Vacation Rentals by Owner

Peace and quiet

Guest: Marie V.
Date of Stay: 02/17/12 Review Submitted: 02/22/12

The house is located in a very quiet area, at the end of a private lane. We were there in mild winter weather and it was nice and cosy inside (but do turn down the heat at night, or it'll be too hot in the bedrooms). The deck and garden must be wonderful in warmer weather. The kitchen has lots of quality utensils. There's a living-room with a nice woodburning fireplace and a beautiful dining-room. The whole house was very clean. Great stay, we hope to be back soon!

Recommended for:

Great Getaway!

Guest: schmem11 (United States)
Date of Stay: 12/30/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

Everything about this experience was great- from ease of organization to great amenities, comfortable beds, well-equipped kitchen, and more. An easy trip from NYC and close to New Paltz. Simone was gracious and professional. We would definitely return.

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

Peace and Quiet

Guest: petie2188 (NYC)
Date of Stay: 11/11/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

What a great weekend! The house was spotless and all the amenities are available to make your weekend run smooth. I was up early and walked the path each morning to the top of the hill. Great romping around room for my big dog. There was even a dog bed by the fireplace....great touch! New Paltz was just a short drive away. The owners were welcoming and friendly. I will be back!

Recommended for:

Beautiful property

Guest: jimmy (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 09/25/11

This is a wonderful house with a homey feel. We stayed here for a long weekend with 7 people. There's a great kitchen, huge dining space and large bedrooms. The kitchen is well appointed--not the cheap dinnerware and appliances you often find in other rental homes and well stocked with basic necessities for cooking. There's a washer/dryer available for use and wi-fi that was easy to access. In general the house was very clean and well maintained, you feel as if you're staying in a friend's home. The patio is large and has an excellent barbecue grill and outdoor furniture. The garden in the back is lovely: lots of green, a charming lake with a fountain, a pretty stream. Parking is easy. Some minor flaws--the bed in the room in which we stayed was bit too soft and the water pressure in the showers was slightly weak...all of which were not deal-breakers. The owners gave us a warm welcome and satisfied all our needs.

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

Our One Week Stay

Guest: Barry (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/30/11 Review Submitted: 09/15/11

Very nice country house in pretty spot, pond and short woods trail on property. Large deck with big BBQ. Centrally located for outdoor activities in the Gunks. Close to Gardiner and New Paltz. My family came up right after hurricane. First night no electricity but Pascal and Simone made us comfortable and discounted our stay. Great place for kids and pets. Hope to return.

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

Fantastic stay in the Gunks

Guest: Ben S. (Brooklyn, New York)
Date of Stay: 08/12/11 Review Submitted: 08/22/11

We stayed at this property a couple weeks ago with a group of people, and everyone was delighted by what a great place it was. The location is very convenient for a quick 15-min drive into New Paltz, and is surrounded by beautiful scenery. The property spans a considerable amount of territory, and we were able to take a long hike up the hill and past the little lake that sits in the back yard, all without leaving the property. Oftentimes it's tough to know what to expect when renting a vacation home, and pictures/reviews can be deceiving. But the place exceeded our expectations, as did our experience with the owners. Clearly they put a lot of care into maintaining the house, and they were very easy to work with in terms of all the logistics of our stay. We will definitely come back for another stay in the future!

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

Weekend in New Paltz

Guest: ET (Astoria)
Date of Stay: 07/29/11 Review Submitted: 08/04/11

I recently stayed at this residence during a weekend visit to New Paltz with a few friends. The house was well kept and spacious and the backyard had a wonderful, large deck and ample space for us to spend time outside. Simone and Pascal were very helpful and even helped set up a bonfire for us.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, pet owners, sightseeing.

Do not rent this house!

