We enjoyed our week in Lakeside; the house was great - very close to tennis courts, the pool, trails, and a short walk to the pavilion, playground, shuffleboards, uptown shopping, etc.
However, and I let Ryan know, who was very apologetic and kindly waived our cleaning fee, but the house wasn't clean. I spent the first two days scrubbing the shower, vacuuming, mopping, etc. in preparation for all of my family to join because I was embarrassed to welcome them in the state in which we found it. Perhaps the cleaning crew is cutting corners? I haven't found a rental in this state before.
Ryan and family are currently overseas and it shows only in that those extra little details a nearby landlord attends to are missing - not something to be upset about, but just be aware. We didn't have any toilet paper, dish soap, clean sponges, etc., when we arrived. Ryan ordered more TP as well as paper towels, which were delivered on Wednesday - half way into our visit. No soap or sponges.
Ryan was very responsive overall, which was reassuring.
A few other things to know that we've experienced in our other Vrbo rentals that we didn't see at this rental or were not as advertised:
- No first aid kit and no fire extinguisher (that I saw anywhere).
- The washer and dryer are a little finicky and don't work very well.
- At least one of the four bikes is inoperable and another has flat tires we did not try to pump because the handle bars are bare metal - no grips of any kind.
- The main bath toilet seat is broken and rocks.
- All "extras" are missing - bar or shower soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. - samples that you might experience in other stays, so bring all toiletries, including a hair dryer - again, just FYI.
- The main floor living room furniture is quite soiled - so much so that we covered it with a blanket - and has exposed stuffing.
These points not withstanding, the house accommodates families well and we really liked the extra cottage out back. The house also has quite a few kids' items - markers, paper, watercolors, dollhouse, games, etc., that we enjoyed.
If you haven't visited Lakeside before: It becomes admission only the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. That means you are charged EVERY day for entrance. That would be roughly $80/day for our family, so do your homework and factor those costs in.
Lakeside Chautauqua is a cute and fun and the greater Lakeside/Marblehead peninsula is great - near several islands and lots to do/see.