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Reviews of Dog-friendly, lakefront home with dock, kayaks, canoe, bike & fireplace

Dog-friendly, lakefront home with dock, kayaks, canoe, bike & fireplace
Manitowish Waters, WI

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 24 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 38 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 38 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

David M.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Never again at a Vacasa property
This is a corporate property and it shows. It's obvious that there is no one that cares about this place. I've stayed at many VRBOs all around the country and this place was the saddest by far. It's like someone furnished it by spending one day shopping at rummage sales. Beds are fine for kids but not too many adults will find them comfortable. Couch needs to be thrown out just be sure to not look under it because it's gross. There were dishes and silverware in the cabinets that maybe had been rinsed under the faucet before being put away. Silverware was dirty and several plates still had egg and bacon residue on them. It is on the water but getting out on the water is not easy and you're not going to be swimming in it. More of a pond than a lake. If you're looking for a place to crash and not planning on spending much time here it'll be fine. If you're looking for a place to while away the days at a lake house look elsewhere. I could could go on and on but it's great location and that's about it. Make sure you Google reviews for Vacasa porperty management before you book. We definitley should have
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Aug 2023
Thank you for your review, David. We sincerely apologize for the issues you experienced during your stay, as well as any personal touch you found lacking. Moving forward, our local staff has taken immediate action and addressed your concerns so that we can prevent any further issues in the future. Thank you again for this valuable information as we always welcome the opportunity to improve. We understand how disappointing it was that the home was in this condition upon your arrival. Please know we strive to provide every guest with a relaxing stay. We hope to have another chance to impress you on a future stay.

6/10 Okay

EBR E.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Great Location, Scruffy Interior, No Local Help
Location was great. Walking distance to the grocery store, nice coffee house, swimming beach, a place to park your boat on the big lake, right off bike trail, etc. Inside the photos don't show some of the wear and tear. Pleather couch coming apart, old mattresses with springs you can feel, carpet tacks where the rug is thin, etc. Also, the description didn't match for the bikes (fewer than advertised) nor the personal water craft (more than advertised), so ensure you bring anything you really want. There was no local host. When we notified Vacasa of any issues, we got "sorry" emails. Overall, nice for our large group and with plenty of local restaurants, bike trails, lake access, etc. But not a super-well maintained cabin.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Aug 2023
Hi, Emily, thank you for your review. We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your valuable feedback. We will follow up with the appropriate parties regarding your experience to discuss preventative measures and ensure the continued enjoyment of our future guests. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope we can host you again!

6/10 Okay

Sarina B.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Three Star Property with Potential to be Five Stars
This place could be a five star property with some maintenance and better cleaning. The description is lake front, but it was more mosquito swamp than water front. The dock felt cheap and unstable. Very disappointed for my kids who were thinking they’d be swimming in the lake. Overall, the cabin was great. The beds were comfy. Kitchen was well stocked. The location is excellent! Close to grocery, restaurants, and a coffee shop. Maintenance of the property is lacking. Gutters are falling off or full of leaf debris. Which creates for a slippery deck after it rains and more bugs! There’s broken furniture (two dining room chairs) and a coach that is shedding off the pleather. The cleaning was a two star because as we stayed we noticed just how dirty it really was. We found mouse droppings on the main level and I ended up vacuuming the whole upstairs and under the couch. It was disgusting.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Jul 2023
We apologize if you felt the home was not on par with our cleanliness standards and for any issues you encountered during your stay. We are committed to providing exceptional customer service, and we will follow up with the appropriate parties to ensure our service standards are fully met. We also appreciate our guests' preferences as a means to improve and we have forwarded your comments along to our property management to consider and rectify the issues. We truly hope to have the opportunity to impress you in the future.

6/10 Okay

Kirstin D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing location but needs upkeep
I stayed here with some friends the first weekend in June for a special event at a local park. The location was perfect. We loved Dixie’s coffee house and utilized the bike rental and trails nearby. The house was very clean and spacious and all of the appliances were great. We did not spend a whole lot of time at the residence so it worked well for what we needed it for. Although it was clean the furniture was broken and the backyard was overgrown. The couch was peeling and the recliner was broken. There were multiple sections of the couch that were broken as well making it very uncomfortable to relax after a day spent outside. Some of the dining room chairs were also broken. We did not utilize the backyard but the grass was overgrown making it impossible to even get to the canoes and boat. The mosquitos were also unbearable which of course comes with the season but the property could use some spraying for the mosquitos. All in all great location and clean but definitely needs some upkeep inside and out.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 30 Jun 2023
Kirstin, thank you for your feedback, we are pleased to know that our home's location served you well! That said, we apologize for the areas that are in need of some extra TLC and our local manager assured us that the homeowner has a contractor addressing these issues. We enjoyed having you as our guest and we hope to host you again soon.

8/10 Good

David S.

Liked: Cleanliness
We were there to snowmobile Check in time should be much earlier.
I think property was a bit overpriced. Bathrooms were super small for that size of house . We enjoyed watching the deer.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

2/10 Terrible

Steve L.

