PROS of this house first:
-the view is spectacular and arguably the best view you’ll find in the area
-the house is spacious
-location is quiet, private and serene
-the host is responsive, kind, and agreed for our group to stay there at a discounted rate so we could afford the weekend there.
-more than enough dishes, towels, kitchen linens are available for use.
CONS
One word: mice. On the first night of our stay, we found a mouse scurrying in the living room. At first, we thought this was just a lone country mouse that had snuck in the front door. However, in our attempts to capture the mouse (which we eventually did), we discovered more evidence of a mice infestation.
One of the queen bedrooms had a dead mouse stuck in a trap behind the bed. The sheets had mouse droppings and a pillow had been chewed through. When we went to put new linens on the bed, mouse droppings were found on those, too. The bed itself had a plastic sheet wrapped around the mattress, presumably to protect it from mice.
A third mouse was discovered scurrying in the bunk room and left droppings on the beds and floors and backup linens in the closet. Those staying in that room could hear the mouse running around the floor at night. We never caught that mouse.
Additionally, mouse droppings were found all over the kitchen linens folded inside a kitchen cabinet drawer. We also found mouse droppings on the living room floor, under the couch cushions and on a toilet.
Thankfully, we were able to wash everything in hot water in the washing machine. But we weren’t expecting to be cleaning floors and doing laundry during our vacation stay.
It is clear to us that the mice have had the run of the place for some time. The owner said they used to have a mouse problem in 2019 but that it has since been resolved due to the apparent 5-star reviews. I fully believe the mouse problem was resolved, and our review would be 5-star, too, if it weren’t for the mice. But these reviews only date to 2020 and it’s clear in May 2021 the mice have returned.
Pest control was there when we left and so hopefully the mice will be fully exterminated and the house deeply sanitized before the next guests arrive. I think this issue lies more with the cleaning crew than the owners, because if the crew had thoroughly cleaned the house they would have discovered the obvious mice droppings, torn pillow and soiled bed linens.
Sans mice, this is worth vacationing to!