Grand Egg Harbor Home w/ Stunning Lake Views!

Reviews

• Rude response

  2/5

  Booked home for 5 days with grandchildren who are under 3 years old and one older handicapped person. The home is being repaired and the owner directly contacted me to get permission to paint exterior during the stay said they would not paint the back water view areas. On arrival the painters are painting the deck railings with oil based paint. So we could not go out on the porches because oil based paint doesn't dry and small hands just don't mix. The garage had a large hole in Sheetrock and the basement had damp odor. No umbrellas for shade on the deck I couldn't sit on due to renovations. The decor is definitely dated but the sunken living room caused falls for some adults and every child. The floors and steps are all same color and I saw later others have reported this as well. They need to mark the floor hieght deviation. Contacted the manager regarding air

  Conditioning the first day as house was hot upstairs and told to "get the fan out of closet". Contacted the same mananger twice for no internet ( rain and small children we needed the internet) to be told that they could fix it after we left and the only bathroom on main level for the handicapped person has a step in tub that was legit over 2 feet high to step in with no rails and swinging doors. Which of course let to another fall. But we persevered. This house just isn't for small kids and older people. But perhaps the biggest shock was receiving a text that I was disgusting and disgraceful and never allowed to return by the same house manager. I took every piece of garbage out to the outdoor garbage receptacle but it was too full so I tied up 3 smaller bags and left beside the can. Still very neatly. I left not one dirty dish no food and completely emptied the refrigerator. We left sheets on bed as per the instructions on the refrigerator. I had washed dried and folded many towels for them. We picked up so no trash anywhere and no messes. I stopped short of actually vaccum mopping and cleaning. I see previous reviews that the property manager was rude and now I understand it. Was an awful way to end a trip. I use evolve because they offer high end properties and have always had excellent experiences. I think without the property manager reaction I would have not felt like leaving such an honest review but feel that this needs to be noted. Great views. Huge potential if they can finish the renovations.

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Michelle, we take it seriously when guests let us know that their expectations were not met, and after sending your feedback to the homeowner, they’d like to share the following:
  - We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the painting during your stay. The exterior painting, scheduled during a non-rental period, was delayed due to extensive road construction and weather conditions. We deeply appreciated the permission you granted to allow for painting to proceed during your stay, and we instructed the painters to avoid the backwater view areas as you had requested. If these instructions were not followed, we understand how this would impact your experience. I reached out to you with my personal phone number prior to your visit to ensure you were not negatively impacted by the painting, and I encouraged you to contact me if there were any problems or concerns. I would have intervened immediately if I had been informed of any issues. Accessibility challenges for the property are outlined and are clearly visible in the 45 pictures provided in the listing. Pictures in the listing clearly show that tub heights are standard and not two feet high. Nevertheless, we regret that your expectations were not met, and led to difficulties during your stay.
  - We can confirm that there was a functioning umbrella located on the deck during your stay, but after your departure, the umbrella was found broken.
  - The internet outage was due to an area-wide issue, and we apologize for any inconvenience this caused during your stay.
  - The air conditioning system received its annual maintenance service 1 month prior to your stay and is fully functioning. We apologize if the upstairs area was not fully cooled off at the time of your arrival.
  - We strive to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. The house cleaners were required to spend twice the amount of cleaning time typical for this property after your stay.
  - We care about the safety of our guests, and we will gladly mark the floor height deviation in the living room as you suggested.

• Loved it!

  5/5

  It was EXACTLY as was pictured! Absolutely beautiful. I would hoever, suggest something be thrown on floor, to contrast the sunken living room. Quite a few times my group would miss the step and almost hurt themselves. We did take the kitchen mat and put down which helped tremendously. We also repositioned the furniture which also helped. There were two different check out instructions but we did get word on the correct one. We were told to follow instructions located on the fridge. It was an incredible stay! Thank you to all responsible!! MJK

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• A beautiful glass castle

  5/5

  The “Glass Castle” is a beautiful and well-appointed property. We enjoyed the comfortable surroundings and witnessed the spectacular sunsets each night. Definitely a place we will rent again.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Great views

  4/5

  This was a nice property for our family of ten. The location was close enough to walk to town. It could use a few updates but overall we had a nice stay and loved the views.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Renters Beware

  2/5

  This property is run down on the exterior and outdated inside. The building is stucco and crumbling and the photos in the listing are not accurate. Landscaping was atrocious, over grown and weed filled. Views were spectacular but the HVAC systems were a constant challenge. When we appealed to the host, Evolve, we were sent an offensive, inexperienced/immature reply. Again, the location and the views were outstanding but the property itself was not.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Philip, we are happy to hear that you enjoyed the nice views! We want our guests to rest easy when they stay with us, and we apologize if you experienced some issues during your trip. We followed up with the homeowner after reading your feedback, and they wanted to share the following:
  - As new owners of the property, feedback from our guests is invaluable to help us maintain our high standards for cleanliness, comfort, and convenience. Now that the busy summer season is coming to a close, we are excited to share that big projects are underway to beautify the landscape, and to complete the upgrades and repairs necessary to ensure that our guests have a premier vacation experience.
  - Although we do our best to keep the outdoor area clean, if there are a few days between guest check-out and the next check-in, it is possible for Mother Nature to affect the outdoor area once our cleaning crew has left.
  - The AC unit was inspected after your departure and is fully functional. We wish you had reached out to the Guest Contact during your stay about operating the AC unit. We would've been happy to help you troubleshoot so that you could enjoy the home. However, we apologize that you were uncomfortable.
  - We use local, professional photographers to make sure that the listing photos correctly reflect the property, so the features you see on the listing are accurately advertised.
  - We are sorry if the layout of the home caught you off guard. We encourage guests to thoroughly review the listing before booking, to ensure they find the perfect vacation home for their needs.
  We understand how important communication is to our guests. We do all we can to make the best possible stay, and we look forward to this property hosting many satisfied guests!