Initial appearance of the home was good. It was well stocked and had some thoughtful, small touches inside. Location on the lake cove was fine and quiet as well. It was obvious the homeowners intended on helping guests feel comfortable which we appreciated. Unfortunately, those intentions were overshadowed by two external “selling points” of the house being non-functional. The train and slide. Also, as our trip progressed, other details emerged that had us questioning the standard of cleanliness and attention to detail from the maid service.
Although the listing said the train could be down on RARE occasions due to routine maintenance, we assumed “rare” meant pretty reliable so we took a chance but were disappointed when we arrived and it wasn’t working. An attached note stated an electrician would arrive the next day to fix it (which never happened). So, 106 stair steps later to unload (X’s 5, up and down), we finally settled in. Our kids, aged 10 and 8, immediately ran for the slide but stopped right away after seeing the obvious damage at the end of it. A large crack was very evident under several rounds of duct tape. The tape was clearly put in place as a quick fix but worn down just enough that the crack was showing through. The tape was also so thick it created a mound that would have been uncomfortable and dangerous to slide over at full speed. So the slide was off limits for the duration of our trip. Despite multiple attempts to reach the guest contact, no one answered or responded to our concerns so we gave up.
As our trip progressed, it was clear the maid service missed some detailed cleaning. The coffee maker had an old, dried up filter with coffee grinds splattered inside. There was dirt and dust under beds and behind doors and two shower drains were full of old hair causing water to pool around the drain (yes, we pulled out the hair in one). We went to do a laundry load and there was mildew and clumped, moldy buildup in the rubber around the inside of the washer. Lots of missed details.
Among these issues, we had a pretty substantial problem that ultimately required us to end our trip early. Because the issue was handled swiftly and appropriately by the Evolve and VRBO rental groups (different from our “guest contact” who was non-responsive), we will refrain from adding it to our review.
Clearly, it was not the trip we envisioned. The disappointments were so many that I doubt we’ll take a chance on this home again.