Lakeside Vacation Cottage

We really enjoyed everything about this stay. The owners were very helpful with anything we needed. The location was so peaceful and stress free. The lake is beautiful and having access to everything(paddle boats, canoes..) you need to have fun on the lake was a great bonus. We had no problems with the villa we stayed in and the enclosed porch was very nice also. We would recommend this place.

We use home away quite often and we rely on the reviews before renting a property. When I write a review I try to be very honest so there are no surprises.

First of all the lake is beautiful, the best beach on the lake! Sue & Art are kind enough to allow use of all the kayaks, boats, floats ect. which we took advantage of. The cottage was clean, and well stocked for cooking. The cottages are as described and have a very authentic feel to them.

There are tons of nearby activities, other lakes, places to eat ect. close by.

Sue & Art are very nice, and right there to help should you require anything.

That being said you should understand this is for families with kids . The owners are very close to the cottages which gives no sense of privacy.You REALLY need to be quiet after 10pm. 90%of the time it was just my husband & I. We did have friends up (4 people) all 40 yrs and older a couple of times. We were playing cards on the back porch laughing and talking , not "whooping" it up and were all in bed by 11pm on a Friday night. The next day we were told we had to keep it down because voices carry in the woods. We were very put off by this since we are very respectful of other people and were not playing music or being loud and obnoxious. After that we felt like we had to be very quiet and worry that we were disturbing others.

There are NO locks on the doors. I inquired about this and Sue said "nothing has ever happened". We were not comfortable with this as no-one can keep an eye on things at all times , especially at night. We also locked our computers ect in the car when we left the cottage and feel that locks are a must in today's society unfortunately. We understand the owners want to keep the old fashioned feel of the place, but we felt this needed mentioning.

An under the sink water filter is a must. The odor of the water is really terrible. We honestly were disgusted by the smell. We know it's safe to drink , but you surely wouldn't want to!

Spiders! If you have a phobia you will have an issue big time! Giant spiders are outside the screens at night. One of our friends was completely freaked out. A regular perimeter cleaning and bug spraying needs to be done on a regular basis.

Overall I would recommend this HIGHLY to families with children for the reasons stated.

Had other renters mentioned the issues we had, I would have looked for something more private.

We had a wonderful vacation at Crystal Acres this summer! We have 2 kids (under a year and 4 yo) and it was just a perfect spot to bring them to. The villa is just steps away from the lake, without the need to cross the street which was great for our daughter, we felt very safe. There are tons of sand toys and floaties on the beach which was a cherry on top! The beach is very kid friendly: shallow entrance, docks, clean sand, clean water. There are kayaks, a canoe, a pedal boat - everything you might want on a lake (life jackets are also provided)! We had a few nice walks (very stroller friendly) around the lake. The villa itself is very cozy, we loved the fireplace and the porch especially! We had a few rainy days, and we used them to explore the area around (the Weirs beach with the arcades was quite fun and Tilton was a good shopping experience). Sue, Art and their entire family were so welcoming and such nice people, it was really great having them closely! We can't wait to come back! Thank you so much for the wonderful week!

We loved our vacation at Crystal Acres! We found the cottage to be exactly as described. It was comfortable and very well equipped and maintained. All five of us, and our dog, had a great time. It was just steps from the cottage to a beautiful sandy beach. We had lots of fun swimming and kayaking, relaxing in the sun, and also just taking in the amazingly beautiful views of Crystal Lake. Sue and Art were very friendly and helpful. We just came back home, but are already looking forward to returning to Crystal Acres!

We just spent a wonderful week with family and friends at Crystal Acres. The atmosphere is homey and totally relaxing, and the beautiful sand beach and truly crystal water are just steps from the cabins. We stayed in the Villa which is well-equipped, clean and just as described. There was ample space for four adults and two small children. The kind hosts are on site and available and responsive to any need. Besides swimming, we enjoyed biking and running in the area, with a few outings for mini-golf and to the nearby Shaker Village. On top of all that, the loon calls in the evening - we hope to return and would certainly recommend this special place.