This is a private historic home with all the modern conveniences. Outside is private with room to roam, swim, boating, and kayaks.The owners are very friendly and helpful. The kids especially loved everything about the island. Being over 70, I had issues getting from the boat to the house. The steep incline of the pathway made it especially difficult to haul our coolers etc. to the house. A wagon or pulley system would solve the problem. Overall this place is beautiful, private,and relaxing.
We had a great stay the 100 year old stone cottage, it had a really great kitchen and common area for our group. The Pontoon boat access over to The Bishopâs Island and the rest of the lake made our stay relaxing and peaceful. As an added bonus, we were just a couple minutes from the Sylvan Cellars Event center for a full weekend of fun. Highly recommend!
Overall a great experience for a quiet getaway. The views were amazing and having a boat made the trip so much more fun. The facilities themselves were a mashup of rustic and modern. Providing old country charm with modern appliances. The only concern is the cleaning fee/check out. Despite a 300 cleaning fee we had to empty all the garbage, take it to the main land, wash all the dishes, strip all the beds, and move all the towels.
The overall stay was very relaxing with little to worry about. Privacy and quiet were every moment. The owner very responsive to our questions. The web description said extra refrigerator and hot tub. When asked about it was explained by owner. This did not disrupt the fun that we had and great experience at the house and lake.
Location is very private which was perfect for us. Cars are parked right across the lake on an easement & pontoon was waiting for us.
Nicely stocked house. Everything you need in the kitchen, plenty of towels for the lake etc.
First impressions:
pontoon is so dirty & absolutely covered with cobwebs and spiders.
House itself was cleaned but porch area could have used a broom to it.
Couldnât figure out how to work oven - it wouldnât turn on. No instructions for it.
Water leak from en-suite bathroom upstairs- coming into dining table area
Very warm upstairs
Need water shoes for beach area - lots of sharp rocks
Dishwasher doesnât clean dishes very well
Dishes sitting in cabinet were dirty. Had to wash everything befor using.
Very small hot water heater - everybodyâs showers were cold
It would have been nice if Beds were made
House was great. The outside / exterior wasnât quite as nice. Loved having a boat, but it was very dirty and full of cobwebs and debris. There was a swing on site, but it was old and rusted. Wouldâve rather not had one. The dock pad used for jumping in the water had a screw sticking out of the steps. Overall the stay was great, but would have loved to see these little things fixed.
We enjoyed our stay so much. The home was perfect for our late family of 12. The kids had a blast as well as the adults. The only issues we could mention to improve on would be the outdoor furniture was not really useable and the beach area could use some seating. Nothing that impacted the overall experience. Four stars all the way, we would book again! This family recommends this property!
This place was amazing! The inside of the house was way better than we thought it would be. The only way to make this place better would be to clear out more weeds along the shore line. Overall it was perfect!
We had a wonderful time at Grape Island. The boat was easy to use and the island isn't too far from shore, so even though it took us multiple trips to unload it didn't take terribly long. The big yard, trail around the island, and screened in porch were amazing spaces for the kids in our group to play! It is worth noting that the staircase is rather steep and narrow up to the second floor. If anyone in the group has trouble with stairs they should plan to stay in the master on the first floor. We had to change our sleeping arrangements because my grandpa couldn't do the stairs safely. I would also recommend this trip to be an offline experience. Two members of our group had to jump on several work calls during the week and the wifi was not strong enough to support their connection. They ended up working from the public library in Kendalville. Overall, the space was a ton of fun and the old stone house is gorgeous!
A group of 8 adults and 7 kids under the age of 4 stayed here for our annual trip together. We loved swimming at the beach and hanging out on the screened porch. There is plenty of space to spread out in the house. The amenities are abundant, and having an extra fridge on the screened porch was a lifesaver with so many of us there. My only suggestion is a good spray down with a hose or at least wiping away cobwebs on the boat as it was covered with webs and spiders when we arrived, but we had a wonderful stay making memories with our families.
This is a beautiful and historic property. Itâs like stepping back in time, but with all the modern conveniences. The house itself is beautiful and spacious. Having the whole private island to yourself is amazing. The use of the pontoon to explore Sylvan Lake, go fishing or make a trip to the store was so nice. Highly recommend for a family getaway!
Pleasantly rustic, ample embellishments, sports equipment, lots of things to do, great environment with many nearby points of interest. great lake for cruising with lots of interesting coves and basins.
Property manager and owners were very responsive. Unfortunately, there were some issues with the local help that were supposedly taking care of the yardwork, exterior cleaning, but the owners handled the situation as best they could. It made the first couple days of our trip more stressful than it should have been.
The interior was functional, but additional furniture would be a big help for families that use it. (Dressers, shelves in the bathroom, more lamps) Additionally, the screened porch could be a huge asset, but the screening needs replacing, and a good cleaning is required. We chased many wasps, and 1 bird out of the porch.
Lastly, it could be the area, but the internet was very spotty, at best. Using computers and/or watching TV was a challenge.
This place has sooooo much potential, but needs some TLC for the price to rent it.
We had a great time on the island making memories with our grown kids and grandkids. The littles enjoyed swimming, fishing, and playing in the sand. My sons-in-law even set up a "treasure hunt" for the kids to find a treasure chest with fake jewels buried in the sand. They loved it. It was a great place to relax and fun to explore the lake.
Our family had a great time on Grape Island. The accommodations were great and having access to a boat for the week was wonderful. Being on an island is not as challenging as you imagine because the trip to the mainland is 2-3 minutes. We would recommend this location to everyone!
It was a great location to meet friends halfway. As shared in other reviews, updated outdoor furniture and a seating area or furniture near the docks/beach would be nice to sit. We enjoyed exploring the area.
This is an amazing spot - we had three couples and a couple younger children and we thoroughly enjoyed the island. It was so fun to explore the lake on the pontoon, which you can take to the market or ice cream shop (when it's open, we were late in the season). The nice big yard is great for playing ball and we spent every dry evening by the fire pit - a wonderfully relaxing spot at night. Beautiful kitchen, plenty of spices and pans and things I don't expect to find at a VRBO. Quick responses from owner when little questions came up - we hope to be back again!
Cleaning crew did top-notch job everything was clean everything.
Would be nice to clear at least 3 trees south side of house to have a nicer view to lake from patio.