Sauna, Spa & Stargazing: Coudersport Home!

Reviews

• 4/5

  We very much enjoyed the spacious house, the location for stargazing, and the way the house was provisioned with coffee and tea, spices, towels, blankets for snuggling on the couch. We enjoyed the gas fireplaces. It was great for a fall retreat. We had a few concerns. One is that the hottub was set at 89 degrees - far too cool to use it and we were unable to figure out how to raise the temp. A second is that there is a small step up between two rooms that we kept tripping on. Eventually one of us tripped and injured herself fairly seriously. The step should be highlighted in some way or even be corrected with a small ramp. Finally, we could have done without all the Jesus and God signs everywhere. We don't all share that as something we are looking for on a trip.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• 3/5

  Could be a 5 star property if they put a bit of attention to some maintenance issues. The maintenance man was great but can only do what the owners allow him to do. The main selling point to our group was the hot tub and it was not working upon arrival. Jason tried his best and eventually on night 3 out of a 4 night stay it was fixed. It would have been nice to be notified before coming and the offer of a small refund for the inconvenience. The railing to the front porch is very unsafe. One good push and it will fall down. The refrigerator was leaking the entire time. The recliner sofas were broke as well as the basketball game. 2of the beds were in awful shape as well. All little annoyances that just built up. I don’t expect perfection but then lower the price a bit. I don’t think we will return to the property.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  From the owner: "We are sorry to hear that you had an issue with some things during your stay. We do our best to try and keep everything flowing smoothly for everyone. We have plenty of happy guests and 5-star reviews, and we will continue to try and make it an amazing experience for everyone."

• 5/5

  Plenty of room for sleeping and living. Beautiful property with everything you could need. I’d stay here again!

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Unexpected challenges

  2/5

  Our trip got off to a rough start. There were 2 full garbage cans left out front that weren’t emptied for days or possibly weeks. Our 2nd night there, a bear got into one of the cans and we woke up the next morning to piles of open garbage bags strewn across the driveway and yard. I reached out to the guest contact for help cleaning it up but he was unreachable for 8 hours. After contacting evolve and being unable to reach the guest contact for support, I ended up cleaning up the maggot filled trash with a shovel, as I didn’t want more wildlife showing up for chow time in the driveway and it was a safety concern. I understand things happen beyond our control, but this was 100% preventable if the trash was removed from previous guests’ stays. The contact who is supposed to help guests was unreachable for 8 hours. I requested a full refund on the cleaning fee, as I was the one who was cleaning up MAGGOT filled garbage on my vacation. Evolve (rental company) refunded only 50% of the fee, and refused any further refund to try to make it right. I don’t want to say it was all bad, the stars looked nice on the nights we could see them & the house is big. It does smell very lived-in though, and is only as “clean” as you’d expect an Air BnB/Vrbo property to be. You may end up spending thousands just to be forced to clean up other people’s garbage and maggots, so buyer beware.

  Manager's Response:

  "We take guest feedback seriously and shared your review with the homeowner, who wanted to provide some context:
  - Trash pickup is handled on a regular schedule, and it’s very unusual for a situation like this to occur.
  - When the concern was reported, the maintenance team was dispatched right away, but the guest had already removed the trash before they arrived.
  - The team also works to secure the containers to help prevent wildlife from disturbing them in the future.
  - We take pride in providing a safe and welcoming space, and regret that this incident impacted the start of your trip.
  We appreciate your feedback as it helps ensure that future guests can enjoy a comfortable and well-prepared stay."

• 5/5

  Myself and 13 of my friends make it a point to get together at least once a year, with this trip being year 5. Of all the places and properties we've been to this one was, hands down, the best trip so far. The perfect cloudless nights, weather, and activities contributed largely to this, but the property was the foundation of everything we did. Its a wonderful place that isnt too far away from anything, yet far away enough that the stars are so clear it could give anyone an existential crisis. Thank you for an amazing time!

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Thank you for choosing Whispering Wind Retreat, it's great to hear that you enjoyed your stay, hope you can come again sometime