Guest: Disappointed (New York City)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

I rented this house for my family for Memorial Day Weekend. We were very late planning for that weekend and this house was the only option in the area so we took it even though it was very overpriced. The first warning sign was that Simone, the landlady, asked me to sign a strange contract for a weekend stay - in addition to a check for the deposit. After we left the house, Simone used that contract as an excuse for not refunding our deposit - she said we forefeited the deposit because we had broken some "rules" she has for the house even though she never mentioned these rules to us! I have been pressing her for a month to tell me what tangible damages she thinks we have caused. Finally she sent me an invoice for re-pumping the water tank which was done more than a month after our stay!!! In addition, the house lacked basic amenities. For such an amount of money one would expect at least a functioning airconditioner. The waterflow in the showers was extremely weak.

Owner response:Our house was rented for memorial day weekend and booked 2 weeks prior to arrival. We have every guest sign a basic contract which protects our property and also the safety of our guests. This includes no camp or bon fires on the property without specific permission (a burn license has to be applied for with the local city and the fire department has to be notified prior to any private fires, otherwise there can be steep fines). It clearly states this in the contract, house guidelines, and house rules. A wet straw bale was thrown in the fire which is very dangerous. Some perfume bottles we have for our guests in bathrooms were also ended up in the fire for some reason. We have very old trees all around our property (150+ years) and we found deep carvings in one of them. Inside the house the door on the top floor was broken out of the hinges and the frame split. The next day the toilet wouldn't flush and water would back up in the tub. We had the pipes snaked right away and found debris and cloth material in the pipe and we pumped the septic, which just had been pumped and cleaned 3 weeks prior (normally it gets pumped every 2 years). The invoice for this service was dated the end of the month but the service was noted to have been completed 1 day after our guests left. The aircondition was and is in full working order, it has a switch to change from both floors to just the ground floor. A quick phone call would have resolved this immediately. Needless to say the A/C was running when we walked into the house and every window was left open. The water pressure is lower then in Manhattan since the house has a private well. We have been renting our house for several years and never had a single problem or complaint with our guests.

Recommended for:

Excellent Weekend Getaway

Guest: Chris (New York City)
Date of Stay: 04/22/11 Review Submitted: 04/25/11

Just got back from a weekend with my best friends - the area is gorgeous and the house is great. I'd definitely go back!

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

so relaxing

Guest: Catherine (White Plains, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/18/11 Review Submitted: 04/23/11

We had such a nice time at this house. We were looking for a close getaway where we could just sit back and relax with two small children...and that we did. The house is a perfect mix between having a cozy old home feeling but then also has terrific updates to make the house more than functional. The kitchen is fully stocked with mostly any baking/cooking appliance you could ever need! We cooked big meals, made juice & brownies, went for hikes on the property and played outside on the nicely manicured back lawn. Everything in the house is very accommodating and comfortable. The bathrooms are all HUGE and really beautiful. Set aside time for some nice relaxing baths! The kids loved that part too. Pascal and Simone were very nice and very helpful whenever we needed something. We'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a nice little getaway.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

PERFECT vacation home

Guest: DL (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 06/04/10 Review Submitted: 07/16/10

We rented the house for a bachelorette weekend. We had a big group (8 people) of friends who wanted to enjoy hiking, swimming, and cooking together. The house itself is very comfortable, welcoming, clean and well-stocked. The kitchen in particular has everything you could hope for to make cooking a pleasure. We had dinner at the long dining room table, which could easily fit us all. We loved the patio and the beautiful, spacious grounds around the house too - esp the hammock! The owner, Simone, was always very responsive - answering questions about the house and the area before we booked and even once we arrived. I recommend the house to anyone - from a couple to a larger group - looking for unpretentious peace and comfort the Hudson Valley region. I loved it and hope to be back!

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

Place is da bomb. Translation; perfect for anyone

Guest: SomaB (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/11/10

This place is perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing getaway from the City. Yet, it's close enough to all the fun of New Paltz and the outdoors. The house is beautiful, clean, and really accommodating. Simone and Pascal are rally gracious. This is the way to go when looking to stay in New Paltz.

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

Amazing house in a beautiful area

Guest: roni (nyc)
Date of Stay: 09/29/08 Review Submitted: 10/07/08

The house is beautiful within 5 minutes walk to the pond and woods, short drive to the city of New Paltz, Mohonk mountains, and farms. Highly recommended!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing.