Our party of 13 recently enjoyed a week-long stay at this Flathead Lake property. The grounds are spectacular and beautifully kept. The location on the lake is perfect for boating and paddle boarding (not too windy), and it is easy to get to GNP, Jewel Basin, Bigfork and local eateries. The views are spectacular. The house is large and we had plenty of space. The house was stocked with games, which were fun for the kids in the evening. The showers had plenty of hot water and the beds were comfortable. The kitchen was well equipped with pots, pans and utensils. And I cannot say enough good things about the hospitable neighbors Jerry and Deb. They let us use their paddle boards and kayaks, lent us a cooler, life jackets, and even made a fire for us in their fire pit in the evening. The fourth star in the above rating really belongs to them.
While the views, grounds and neighbors are top-notch, the actual rental house was more like 3 or 3.5 stars for the following reasons: 1) The house was not quite ready upon arrival--the house was cold and damp, the coffee pot was dirty and full of old grounds (we bought a new coffee pot), the bathrooms had no toilet paper, soap or shampoo, and we could find only 1 roll of paper towels and no napkins. The removable patio cushions were soaked and unusable for the first day. 2) The property manager did not meet us upon arrival at the house, and we could locate no written instructions for guests. We had a difficult time figuring out how to use the induction stove top, we didn't have a wifi password, we couldn't locate light bulbs for a couple burned out bulbs, we didn't know whether we could use any of the water toys in the shed or when check out time was, etc. Thankfully, we were able to email the property manager, who was friendly and quick to respond, but it was a little off putting that we had to ask all the questions (and request toilet paper and soap, etc). This could be easily remedied by a simple guest instruction sheet and/or walk through. 3) The house is quite dated. While the kitchen and downstairs shared bathroom appear to have been updated in the last decade, the rest of the house has not. Carpet in the pink bathroom was a bit "ick" and the bedroom outlets could not hold a plug. A couple bedrooms could also benefit from a side table and lamp.
Most of these things are an easy fix, and we really did have a great trip. I'd consider asking the neighbors to be the welcoming committee!