We left and stayed at a hotel for the week instead of staying the night here because the house did not meet the needs of our family, and this was not clear prior to booking the stay. The house location and expectations were unworkable for us.
Examples:
(1) The first example isn't really the homeowner's fault, and is completely understandable given the age and location of the home. Unfortunately, we couldn't find out about these prior to booking, or we would have booked elsewhere. There was no parking at the property, and there were no designated spots on the closest side road. This meant every time we left, we had to move the cars and hope to find a nearby spot when we returned. While this is perfectly fine for some, the walk was hard on my parents, who are getting up there in years. The narrow steps inside were also difficult for my parents.
(2) The rest of our examples are house rules set by the owner. The house has some air conditioning, but the homeowner requested that it be set at 75 degrees, which is too warm for our family, which runs hot. (This was actually the final straw that caused us to choose to pay the extra money for a hotel-- otherwise we'd be too tired and cranky to enjoy the week... best money we spent!)
(3) The house had beautiful windows looking at the water, but the homeowner requested the windows remained shuttered during daytime hours to protect their hardwood floors. I understand that this is an old house, but the PRIMARY selling point for booking this was that it had a beautiful view. My dad will spend hours just watching the water, which he was unable to see because the windows had to remain shuttered.
(4) The rules said we were not able to wear shoes in the house to protect the floor. Two members of my family are required by their doctor to wear shoes except for when they're laying down for bed.
(5) The rules also said we could not eat anywhere other than the kitchen or dining room. This just didn't work for my family, who likes to snack while watching movies and playing games.... though, I should also mention there is no TV here.
These restrictions probably work for many people, but it did not work for our family of 5. We left and did not stay for the week. I wouldn't post all of this because the homeowners seem lovely, but I would like to spare another family the inconvenience we went through.