Big Bass Lake Home in Gouldsboro: Wraparound Deck

Reviews

• Health/safety concerns

  1/5

  To start, I will state that the trip was not all let down. The location is nice, there are community amenities and the property in discussion was spacious.

  Now for the reason of the review. On the first morning of our stay after arriving the night prior, we brewed a pot of coffee in the provided coffee maker. Said coffee maker is a dual style with the traditional brew pot, and the individual K cup maker. After finishing two pots, my husband wanted one more and decided to use the K cup individual side rather than make a whole other pot. It was to our surprise, and major concern, that we discovered maggots in the water holding container. We immediately removed the appliance from the house and placed it on the deck outside. The first attempt to contact the property owner was then made, with no response. Given that this was so early into our stay, we opted to purchase a new coffee maker, which still sits in the house today. The windows are nailed shut, the soap dispenser is apparently just filled with water rather than replaced or refilled and the bedding is stained and dated.

  We have photo and video documentation of these concerns. Further attempts were made to contact the property owner via the app and text messages, with again no response. We will not be returning, and anticipate seeking a refund

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Sarah, thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the location, community amenities, and spaciousness of the property. However, we’re truly sorry to learn about the issues you encountered during your stay. After discussing your concerns with the homeowner, they wanted to share the following:
  - We were not immediately notified of your concerns due to outdated contact information, which has now been corrected to ensure future guests do not share the same experience.
  - We take health and safety very seriously and would have addressed the coffee maker issue immediately had we been informed. We have taken extra steps to inspect all appliances for cleanliness.
  - As a gesture of apology for the inconvenience you experienced, a 50% refund was provided. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention, as it helps us improve the guest experience. We hope that, despite these issues, you had some enjoyable moments during your trip, and we’re committed to making the property even better for future guests.

• Great Family Retreat

  5/5

  We had a great time with the family at this beautiful lake retreat that provided everything that we needed!

  If you're looking for a place to recharge your battery and enjoy some fun AND quiet time, the "Solomon Manor" checks all the boxes.

  The large open kitchen and table provided the ideal space for the family to interact and the first floor family :game den" was also a big hit! - Jim & Donna

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Nice space but needs some work

  3/5

  The space is nice and cozy. My family and I had a great time. However, there were some concerns:

  1. The vacuum didn’t work and the rug was filthy

  2. The thermostat in the main room didn’t seem to work- we turned the heat all the way down and it was still 80 degrees in the main room

  3. The couches are mid century modern style and the legs are about to snap. They need to be replaced

  It was still a very pleasant stay and the community is incredibly nice. We look forward to being back!

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Matthew, thanks for letting us know about your stay. We followed up with the homeowner after reading your feedback, and they would like to share the following:
  -We appreciate your communication and value all guest feedback. Our priority is guest satisfaction, and we always encourage guests to reach out if anything falls short of expectations upon arrival.
  -The thermostat in place is a smart system that could potentially lock out due to repeated adjustments, which might have occurred unintentionally. We will provide clearer instructions to prevent any inconvenience caused by this feature in the future.
  -We are genuinely surprised by your observations regarding the rug, and our cleaning service will promptly address this matter to ensure it meets our high standards.
  -Moreover, the sofas are newly acquired, and it's possible that their legs require tightening. We'll attend to this promptly to uphold the quality of our accommodations.
  -We sincerely hope you'll consider visiting us again. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time. Your feedback aids us in enhancing our guests' experiences.
  We do all we can to make the best possible stay, and we look forward to this property hosting many satisfied guests.

• Just what was needed.

  5/5

  We had a great stay! The property was nice, nothing fancy but everything we needed plus some. This was one of the better equipped kitchens in a rental property we have used. There is the feeling this house was a DIY spruce up, but with the intention of making everyone feel comfortable and welcome and it worked!The kids loved the space inside and out and the arcade games. They have a fantastic charcoal grill and the porch space is wonderful! It rained our entire week and we still enjoyed the amount of outdoor space here. There was a family of deer we saw daily. There is only AC in the two upstairs bedrooms. We used the two down stairs bedrooms and were comfortable. Ground floor windows don't open to create a cross breeze through the bedrooms but it wasn't an issue for us and there were many fans provided for us to use. My only complaint was that the Lake and the Pool are not included with the cost of the stay and I don't think that was listed anywhere in the listing. The $50 HOA fee does not cover use of the amenities. Amenity wrist bands are $8-$10 a day or $30 a week/ per person. We were asked for wrist bands on the beach, at the playground and for the pool. We paid for these

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Not Clean, Not Accurate listing, Tons of Fees

  1/5

  Whole place smelled like Indian Food when we arrived. No windows open. No fans, no AC. Deck area was disgusting. Grill prep area had dirty ashtrays full of water. Leaves under the tables that had been there since winter. Listing said Central Air and Gas Grill. It had neither. Wasted so much of my vacation building fires in the rain, just to eat. Couldn't open sliding door for airflow because screen was full of holes and bugs were coming in. All of the bikes had flat tires and rusted chains. Listing said 4 kayaks, there were 2. Contacted Evolve who immediately passed the buck to the local contact (but still had time to email me a survey). Local contact wants me to find bike pump and inflate tires, wants me to take pictures to prove the deck is dirty and wants me to set up time with cleaning crew to come back out. I'm on vacation with my family. I'm not doing any of that. It should have already been done, especially seeing I paid an extra cleaning fee up front. Total for the 4 night trip, the fees ended up being an additional 65% of what we paid in rent. Second bad experience in a row with VRBO. No more. Back to hotels

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Jason, one of the significant benefits of vacation rentals is the opportunity to have a more personalized and home-like environment! We followed up with the homeowner after reading your feedback, and they wanted to share the following:
  - Unlike hotels, our home offers spacious accommodations with private bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and other amenities like outdoor space and access to the lake. This creates a sense of privacy and comfort that you might not find in a typical hotel room.
  - Staying in a vacation rental also allows you to immerse yourself in the local community and experience the destination like a resident. You can explore neighborhood restaurants, local attractions, and hidden gems that may not be as readily accessible in a hotel's tourist-centric area.
  - The bikes are a courtesy we offer guests and if needed, there is an electric air pump available for bike tires. There are also four kayaks available for guests to enjoy. In our welcome book, we share that two kayaks are located at the home and the other 2 are located down at the lake.
  - The listing states that ACs are located in both of the upper bedrooms. We do not advertise having central air. The ACs were inspected after your departure and are fully functional.
  - We wish you had reached out to the Guest Contact during your stay. We would've been happy to help you troubleshoot so that you could enjoy the home.
  - Considering the home is located on a serene, tree-filled property, it’s common for leaves to be found on the ground. Excess leaves are blown away by our landscaping crew and we’ve also provided a leaf blower for our guests to blow away leaves during their stay.
  - Your feedback assists us in understanding our guests' perspectives and improving wherever possible. Thank you for sharing your review!