanks so much. I got a lot done and the puppies loved it.

Recommended for:

Guest: Chad, Jennifer and Chrissy
Date of Stay: 04/29/10 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

We had a great time here! We mined for diamonds, went horseback riding and did sight seeing. Thank you!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/19/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

A great experience. We really enjoyed your place and would definitely return if available and also refer to others.

Recommended for:

Guest: Randy, Rhonda, Callie & Mike
Date of Stay: 12/18/09 Review Submitted: 12/18/09

Everything was Great! We had everything we needed. Really enjoyed having such a great place to relax, where we can bring our dogs. Thanks so much!

Recommended for:

Guest: Frank, Kelly, Jenny, Richard etc.
Date of Stay: 11/27/09 Review Submitted: 11/26/09

Thanks so much for sharing your lovely home with us! We greatly enjoyed our stay and it was wonderful to have a central place where we could all get together to share our Thanksgiving meal and make some memories!

Recommended for:

Guest: Paula & Caffey
Date of Stay: 11/10/09 Review Submitted: 11/09/09

Thanks so much! We really enjoyed the openness of the house.

Recommended for:

Guest: Erik, Suzi, Elizabeth & David
Date of Stay: 09/07/09 Review Submitted: 09/06/09

We came for Labor Day weekend, looking to have fun and be near the lake. The weather was amazing - sunny with a few clouds and a light mist in the mornings. We recommend the Caddo trail. It's a beautiful hike (4 miles). Thank you so much! We had a blast! Love the open floor plan. We'll be coming back soon! Thanks again!

Recommended for:

Guest: Tony, Beth, Leslie, Tyler, Steve
Date of Stay: 08/09/09 Review Submitted: 08/08/09

We had our annual Lake Ouachita gathering of college friends and their partners - 10 people all together - and we were coming and going throughout the week. The weather was perfect for the lake...days hot and sunny (mid-90s) and the nights cooled down into the 70s. We enjoyed all of the space - especially the living room where we could all relax and visit. The garden was blooming...lots of colors...very pretty. Also butterflies and a great zipper spider in the zinnias. Places we recommend: Go eat at the Shangri-La Restaurant off the Hwy. Great lunch specials and homemade pie and onion rings! THANKS for a great space for our group!!!

Recommended for:

Guest: Jean & Ken
Date of Stay: 07/21/09 Review Submitted: 07/20/09

Sharon & Soma, We LOVE your place - the brook, the peace, the gorgeous stars ... even the quiet rain. Thanks SO much for sharing your lovely retreat with us. Sincerely, Jean & Ken

Recommended for:

Guest: Lauryn & her family
Date of Stay: 07/02/09 Review Submitted: 07/01/09

Lauryn (8 yrs old): We went to the creek, went boating and swimming in Lake Ouachita. My favorite time was playing on the front porch swing and in the creek. Her mom: Thank you Sharon for a wonderful visit! Our family truly enjoyed the time we were able to spend together relaxing in the beautiful creek and exploring Lake Ouachita. This was a perfect place to rest! The creek was definitely our favorite place!

Recommended for:

Guest: Carol, Melanie, Zahra, Layla, Tar
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 06/23/09

We visited the Diamond Park (no luck!) and it was really HOT that day! We rented a party barge (boat) and had an awesome time on the lake! Everyone we met was really nice. Our favorite times were on Lake Ouachita and in the little creek on this property.

Recommended for:

Guest: Beth, Raymond, Susan, Debbie
Date of Stay: 06/13/09 Review Submitted: 06/12/09

We enjoyed mining, visited Hot Springs, waded in the creek, sat on the front porch, and totally enjoyed getting away from our normal life! Thanks so much.

Recommended for:

Guest: Wright-Thompson Family
Date of Stay: 05/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/24/09

This was our annual family vacation to relax and spend quality time together. We went to Hot Springs, went out on a tour of Lake Ouachita, played board games and watched movies on 1 rainy day. The adults enjoyed sitting on the front porch while the kids played. We all had lots of fun together!

Recommended for:

Guest: blake bunn (ponder , tx)
Date of Stay: 05/21/09 Review Submitted: 05/21/09

stayed 1 night on short notice great getaway, creeks were really neat, must come back

Recommended for:

Guest: Marge, Steve, Sarah & Blake
Date of Stay: 05/18/09 Review Submitted: 05/17/09

We enjoyed nice meals together, relaxed on the porch and in the stream, and got spa treatments in Hot Springs. Thanks for the great house and the wonderful memories we created here as a family!

Recommended for:

Guest: Al, Nina & Lucy
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/01/09

We came to explore a new area for us and just relax in a different setting, far from road noise. We photographed the area, walked on this property and visited local places. Our favorites were: the mineral baths in Hot Springs; Judy's Crystals; the Crystal Inn (a nearby restaurant), and Maureen at the Mt. Ida Chamber of Commerce. THANKS FOR HAVING SUCH A GREAT PLACE!!!

