Mount Desert Escape: 4 Mi to Acadia National Park

Reviews

• BEWARE of this property

  1/5

  We were not able to stay at this property. We had booked this property and the night before we were to checkin the host contacted me at 8:45 pm and advised that the water coming out of the faucets was discolored (brown). I asked if safe to drink and in a written text she advised that SHE wouldn’t drink it. Asked if ok to shower and she advised that they left jugs of water for us to use…for showering! She sent me letters that were dated in August of 2024and one in Sept 2024 stating that they tried to fix the water issue but that it was no better and probably a little worse! I asked to cancel and had to go through Evolve. The host stated that the owner and Evolve had been kept updated on the issue. Talked to Evolve and they knew nothing of the issue. If you go to Evolve you will see a rating on this property of 1.6. Evolve agreed to cancel after she stated she wouldn’t take a shower in brown water either. What makes this SO BAD is that they knew of the problem but did not tell us until the evening before our arrival. In doing this I feel it was in hopes we would not be able to find another place and be STUCK with the situation. The owner, the host and Evolve would not have lived with these issues of brown water and showering. They could have handled this much better and let us know way ahead of time, in August or even September. I would NOT trust how shady this owner and host handled this situation.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Thank you for sharing your feedback. I understand your frustration regarding the water situation, and I apologize for the inconvenience this caused. The discoloration issue was an unexpected development that we were actively trying to resolve with the water company. At the time of your booking, we were hopeful that the latest repairs would fully resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the solution we tried just before your arrival was not successful.
  
  As soon as we became aware that the water quality was still not up to standard, we reached out to inform you of the situation. Our intention was to be transparent and provide you with all the information we had. We did our best to provide alternatives, such as bottled water, but we fully understand your decision to cancel.
  
  We were in regular contact with you for two weeks prior to your stay, keeping you updated daily on everything we were doing to resolve the issue. Both our house manager and I personally spoke with you several times to share updates and address any concerns.
  
  Please know that we have been working diligently with the water company to resolve this natural issue, which is beyond our control. We genuinely regret that this impacted your plans, and we appreciate your understanding as we continue to address the problem.
  
  Thank you again for your feedback, and we will continue to work to ensure that future guests have a positive experience.

• Evolve, please remove this listing

  1/5

  Big house, lots of bedrooms, sits on 22 acres, but very dirty. Dirty handprints on doors and old refrigerators. Water stained brown so 5 gallon jugs of spring water provided due to prior renter complaints…..needs health department to test water to confirm safety especially for renters. Owner needs to install water filtration system. Older furniture. Broken glass patio table replaced with plywood (didn’t fit) and old tablecloth covering to hide it. Stone patio very uneven causing tripping hazard and patio filled with weeds. Mold in grout lines of kitchen sink area. Strongly recommend Evolve remove from its listings….it does not meet quality expectations.

  Property has potential. Needs lots of upgrades.

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Steven, thanks for sharing your thoughts about your stay. The homeowner wanted to address some of the concerns you raised:
  - We sincerely apologize for the water issue. While it was unexpected, we did everything possible to address the discoloration during your stay, including installing pumps and shocking the system. Guests were informed of this in advance.
  - The house was thoroughly cleaned before your arrival, and there is no mold in the kitchen grout.
  Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us improve our property for future guests!

• Could Have Been Great

  1/5

  I do not like writing negative reviews as I feel everyone has an off day but this home warrants a warning to others. We booked the place and after final payment was made, reviews started complaining of yellow water. I contacted the owner and she affirmed stating it was akin to swimming in lake water and we would be fine. She stated she had replaced the well pump but it was not fixing the problem. She offered us an opportunity to cancel our booking. We were booked for 5 days at a cost of $5,266. Cancellation would have meant credit on Evolve but no refund. We looked for other lodging that would fit the size of our group. There were no other rentals available. Owner stated she would provide drinking water but no other accommodations and not a discount in the price. She also stated she had water guys scheduled and was hopeful all would be resolved before we arrived. Because part of our group could not rebook this vacation, hoping for the best, we proceeded to Maine. The water had turned from yellow to BROWN on arrival and only started to clear to yellow on the day before we left. Because there is no air conditioning in the home, the doors swell and stick. There were used coffee grounds in the coffee pot on arrival and an oily residue on the floor in the kitchen that nearly caused two of us to fall until we cleaned the floor. Although two of the beds upstairs are marketed as queens, they are full size beds. One of the bedrooms, a former study, has a glass door so if you want any privacy, you will need to hang a blanket or covering over the door. Five lights were out in two of the bathrooms. On the day before we were to leave, management finally said they would send their maintenance man to replace (why were they not fixed before we arrived??) but we had one of our party home sick that day and declined. When another of our party became sick, we had to use the washer/dryer and the noise from those units is deafening. The pros are it is in a beautiful peaceful wooded setting, grass notwithstanding, and we were visited by deer multiple times each day. This would be a beautiful home with basic upgrades, including a filter on the well water system, air conditioning, new refrigerators, quiet washer/dryer, upholstery cleaning, general upgrade in furniture and decorating and, not to detract from the foregoing, better pillows. We did enjoy the dining and kitchen tables. I have pictures of the BROWN water flowing from the taps if I am able to post.

• Spacious home near Beech Mountain Trail

  3/5

  Pros: plenty of room for our family of 10; kitchen well equipped; excellent hiking and swimming nearby.

  Cons: tap water was tea colored, and we were unable to reach the host to determine its safety for 3 days. The spa tub in the primary bedroom was a nice touch, but no one wanted to bathe in the water. Queen bed in no 2 bedroom had broken down mattress set.

  Generally we had a pleasant stay, but we expected better at this price point.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo