John Short, johnshort9c@hotmail.com, Washington, DC

Guest: John (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 08/11/11

Enjoyed a wonderful week with my 3 daughters. The tenant was extremely easy to work with and we were able to rent an extra night. We absolutely loved the cottage and the proximity to the beach and the pool. The cottage was extremely comfortable. spacious, and a great place to spread out and relax. Would definitely favor renting here the on our next visit.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: 1234** (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 11/01/07 Review Submitted: 11/09/07

August 18 - 25, 2007 - What a wonderful week! Everything exceeded out expectations (including the heat!). The cottage immediately felt like home. We had everything we needed. We made the most of the island - including trying all the ice cream shops. Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and information.

Recommended for:

Lake Lure NC Sept 2011

Guest: darkcityavenger (Mill Spring NC )
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 09/28/11

Very nice get away and loved the house. We vacation in Kiawah every year and always have a great time. The house was nice and tidy and we felt very cozy. The AC worked very well and the kitchen had everything we needed to cook in and save some money. The master bed was very comfortable and I loved being able to leave the bedroom door open leading onto the screened in porch and hear the night sounds. The showers did the job and even gave me some ideas to take back home. Thank You! P.S. Only one small spider was seen all weekend and may have came with use from the country.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Wonderful

Guest: Kristine (Plattsburg, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

Once again, our trip to the island was wonderful. We usually stay at the cottage and are very pleased with Susie! She is in constant contact with us making sure everything is perfect. On the island, we saw a alligator on the golf course ("yard dog") and enjoyed our walks on the beach. The cottage is close enough to the beach that in the still of the night you can hear the ocean waves. Everything was just as relaxing and homelike as we had expected. We are looking forward to planning our annual trip for 2012.

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

Greenslake Cottage

Guest: b (Sevierville, Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 08/28/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

What a great vacation we had. My son, 2 year old grandaughter and two of my "Girls Nite Out" friends. Cottage was clean, great kitchen (everything we needed for a fresh homecooked shrimp boil). Lots of extra linens (perfect for a 'getting potty trained' baby girl:-)). Felt like home. Bike trails were great when we needed a break from the sun. Screen porch was great for morning coffee and evening cocktails. Hated to leave can't wait to go back. Susie could not have been nicer. She called to check on us and made calls to find us the freshest seafood on the island.

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

Cute, fun location, but dirty and bug infested

Guest: HP (Fort Myers, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

The cottage was cute, and had everything advertised, fully stocked kitchen, entertainment - TV, DVDs, games, etc. We really cannot complain about that. The owner was nice and helpful in finding things, and there was a great stash of local menus to make it easy to find places to eat. We enjoyed the beach and pool. However, the cottage was infested with cockroaches, spiders, crickets and lizards. We complained to the owner, who apologized and had the exterminator out that day. That did kill the lizards, or at least made them suffer until my husband killed them, but it just seemed to give more energy to the cockroaches and spiders. We even killed a cockroach crawling across the living room carpet while we were all sitting around watching it, and my husband had spiders crawling on his on two separate occasions! Plus, the place is not very clean. There is a thick layer of dust on things, and mold and mildew growing in the showers. Not what I expect in a rental property, and certainly not up to the standards of other places we've enjoyed through VRBO. When I told the owner about the bugs sticking around after the exterminator came, she said they battle them constantly and to enjoy the rest of our vacation. I tried, but having three roaches try to stow away in my computer bag made that hard. YUCK! Plus, there appeared to be water damage to the ceiling with mold growing through, which is a health hazard and an allergen. I truly hope the owners are able to turn this around. They had all positive reviews in the guestbook, and the owner was very nice to deal with. But, with the sanitation issues the way they were, I cannot recommend this place to anyone.

Owner response:I am sorry that this guest did not have the typical experience at our cottage. This is quite unusual, especially since we’ve received excellent feedback from surveys completed by guests who stayed both immediately prior and also since this guest checked out. A small leak in our A/C had developed during July and left a stain on the ceiling, so we appreciated this being reported. This issue is fully corrected. Yes, bugs are an occasional problem on Kiawah, due to the island’s natural habitat. Our exterminator treats this property (and dozens of others) each month, and made an extra trip during this guest’s stay, which is sometimes needed. He reported nothing unusual, but acknowledged that the extra treatment could have caused more a few bugs to appear. But he doubts the guest’s claim. A lot. In retrospect, perhaps I should have been more concerned when the guest contacted me the week before check-in, looking for a partial refund because she could only stay six nights instead of the seven that she had booked and paid for. As a frequent VRBO guest, I thought she would have understood vacation rentals are often priced weekly, not nightly like hotels and that partial refunds are rarely available, especially so close to check-in. Please take the time to read the many other reviews from guests that love our cottage and want to return. It’s likely you will become one too. Susie

Recommended for:

Guest: Linda111 (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 12/16/09 Review Submitted: 12/16/09

What a fantastic place to stay! As soon as you walk in the door, it's like a home away from home. This unit is well stocked from DVDs, to books, to the kitchen supplies. It's not far from the beach yet it's in a nice quiet cul-de- sac. We're looking forward to staying there again on our next trip to Kiawah!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/03/09 Review Submitted: 10/03/09

What a wonderful respite! I stayed here July 4th and enjoyed the fireworks, the really clean and charming cottage and everything about Kiawah. I could look out to the golf course, take long walks and get to and from Charleston to see my daughter. Susie is a dream to work with; very positive and helpful.

Recommended for:

Awesome Cottage on Kiawah

Guest: Carla K. (Trenton, GA, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/18/08 Review Submitted: 11/01/08

We have been to Kiawah Island many times. Our second stay at the Cottage on Kiawah, home of the Oringel's. This is better than a home away from home. As soon as you drive up you feel more than welcome. It is beautiful, peaceful,and just perfect. The beach is the perfect distance away - just a few minutes on bike or walking. I wish we lived in their cottage all the time. Also, Susie Oringel is the perfect hostess. We cannot thank her enough!

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

Perfect for a family

Guest: E. (Columbia SC)
Date of Stay: 06/29/08 Review Submitted: 07/06/08

This cottage is in a great location, close to golf, the ocean and the private pool. It was very easy to get back and forth from swimming and walks on the beach with kids, as well as quickly access the bike paths. The cottage is in a nice, private location at the end of a cul-de-sac near a peaceful waterway. The cottage was updated with a nice kitchen and tiled bathrooms. The owner is very accommodating to guests. It's well stocked and has everything you need for a fun time at the Kiawah.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, families with young children, families with teenagers.