Recommended for:

Guest: Adria
Date of Stay: 03/29/09 Review Submitted: 03/28/09

I came here to rest and enjoy the natural quiet and beauty. I recommend the thermal baths in Hot Springs and a sunset cruise or a family picnic on an island with "Adventures on Lake Ouachita". They're great!

Recommended for:

Guest: Mark, Val, Heather, Maddie & Arie
Date of Stay: 03/22/09 Review Submitted: 03/21/09

We went hiking on a beautiful trail and spent time together as a family. Thank you! (Cute house.)

Recommended for:

Guest: Jared and Kate
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 12/31/08

We came to visit some of our favorite people who live near here. The weather was awesome! Much warmer than in Kansas. We had a great time. We sailed, danced, talked story, ate great food, played with crystals, met amazing people and made very special memories. This was my first time sailing, so that was really special, but so was every minute we were here! Thanks Sharon & Soma!!

Recommended for:

Guest: Kevnin, Melissa, Rachel & 2 dogs
Date of Stay: 11/30/08 Review Submitted: 11/29/08

We mostly just relaxed and enjoyed being together and we did a little sightseeing around the lake and in Hot Springs and Mena. Our favorite moments were watching our older dog run through all the creeks and swim in the swimming holes. We had a fantastic time and could not have imagined a better way to share the holiday with the family. It was the perfect amount of downtime before the stressful month of December arrives. We hope everyone can enjoy their time here as much as we did. Thanks.

Recommended for:

Guest: 2 famililes
Date of Stay: 10/26/08 Review Submitted: 10/25/08

We went crystal digging. The weather was great!

Recommended for:

Relaxing retreat

Guest: KansasNP (Lawrence, KS)
Date of Stay: 09/18/08 Review Submitted: 02/28/09

I stayed at Holly Ridge in September 2009 for a women's gathering/birthday celebration. The house is peaceful and in a beautiful natural setting. Ceiling fans inside and on the porch make it easy to open the windows and feel the wonderful breeze, as well as allowing the sounds of nature in. The property has lovely flower beds and plenty of room for strolling. A cool creek borders the property and is a refreshing wade on a hot day. The house is lovely with a fully equipped kitchen and a large living room, 3 bedrooms, and 2 baths. I slept in the large airy master bedroom and it was wonderful. Very comfy bed. I spent lots of time on the front porch swing enjoying nature. There are electronic entertainment options in the house (TV, etc), but I preferred nature's entertainment! The home has incredible, peaceful energy with colorful sacred art incorporated into the design, and I felt immediately at home. It was clean and well-equipped, and my needs were met during my stay. Nearby is a gorgeous clear lake--excellent swimming and boating for those with boats--deep forest, and crystal mines. The town of Hot Springs with all its spa services is within easy driving distance. The only thing that would make it more fabulous is a hot tub! This retreat is excellent for women's gatherings (particularly wonderful energy for this), families, and couples. It is a peaceful getaway with attentive and friendly hosts. If you're really lucky, you might even get to see the owner's dogs, who are exceptionally well-behaved. I recommend this for a peaceful getaway or a home base for active pursuits in Arkansas.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Guest: the Pitneys & the Hawks
Date of Stay: 08/10/08 Review Submitted: 08/09/08

We came to do crystal mining and we did lots of that. We also waded in the creek, went fishing and swimming, watched movies and did fireworks. We loved it all!

Recommended for:

Guest: Elizabeth, Spencer, Greg & Susan
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/31/08

We went hiking, swimming in the lake and creek, crystal mining, boating and skinny dipping on a deserted island! It was funny! My favorite times were skinny dipping (my first time) and finding crystals. We're looking forward to coming back next year!!! (written by Elizabeth, age 10)

Recommended for:

Guest: Yearly trip: U of Texas friends
Date of Stay: 07/19/08 Review Submitted: 07/18/08

We played in the creek, boated on Lake Ouachita and toured Hot Springs. We had a great time and loved just hanging out with each other and with our kids.

Recommended for:

Guest: Mark, Denise, Hannah & Matthew
Date of Stay: 07/07/08 Review Submitted: 07/06/08

We came just to relax and be together. We went canoeing on the river and we saw the Science Museum and botanical gardens in Hot Springs. Our favorite times were playing games here at the house with the family. Sharon, thanks for your hospitality.

Recommended for:

Guest: Rick, Nancy, John & Louise
Date of Stay: 06/28/08 Review Submitted: 06/27/08

Everything was wonderful. Our favorite moments were: swimming seeing all the stars finding crystals playing in the dirt wading in the creek boating on Lake Ouachita sleeping in the nice beds watching hummingbirds sitting on the front porch Thank you Sharon for giving us a comforting place to stay.

Recommended for: