Reviews of Property: Spacious, sunny house near the beach. Great for groups, longer stays

Description House, 2200 sq. ft.,
5 Bedrooms, Sleeps 9, 3 Bathrooms
Facilities beach, town, private pool, garden, pets considered, air-conditioning
Rates per property
Set rates in US Dollars
$130 - $150/night 
$800/week 
$2,300/month 
GBP Conversion - Estimated
£78 - £90/night 
£479/week 
£1,377/month 
Helen Shustikov
Speaks: English, French, Russian

7 Reviews of Property 224599 in Staten Island, USA

Rating
4 out of 5

Cozy, Convenient & Friendly

Mel E. Mel Bronx, NY
Review Submitted: July 23, 2009 Date of Stay: July 2009
I had the pleasure of spending the weekend at this lovely home with a group of 7 friends. The owners were friendly and ready to help out with any questions or concerns I had regarding the home. The pool was just filling up when we got there so unfortunately, we had to wait until the next day to use it, but it was clean with fresh water and so was the back porch.
We did have to clean the BBQ grill before using it though. For those of you expecting a five-star hotel, this is not it. Expect to bring your own soap and ammenities, but clean towels and sheets are provided. The house was clean when we arrived though it feels less like a hotel and more like if a good friend lent you his or her four-bedroom home for the weekend. It was welcomeing. The house had everything you needed from plates to cleaning supplies, and anything else you may need can be easily found at the nearby KMart. The beach is about ten minutes walking distance, but not difficult to find... we drove there (1- 2 minute drive).
If I had to add critiques, there is some unneccesary furniture in the living room like the bulky electric piano that doesn't work and the white enamel desk/shelf by it which seems to clash with the beachy looking atmosphere- also, no good cable channels. The good thing is that since we were just there for the weekend, the tv was not missed. There was no central AC that I was aware of but two of the rooms had AC and only some of the windows had screens so even if you open them at night you risk getting bitten by mosquitos. I would suggest screens for all of the windows. Luckily, we had OFF spray.

In conclusion, if you want an affordable, convenient, homey place to go, this is your spot ;)
Owner's Response: Very sorry on the mix-up with the screens. This is being sorted out. On the a/c we had a misunderstanding. We do have two central air conditioning units, plus two room conditioners in the warmest bedrooms. This party came in shifts and we explained everything to the first shift, but I guess not everyone got the word. The solution seems to be to leave more detailed written instructions, which we shall do.

Otherwise, glad you had a good time.
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Rating
5 out of 5

Nice house in Staten Island

jlh319 New York
Review Submitted: October 30, 2009 Date of Stay: October 2009
Listing was accurate, landlords were a pleasure to deal with. Property was clean and as described.
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Rating
1 out of 5

Our stay

gint Chattanooga Tn.
Review Submitted: October 10, 2009 Date of Stay: September 2009
The house wwas very dirty and all the beds were on the floor.House is not close bto the ferry.Cost to the ferry by cab for a paryt of four was 16.00 and the corner store was expensive,so buy food from a big store before you go there.There are omly three bedrooms office had a bed in it and bedroom downstairs was full of junk.Spa tub was dirty and just not a place for anyone who care about themself.We would never recomend this hous to anyone.The only goog thing is that we were given our money back and we cleaned the downstairs.The house is really lovely,but just needs to be cleaned from top to bottom and some of the junk thrown away.
Owner's Response: Well, there's gratitude for you! We have been trying to save renters money by doing without a cleaning fee and cleaning ourselves. We realize now this is an error and we will collect for a professional cleaner from shorter-stay guests. Still, I think these ladies had done this sort of thing before and greatly exaggerate the situation.

On the substance, no, the house is not near the Ferry and does not claim to be. The fourth bedroom is a bit snug but cozy with a window and morning sunshine. The "bedroom downstairs full of junk" is actually a store room off the basement, which is not advertised as space for guests. We have a Shop Rite 10 minutes' walk/2 minutes' drive away where any reasonable shopping needs can be filled, not to mention K-Mart, CVS, etc. in the immediate neighborhood.
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Rating
4 out of 5

Great for a medium sized group

JF3 West Point, NY
Review Submitted: August 31, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009
We stayed with a group of 10 people at the house for a weekend. The owners were very friendly and easy to work with. The house seemed to be in a relatively central location on Staten Island; there were plenty of shops and restaurants very close by.

The weekend was very enjoyable. The house worked out very well for us. The pool, while somewhat small, was a good way to relax during the hot days, and the Jacuzzi tub was nice, although it was tucked away downstairs in the basement. The property was clean and the beds freshly made.

I would definitely recommend the property to those thinking about spending time on Staten Island.
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Rating
4 out of 5

Just a ferry trip away

Stevkery Canberra, Australia
Review Submitted: August 25, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009
We stayed here with our family of six and had plenty of room to spread ourselves out. We liked that we were not staying in the heart of Manhatten but could make our way over there each day without too much fuss. The house is very close to local shops and amenities. The owners are very friendly and had left detailed instructions on how to use all the air conditioners and other gadgets. We liked that there were board game and books to occupy us each night rather than having to rely on the television, but if we wanted to watch the television there were about one hundred cable channels to choose from. A hotel it is not, but we were not looking for a hotel, we were looking for somewhere where we could cook and feel at home at night while being able to explore New York by day.
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Rating
3 out of 5

Spacious house on Staten Island, August 2009

Review Submitted: August 17, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009
This is a big house with excellent decking at the back and a circular pool which can be accessed through a gate but it is effectively a tub that is difficult to walk round without overbalancing and falling in.

Its in a quiet, well kept neighbourhood with good amenities (shops, restaurants etc) and access to bus and rail routes. There are regular buses to the ferry and express buses to Manhattan.

It is a short walk to a good beach with very few people on it in August.

If we had a criticism it would be that when we arrived the house needed a thorough cleaning - there was trash from previous occupants in the kitchen bin and their crumbs on surfaces/flooring. We had been up for 30 hours and travelled 3,500 plus miles so did not have time or energy to rectify this.

The owners are responsive by email, but we did not have the opportunity to meet them during our stay.

We found the house as described in the advert and, apart from hygiene, enjoyed our holiday in a quiet haven away from the bustle of the city.
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Rating
2 out of 5

Fairy house

Auntie Em Carmel, IN
Review Submitted: June 22, 2009 Date of Stay: June 2009
This house was a diamond in the rough. The low fees attracted us to this property. It was a great bonus when we noted the pool and jacuzzi.

Unfortunately when we arrived the house was really dirty- kitchen was greasy and the bathrooms had grime/etc, carpets covered in dog hair. It required a 2 hour cleaning. Unfortunately we were never able to clean up the green pool to the point that we could use it. We didn't even attempt the jaccuzi.

The house itself is in a nice quiet neighborhood close to beaches. It has a ton of room and has great potential. The art work is adorable and the kids loved that. It was about a 20 minute drive to the ferry at St. George.The owners were very friendly and helpful.

In the end. This house has so much potential. It just need a really thorough cleaning. I have stayed at many other rentals and never had this problem.
Owner's Response: We appreciate the compliments to our house and take to heart the criticism of the housekeeping. This was the start of our summer season, and we will polish our "diamond" better. We are open to guests with pets, but perhaps should roll up the single throw carpet downstairs, exposing fully our beautiful hardwood floors.
The one point we dispute is about the pool. It was clean and blue when these guests arrived. But obviously our prices do not include a pool boy. We provide chlorine, etc., but daily maintenance is up to the guests. The jacuzzi is brand new and just how you see it in the picture.
We are pleased to hear that Midwesterners found New Yorkers friendly and helpful, and felt safe in our neighborhood.
Did you find this review helpful? Yes No Helpful votes: 2/2