Firefly Cottage - Lakefront Cottage in Hope - Maine's Best Kept Secret

Thank you for your lovely review. Firefly Cottage is a great place for families to connect and leave their cares behind. I was more than happy to help you find a mechanic. I hope you and your family return again to enjoy the magic you found in Hope.

Wonderful guests who enjoyed our cottage and our amazing lake.

We were very sad that our elderly guests in their 80s decided not to stay. Unfortunately they booked a short term rental that was not suitable for their needs. I am very clear in my description of the layout of the house and that it may be unsuitable for people with mobility issues. They did not ask any questions before booking and had I known of their problems with stairs, I would not have accepted their booking request. My husband and I are in our mid 70s, but we are able to navigate the stairs with no issues. It is a guest's responsibility to book a place that suits their needs and abilities. They did not. That being said, we have decided to put a railing onto the short set of steps into the lake next year. The steps in the house have always had a railing. We use the futon as a very comfortable sofa in the living room. We do not advertise it as a sleeping option and ask our guests to not unfold it. We had a guest damage it 10 years ago and the repair does not allow it to easily be unfolded. We had to repair it again after this guest had departed. We are also very clear about our cancellation policy and have our guests sign a rental agreement. Being on a fixed income ourselves, we are dependant on the income our rental provides us. This guest booked a place not suitable for them, stayed a night and then decided to depart. This is on them. I did offer them an option that might have brought in a partial refund, that I felt was fair to both of us. They declined. Firefly Cottage is a wonderful place for couples, families and active seniors. It is comfortable vacation home, clean, has comfy beds and sits in a beautiful location next to the lake. It is cheerfully decorated as a lake side cottage. It is a great place to relax. We provide kayaks, have a hammock to take a nap next to the lake and we are located in an area with a lot going on. We urge those considering our place to read our other reviews. We also urge people to book a home that suits their needs and abilities, so that they have a safe and comfortable vacation. We are truly sorry this guest did not.

In the first paragraph of my listing, it says this. "If you have mobility issues, please ask questions before booking, as our home may not be suitable for you." Unfortunately no questions were asked prior to booking. It is a guests responsibility to book a place appropriate for them. I also am elderly but have no problems with the stairs into the lake or onto the dock or in the house, thanks to knee replacement. I do not know our guests and rely on them to book a good fit for them. My property description is very accurate. Many Maine lake front camps get their water from the lake. This is very common here. We provide fresh water for cooking and drinking and before and after their arrival,we tell our guests not to drink the tap water. I'm sorry you could not remember to drink the bottled water provided. Our lake water is very clean and the lake is tested often by the local water monitoring program. It is fine for bathing and washing dishes. I'm glad you found our home wonderful and the setting beautiful. It is a wonderful retreat and many have enjoyed it's peacefulness and the lake side setting. The fishing is great, the wildlife plentiful, including the loons, and it's a lovely place to swim or boat. Many people of all ages have enjoyed this special place.

Thank you very much for your great review. Firefly Cottage is a wonderful home for couples looking for a relaxing get-away. I'm glad you enjoyed the numerous hiking trails in our area. We hope to have you as our guests again.

Thank you Laurel. We love our deck next to the lake for watching wildlife, sipping our morning coffee and launching the kayaks. Our lake is one of the quieter, more pristine lakes in the area and supports many loons, eagles, owls and other special birds.

Thank you Jennifer! Your description of your stay with us is exactly the type of vacation we want all our guests to enjoy. Hearing the call of the loons is a highlight for many who stay at Firefly Cottage. We appreciate your great review.

Thank you so much for your great review, Victoria, and I'm happy to hear your son had great fishing! I hope you return again for your girls trip away.

Thank you for your lovely five star review! We're glad you took advantage of the many places to visit near Firefly Cottage.

Thank you very much for your great review. We were happy to hear your children enjoyed swimming in the lake.

Thank you George and Luli. We very much enjoyed having you as our guests and hope you'll return for a third stay with us. I'm glad you were able to enjoy cooler weather than what you left behind in FL. September is a great month to visit Maine with warm days and cool nights.

Thank you so much for the nice review! We're glad you enjoyed our cottage, the mid-coast area and we hope we can host you again someday.

Thank you for your nice review. Our lake side deck is a wonderful place to sit any time of the day. We stopped providing towels because so many were disappearing and we had to charge our guests to replace them. We hope you return again someday and thank you for choosing Firefly Cottage.