Disliked: Cleanliness
DO NOT STAY HERE!
The Vance Bay Getaway looked great in the online photos, however such was not the case. The carpet was filthy, the bedsheets were not clean, the reclining sofa was broken and would not stay upright, the cheap vinyl upholstery was shredded, literally falling apart. Urine splatters on the en-suite toilet. We were looking forward to our stay in beautiful Manitowish Waters, but the horrible accommodations, unfortunately, muddied the water.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Bob L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Property needs some upgrading. All the bikes had flat tires and the pump was broken. We fixe bikes
Difficult for a first time renter on VRBO since we did not have any experience with vacation rental
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Cathryn Y.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great spot for our family
We enjoyed our stay at the Vance Lane house; the house was clean and the kitchen was well supplied. We had planned to bring our grand dog, a German Shepherd, and that plan changed, but there would have been plenty of room for him both in the house and outside. We were there in between seasons, and the weather was not cooperative, so we didn’t make use of the yard or dock, but it was clear there was a *lot* of cleanup and yard work to be done outside before that part of the property matched the description. We are still waiting for a reply 3 days later from the owners/managers on a question about a refund (no dog!) but otherwise communication from the managing company was clear and timely. We would definitely stay again!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Amie G.

Liked: Cleanliness
House is spacious and location is good! Would highly recommend staying here.
Very good!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Teresa M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place for socializing and being close to trails!
We loved being so close to trails, stores, restaurants, and gas stations. Description was spot on. Plenty of open space in the house. Management company was very helpful.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Curt H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Snowmobile weekend
Perfect place snowmobiled right from the driveway. The horseshoe driveway was perfect for my Suburban and 29”’ trailer. The home was cozy and clean. It would have been nice if there was some firewood for the fireplace, had I known I would’ve brought some from home.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mihaela B., Madison, WI

Liked: Cleanliness
Nice stay
We enjoyed being right on the bike trail (the primary purpose of our weekend getaway) and the convenience of the coffeeshop next door. House was spacious and with plenty of beds, there were really 4 bedrooms, 2 upstairs and 2 downstairs, we only used the main floor as only 4 of us).
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

jill g.

Liked: Cleanliness
Mtn Biking
We had a great time-close to local trails.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Nicole C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonder
We had a wonderful stay. Everything was very clean and the house had everything you would need.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Erik P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect location
Nice little lake spot and great amenities. Roomy and comfortable house.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Fun family weekend
This is a comfortable home with plenty of space for two families with kids. What we liked: conveniently located downtown MW, comfortable beds with crisp white sheets and plenty of towels, decor, well-stocked updated kitchen with every appliance you could need, new washer and dryer with laundry detergent pods and dryer sheets! The home lacks curb appeal and the outdoor spaces are not as clean and comfortable as the interior, so we didn’t use the patio or yard, but there is a nice fire pit in the back. There isn’t cable or satellite tv so we weren’t able to watch football games which my husband was upset about. And there are very steep stairs leading down to the basement with no door, just a heads up if you have small children you will need to bring a gate or block the stairs with chairs like we did!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

Stacy T.

Nice Location
Home had a nice open layout. Close to very lovely little park, grocery store and coffee shop. The home was decent. Clean bedding - plenty of towels and new washer/dryer. Easy check in & out. Deck furniture could have been much better - garage was a mess and the little boat was full of water - not sure if the trolling motor even worked. For the price all the amenities that are offered should be good working order.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jason H., Wheeling, IL

Liked: Cleanliness
Great spot located near everything.
Went here with kids for a fun summer week and had a great time canoeing and kayaking on the lake. Caught a couple of fish off the pier. Property was as described and we have no complaints, just great memories!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Amber P., North Liberty

Liked: Cleanliness
Large place for extended family
This was a nice and clean place to stay with our extended family including 5 adults, 5 kids (ages 5-15), and our 2 dogs. Other VRBO's we've stayed at have definitely had better stocked kitchens, but after reading the reviews, we just made sure to bring those little things like oil, seasonings, sugar, and aluminum foil. The property was nice to sit in the backyard with family, hang out by the dock and kayak/canoe, bike the trail that went right in front of the driveway, or walk to the coffee shop next door. Would definitely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

8/10 Good

Jennifer V.

Northwoods
Great location
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Amy H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Birthday Weekend
This was a family weekend getaway to celebrate three birthdays (adult, teen, and child). It rained all day Saturday but the house was cozy enough with enough supplied extras to keep everyone entertained. The property was pet friendly as advertised and we had a great time.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Karl Z.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful property
The house was clean, the space was functional and the house had everything we needed. The lake is gorgeous and local bike trail as well providing tons of outdoor activities.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2020

10/10 Excellent

Christopher P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Vance lake house
Nice house on a great location. Walk to downtown Manitowish Waters. Not on the chain, on Vance lake which flows into the river so the water is quieter with no engines on the boats although you are fairly close to the street and bike path. Great back yard.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2020

8/10 Good

Kristopher S., Neenah, Wisconsin

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location
Nice home with plenty of space for our group of six adults. The bike trail right outside the door is great and the ride to Boulder Junction is wonderful. Enjoyed dining at local restaurants - many within walking distance. Boating on the MW chain of lakes was amazing.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020

8/10 Good

Amy D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful House on small lake
House was lovely but not necessarily a quite getaway. It is steps away from the town,which although very convenient, can be loud in evening with music from nearby bar. More instructions in the home would have been helpful to master the 5 remotes, garbage pick up, trolling motor battery etc. The house was immaculate and the beds super comfy. Unfortunately, there was a very strong odor in basement laundry room that got worse as week went on. Kayaking on the lake was wonderful and the stores nearby were wonderful to walk to.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Jun 2023
Amy, we are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. Our local manager will work with the homeowner to make the necessary cleanings in the laundry room. We look forward to hosting you again!

10/10 Excellent

Samuel K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very nice place.
Wonderful place to stay and close to the action.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Maureen D.

Liked: Cleanliness
snowmobile trip
Perfect for sledding, central locatiobn
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020