While we were very impressed by the location, layout, features and responsive owners of this home, some significant technical difficulties and cleaning shortfalls lead to us having a less than perfect visit. In short, had all the amenities (hot tub, wood stove, ping pong table) worked as promised, this would have been a good destination for our two families and two small children, but it is probably best suited for a large group of skiers who are planning to spend less time inside than we were and care a little less about upkeep.
First, the pros – the house is super close to Mad River, Sugar Bush and the adorable towns of Waitsfield and Warren. It’s private, there is lots of space, there are a million comfortable places to sleep, a big deck, a great fire pit stocked with fresh wood and a big hot tub situated next to it. There were fresh linens, an abundance of clean towels, and the kitchen had ample plates, silverware and glassware for a large group. There are a number of TVs, games and movies, and a big dining room table for group meals. When the issues described below came up, the owners were instantly responsive and did their best to remedy them by sending technicians. Our disappointment lies both with the fact that they were unable to do so, and that they resisted our request to refund one of our four nights as compensation.
The cons – When we arrived on a Thursday night we found the hot tub didn’t work (52 degrees). We emailed right away and after following the owner’s suggestions to fix it to no avail, he had a technician out the next morning. It could not be fixed. The wood stove in the living room didn’t work, and similarly, despite suggestions from the owner, it could not be started. These were two of the primary reasons we picked this house for a late fall visit. Additionally, we found a number of beer cans throughout the house (two full ones under the wood stove), one in the shower downstairs, and another under the couch. The refrigerator door was so full of left behind items there was no room for any of ours, the beer refrigerator in the garage had broken glass and stale beer, the ping pong table was warped and unplayable (probably from beer being spilled on it), and the propane grill clearly hasn’t been cleaned in ages (we used the charcoal instead). Again, for a big group of skiers, maybe not a huge deal, but for two families with children hoping to spend time together, these were some major issues. I
