A whole-house beach rental, "Creamcake House" in historic Ocean Grove

Thank you, Elizabeth! We so enjoy having you and your family stay each year. Thanks for coming back and hey: Let's do that again real soon - ! = Catherine, Scott, and Eric

Thank you, Raquel - ! It was a pleasure having you and we hope to welcome you back again next year - !

Thank you for the kind words, Leslie! It was a joy to have you. You are truly the perfect guests. Let's do that again soon - !

Thank you, Karen: The pleasure was ours! You and your family are the perfect guests (thanks for leaving the place so spotlessy perfect), we would love to have you back. Best wishes from us.... = Catherine, Scott, and Eric

Thank you for these kind words, Malissa! And we are so happy that everything went so smoothly for you! Thanks again, and please stop in/say "Hi" the next time you are in Ocean Grove - !

Thank you, Melanie! And let me just add that even with 3 teenagers you left the place spotless! :) Thanks again - !

Patricia! We are flabbergasted. You and your same friends have stayed with us, in these same rooms on these same beds repeatedly...you all know our mattresses. Also we replaced the frames of the two regular beds just a few weeks ago, and the sleep sofa in the living room is brand new, just a few months old. Also the idea that ALL THREE of you had sleep problems suggests something other than 'there must be something wrong with all three beds.' You should be ashamed of yourself for this ridiculous review: You know better than this. Still and all, thanks for leaving the place spotlessly clean as usual: Much appreciated.

Joanne and her family are 'best-of-the-best' vacationers. Always a smile and so sweet...left the place so clean and perfect, too. Joanne is a truly outstanding guest. Five stars and more - !! Thank you, Joanne!

Hi, Denise - Thank you for these sweet words! Much appreciated. I just discovered that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) = Scott and Catherine

Regrettably, our experience with Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. can only be headlined "Hosts Beware." For 8 days they were very happy: All smiles, not a whisper of complaint. But when the weather turned stormy, with a gloomy forecast for the second week of their rental, Mrs. M made a pitch to leave early with a full refund. Because of the weather? Oh, no, of course it's not THAT, said Mrs. M, as the thunder boomed and the rain came down in sheets. "It’s that you misled us about the number of beds in the Kids' Bedroom," declared Mrs. M. "We expected 4 beds in that room." The house description (under "Rooms and Spaces") states clearly, quote: "bunk beds + floor twin bed & 1 more folding twin"; in addition the photo of the bedroom in question shows a room with bunk beds and no other beds. How could such a clear description be misread? In fact it could not be misread. The fact that they erupted in complaint only on the 8th day of their stay as the weather turned stormy reveals their sudden unethical intent. Another question: Why did Mr. and Mrs. M need 9 sleeping places when they described themselves as just "4 adults" in our rental agreement? Indeed, once they moved in, their party swelled to include more adults and kids, ignoring the pledge of "4 adults." Fortunately, they had all the sleeping space they needed. They only told VRBO - and now you - that they somehow did not. Bedroom #1: 2 persons... Bedroom #2: 1 person... Kids Room, sleeps up to 4... Sleeping sofa downstairs: 2 persons. Our rental policy regarding refunds is 'firm' - no refunds once the guests have moved in. However, I understand the disappointment of bad weather. As a gesture of good will, I offered to refund half. "That's not adequate," was the response. She also produced a slice of bread that had been supposedly enjoyed by a mouse. Look: If you leave food on the porch, it will attract squirrels. And if you let in unethical renters, prepare for nastiness. Mrs. M followed with repeated verbal threats to write a bad review if a full refund was not offered. Doesn't that qualify as an act of extortion that should disqualify an individual from the right to fulfill the threat and post their review? Denied the full refund - and with the weather much improved the next day - Mr. and Mrs. M. actually stayed, their whole two weeks, and had more guests join them - even as they filed a complaint with VRBO falsely stating that our house listing was misleading. Their story changed with every contact: Next, the problem was not the total number of sleeping places, but the "fact" that instead of the bunk beds they had expected to find a second queen bed upstairs to accommodate an elderly couple. But on what basis did they have such an expectation? Their complaint was of course rejected by VRBO. So they opened a second, equally unjustified case, which VRBO also rejected. And now, finally, their moment has come: They have posted their promised bad review. Mr. and Mrs. M left the house dirty and in total disarray - why are we not surprised? May this nasty, unethical couple be the worst thing ever to befall us.

Thank you for these kind words, Laurice! You and your family were the perfect guests. And yes: Let's do that again! -- Gratefully, Catherine, Scott and Eric

Thanks, Craig. It was our pleasure to have you. Particularly appreciate how spotless you left the place: Much appreciated. Special thanks to your boys for sharing a bit of their skateboard technique with our son! All the best from us....Scott, Catherine, and Eric

Thank you, Kate - ! It was a pleasure having you -- let's do that again real soon - ! = Scott and Catherine

Thank you for these sweet words, Jennifer! Much appreciated. I just discovered that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) = Scott

I am sorry to say, none of the comments in this traveler's review conform to reality. Some vacations end up being less spectacular than others for many potential reasons - from weather to family stress - but blaming one's dissatisfaction on the property in a page-long rant is unnecessary, in my book. Ocean Grove is not Monaco, especially in September, when beach excitement dies and rain sprinkles. It may have been a less than exciting and potentially stressful (with a new baby and new logistics) stay - still, why look for a scapegoat? I, the property owner, was the last person to leave the property a few days before this traveler's family moved in. The house was in perfect condition. Not only were the floors mopped, but we also repainted staircase steps. NJ beach houses are not Four Seasons when it comes to service. We provide linens, but no turnover service. We have shelves full of fine 100% cotton bed linens, so if a sheet shows signs of wear, there are 10 brand new ones on the shelf. We ask our guests to take the garbage to the curb on the garbage collection days. So if you move in right after Labor Day when the garbage collection is skipped, it may be nice to just help your hosts out with that garbage rather than complain. As to the complaint that "Everything just was not where and how it should have been," I am afraid, it's impossible to satisfy anyone with an expectation that pots and pans, and kitchen towels and corkscrew be in exactly the same spots as at their house.

Thank you for these sweet words, Lisa! Much appreciated. I just discovered that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) = Scott and Catherine

Thank you for these sweet words, Jessica! Much appreciated. I just discovered that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) == Gratefully, Scott and Catherine

Thank you for these sweet words, Lisa! Much appreciated. I just discovered that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) Come back soon - ! All the best, Scott and Catherine

Thank you for these sweet words from your first stay, Kathleen! Much appreciated. I just stumbled upon them in an undiscovered part of VRBO - which implies to the reader that reviews may not be posted unless the owner replies - so here you go: Better late than never! :) See you soon - ! = Scott and Catherine