Good Option for A Crowd
Review Submitted: July 19, 2008
Date of Stay: July 2008
Just arrived home from a week here. The house is very clean and fresh feeling -- very spacious and bright. HUGE group rooms upstairs and down allowed adults and kids to enjoy themselves without being crowded. The kids loved that there was a room for the four youngest cousins to share. Quite ample bedroom and bathroom space, though it was hot and there were not enough fans for the three warm nights. One bedroom was very dark, with only one overhead dull light. We hunted down a lamp in the closet, but had to go buy lightbulbs and lights for the nightlights, and stand the lamp on the floor as there were no bed tables in that room. VERY specific instructions were left not to move ANY furniture, which surprised us. It was very expensive overall, so much so that we are highly unlikely to do it again (it was for a special occasion) and the cleaning costs at the end of the week were excessive, given that the only thing that needed to be done was the towel and sheet laundry . . . Not well supplied in the kitchen at all . . . we had to go buy vegetable peelers, and run the dishwasher 2-3 times a day to have enough dishes to get through the next meal. A house that sleeps 20 should be set up to feed 20, it seems!! Happy to find an extra fridge in the basement, given the size of our group -- but that fridge was a bit scuzzy. The lake is a buggy walk away from the house -- perhaps 1000 feet?!? Not a bad trek. Boat house ok, dock nice. Kids (aged 9-18) loved using all the "stuff" in the boat house. Loved the deck on the house, though the mechanical people in the crowd felt it was weak structurally, and said they would never put a crowd on it.
Caretaker very helpful, friendly. Grill was out of fuel upon arrival -- he replaced immediately. Washer/dryer did not work well, but not discovered until late in the week, so unsure what response would have been.
STRICT on arrival and departure times . . . Rental agent called night before departure to say she would be over at 9:30 in the AM to do a walk through . . .
Off-site, kids had fun at Bromley Thrill Zone, hiking, hitting the Vermont Country Store. Well-stocked Clark's IGA grocery store is not far at all (about a mile from the intersection of Little Pond Road and Route 11), and there was a decent pizza shop in that same parking lot.
Owner's Response: This property is well stocked. It has dishes enough for 22 people, but you do have to run the diswasher before the next meal. There is a vegetable peeler as well as plenty of mixing and serving bowls, silverware, knives, a good assortment of pots and pans, baking dishes, and lobster pot. We offer a coffemaker, coffee grinder, toaster oven, toaster, blender/food processer, microwave, cutting boards, etc, all in a brand new kitchen. We also have a restaurant stove with 6 burners, 2 ovens and a huge grill top that makes it easy to cook for a large crowd.There are extra lightbulbs in a drawer in the kitchen. There are plenty of linens, although you may have to wash them if you are staying long.
The room missing the bedside table was found in another room, hence one of the reasons for asking the furniture not be moved.
This is Vermont. In order to enjoy it's serenity and beauty on our 500 acres of private, wooded land, you do need to bring a supply of bug spray if you plan on being in the woods, especially in July.
The extra fridg. in the basement is very old and not in the best shape. It is meant to be used for extra beverages, not food.
Unfortunately, we do have to be strict on departure times during the summer months. We have only a window of 6 hours to clean before the next party arrives. The statement " only the sheet and towel laundry neded to be done" is far from the truth. We take great pride in offering a home that is spotless. It takes a team of 2-3 housekeepers the entire 6 hours between the 10 a.m checkout time and the 4 p.m. arrival time to clean 8 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, and all the living areas, as well as do the laundry and clean the kitchen.
There was nothing wrong with the washer other than it was off balance, which also caused longer drying times. This was taken care of immediately ( as is everything else brought to our attention) by our fantastic caretaker.
The deck was checked recently and found to be safe. We will certainly have it checked again!
All in all, Justin Lake is one of the best spots to vacation in the Northeast, all year round!! We have many repeat visitors, which attests to the fact that we work hard to make your stay enjoyable and memorable. Where else can you find a house this large that comes with it's own private lake on 500 acres of beautiful land yet close to tons of amenities such as ski areas, golfing, shopping, water activities, hiking, biking, snowmobiling, theme parks and much more?
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