Vacation Rentals by Owner

Well-Appointed Cottage with Great Kiawah Location--Fun family get-away Marathon Weekend!

Guest: mm (charlotte, nc)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 03/23/12

My Sister and Brother-In-Law decided to run the Kiawah Island Marathon at the last minute and my husband and I wanted to get away for a long weekend. We were so lucky to locate this property! We loved staying at this charming cottage in Greenslake Cottages. The quaint cottage had a recently renovated kitchen and bathrooms and was very well appointed in terms of amenities that one needed to cook, etc! Even though it was December, it was very warm so we got to enjoy the screened in porch over-looking the golf course. It was particularly convenient marathon weekend as it was just a few minutes walk from the shuttle so we could come and go as we would like for the event. The beach was just a few minutes away and we had a good time walking it. We would definitely stay at this cottage again or with other properties managed by this owner.

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

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:Adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

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

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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:Families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

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!

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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.

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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:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/01/08 Review Submitted: 06/29/08

June 2008 - We had the best time. We were pleasantly surprised that the house was so spacious. Our young family of five (3 kids under 5) fit perfectly. The Kitchen and Bathrooms were beautifully redone with detailed tile work. The house was very clean and had everything you would need on a beach vacation. We spent most of our time at the beach and enjoyed every minute. Thanks for the great memories!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: 1234** (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Date of Stay: 11/01/07 Review Submitted: 11/08/07

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.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: CWStanley (VA)
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 10/27/07

Stayed in the cottage week of 10/14/07. The cottage instantly felt like home. We adored the screened porch and the great kitchen. We got tired of eating out and cooked and ate on the porch with candles and wine and then only had to walk to bed! We liked the secluded and shady location under the live oaks and next to the beautiful golf course. We watched a deer wander across the yard right in front of the screened porch. We had everything we needed and truly enjoyed the great beach and awesome biking both on the trails and the hard packed sand beach. The beach looked a mile wide at low tide and was picture perfect. We would love to return to CottageonKiawah! Connie and Mike

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: D.W. (Clemson, SC)
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 03/18/07

Wonderful cottage in a quiet neighborhood. You can tell owners want to make your stay as comfortable as possible, when you find pretty much everything you need inside the house. They provide lots of information and tips about the island. Brand new kitchen, appliances, fresh flowers, beautiful golf course views, very clean, new carpet, books, magazines, games, etc. We would recommend Hege Restaurant in Freshfield market. The shops are also wonderful! I would definitely recommend this cottage and Kiawah Island in general and hope to stay there again! Thank you for making our stay very relaxing!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 11/02/06

Thank you so much for sharing your cottage with us! You were so helpful with all of our arrangements and the supplies, etc. provided. The personal touch is so wonderful. We loved Kiawah! It is so family friendly.Our girls loved the Kiawah Karnival night and the magician. And, of course, splashing in the shallows at the beach and swimming in the pool. Thanks again! We hope to return soon. The Prins Family

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Maureen Prince (Not Specified)
Date of Stay: 11/01/06 Review Submitted: 10/31/06

Dear Susie & Joe, We had a wonderful time at your cottage on Kiawah over the weekend. Thank you for all you did to help make the trip easy to plan, enjoyable and hassle-free. The details that you thought of certainly made it easy for us to relax and enjoy the time we had there! The cottage was bigger and much more modern than I expected (just based on looking at pictures on the Internet); you have certainly worked hard to update the cottage, and it looks terrific! We rented bikes on Sunday, and we enjoyed riding up the beach and then winding our way back to the cottage, stopping at the Night Heron nature area and the Market Town Center for lunch, along the way. The menus and directions you included in the binder are great for guests. The island is the perfect place for a relaxing, peaceful, and romantic get-away! Thanks again! Sincerely, Maureen & Steve Prince

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Chris Koepper (Greenville, SC)
Date of Stay: 10/01/06 Review Submitted: 10/16/06

Our family has enjoyed many beach trips over the last few years. However, our stay in your cottage this week has to rank as the best! We thoroughly enjoyed all there was to do on Kiawah Island. We especially enjoyed the numerous nightly activities at Night Heron Park. Riding around the island on bikes was a family favorite. The beach was the highlight of course! It was easy to get to from the cottage and beautiful. The Koepper Family

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: janice long (Clinton, S.C.)
Date of Stay: 06/01/06 Review Submitted: 06/27/06

The cottage was great. We had a great family time together. We hope to stay again soon. The Oringel's place was great.

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Guest: Susie Oringel - Owner
Date of Stay: 04/17/06 Review Submitted: 04/16/06

For more information about Cottage on Kiawah, please call me at (704) 277-2912. We hope you decide to spend your next vacation at Cottage on Kiawah.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Doris Birdsong (Richmond, VA)
Date of Stay: 12/01/05 Review Submitted: 12/28/05

We arrived at night and were surprised to pull back the curtains in the morning to such a glorious view of the golf course. The condo is lovely and comfortably furnished. We have previously rented a condo through the resort and were much happier with the Oringel's cottage. With easy access to the front door and a few steps it sure made unloading for our stay a piece of cake. It was a short walk to the beach. We look forward to staying there again! The Oringels are nice folks, too.

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