Historic Huntington Home - Walk to Westfield River

Reviews

• Huntington Nightmare

  1/5

  We have nothing good to report about our experience at this house. 1- The outdoor area was unusable. It was not cared for, had debris all over the grounds, and the “Adirondack Chairs” advertised were filled with leaves and debris, moldy and filthy making them unusable.2- As you enter of the house you are welcomed by a musty smell that permeates the entire house. (described as “Rustic”?)3- The description of experiencing “historic charm “ and “colonial beauty” are being confused with reality. Although there are many “antiques” in the rooms which may be “charming”, the house is worn, filthy, and antiquated. It truly needs a complete cleanup and remodel. 4- The air conditioning is not central but there are window units in each of the upstairs bedrooms. These will most likely keep you awake because they are very noisy. The positive side to the A/C noise is that it may drown out the train noise and whistle that occurs multiple times per night as it passes nearby.5- The daily battle of the bugs and mice was time consuming and certainly not part of our vacation plan. The most disgusting job that we had to attend to daily was cleaning and disinfecting the kitchen counters, microwave, and stove of mouse droppings and disinfecting all items before use so as not to contract any rodent carrying illness. These are NOT mentioned in the description of this property but we suspect they are aware of.6- If you do rent this, we recommend that you put all food in the refrigerator or stove as the rodents will eat through the packaging and then the food will be unusable to you.We will definitely never return to this house. There's no wonder they do not allow any refunds!

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Chester, the right vacation home is everything, and we're disappointed if this wasn't the one for you. We followed up with the homeowner after reading your feedback, and they wanted to share the following:
  - We are very sorry your experience was lacking. Thank you for the feedback we are working on everything you have brought to our attention.
  - We have hired a professional to help with the pests and will schedule to have them at the property regularly.
  - We have removed the outside furniture and had it replaced.
  - We have spoken with our cleaning crew and will have the house thoroughly cleaned so the house is 100% ready for guests.
  - While we cannot control the outdoor and air conditioning noise, we will do our best to help make this better for future guests.
  Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your stay.

• Better Suited for Adults

  3/5

  Positives: -Room arrangement worked well for two families: one couple slept in one bedroom, one mom and her daughter slept in the bedroom with the couch, and the two other kids slept in the room with two twin beds. -The kids (ages 4, 6, and 7) were fascinated by the antique cameras and wheel. -We loved going across the street and looking at the river, throwing twigs, etc. -Kitchen was well-apportioned for our needs. -Someone was responsive when we called with an issue (see below). Issues: -There was an immediate musty smell that did not go away for our entire stay. There were some scented air fresheners on each floor, leading me to think that this smell is an ongoing issue. There was less of a smell on the 2nd floor. -The trash had not been removed when we arrived. There was trash in the kitchen and bathrooms. -The dishwasher did not work. When I called to report the issue, our contact was very understanding and told us not to worry about starting the dishwasher before departure. -The house needed to be cleaned further. There were cobwebs all over the second-floor bathroom and some of the bedrooms. -There was a coffee maker to the left of the microwave that had something growing on the inside. We only looked for that one when we had trouble figuring out the pod-type coffee machine. -The WiFi did not respond well to multiple people (more than 3 devices) accessing it. In general, I think the house would benefit from being more user-friendly. For example, we couldn't figure out how to get the sound going on the TV when we hooked up one of the gaming consoles. An instruction sheet would have helped with that. I also think that, because we had kids with us, we were looking for a place and location more kid-friendly. I could see antique-loving adults really enjoying the place more. Something to keep in mind: We intended this to be a good location for various activities in western Mass. In the end, we were 30-45 minutes away from whatever we wanted to do, whether the Dr. Seuss Museum or Stanley Park. There weren't too many nearby food spots either, which in retrospect, our families probably would have appreciated. That said, we appreciated how responsive the contact was.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Shauna, We’re glad to hear you enjoyed your stay overall and that the issues you encountered were addressed while in residence. We have shared your comments with the homeowner so that any possible updates are made to ensure future guests have an exceptional stay in this home. Thank you for the feedback, and we hope to assist you in booking a vacation rental that exceeds your expectations in the future. Best, The Evolve Team