Bella Vita Vacation Rentals

Reviews 3

SA

sandra hopwood

"THE BOAT HOUSE" we wish we could write a good review based on the kind staff at Bella Vita and boat owners, and prior rental experiences under this brand, however, this low review is to ensure that this property is improved so that no one else also endures an unfortunate vacation. We look forward to removing this review if improvements are made to the property. Here are the current issues: 1) The boat and especially the tap water smelled so strongly of (H2S) rotten eggs that it caused us to gag. We had to rinse our hands and dishes and brush our teeth with bottled water to reduce the odor, stop from gagging and ensure our food safety. Our clothing still smelled of rotten eggs after we returned home. 2) The boat does not accommodate 4 as stated: The tufted sleeper sofa is smaller than a Twin bed and feels like a 2x4 board is in the middle of it ...perhaps a small child could contort to fit on one half or the other to avoid the board (the foam pad does not resolve this issue). Needless to say I didnt sleep much for 3 nights on that sofa. 3) We couldnt open the windows to vent the rotten egg smell and the sliding glass door screens do not function properly (holes allowing bugs to enter, do not flow along the track without getting stuck or falling off every time you go in or out, and one fell on my head while sitting on the back deck). 4) No garbage bags provided 5) There is no comfortable seating: 5a. The back deck chairs are rigid and upright (director style and one was locked down so you couldnt move it to face the other person or the fireworks) vs. lounge style chairs that you would expect with a vacation rental. A small outdoor table to place a food tray, coffee or cocktails would help with comfort and provide some semblance of ambiance on the back deck. The flip up school desk style cup holders on the director chairs are not appropriate. 5b. The "lounge" chairs on the bow sit way too high in the air and are too tippy/top heavy to be on a tilted and rocking surface. ...a brilliant way to flip a right over the railing (not safe or relaxing). 5c. The wicker lounge chairs inside the salon are hard, uncomfortable and too large for the space. 6. There is no where to put your bags or any hanging clothing. 7. Kitchen utensils were covered in dust. 8. Is a Marinette 32 actually a 32 boat vs 37 in the description? 9. Back deck railing canvases were caked with dead bugs, mold and spider webs. I would have cleaned them myself but could not find a utility hose. 10. The boat shower does not function, so you have pack up your stuff and haul it up to the marina and back every time you shower (if before or after ship store hours it means you have to walk all the way to the back of the building past the stinky dumpster and sewage pumping vehicle). SUMMARY: Overall vibe is a stinky, dark, guys fishing cabin cruiser that recently had a couple of new accent pillows and dishes added. This vessel needs much more love and comfort to become a vacation rental.

SA

Sandra Czarnecki

Our girls trip group has stayed in Saugatuck a few times. Those have included a B&B (many years ago) and the spa suites at Bella Vita. Kevin and Lindsay, the owners of Bella Vita, have been so good to our group over the years that when I decided to change up the accommodations I wanted to stick with their property options. After a discussion, Kevin recommended the Woodbrook house. This house was new in their listings and there were no reviews or anything on it. Kevin sent me pictures and it really did look like a perfect fit...and indeed that was the case! The landscaping and yard was beautiful and the ladies used the little sitting area on the corner of the lot often. The screened-in front porch was also used a lot and it was wonderful in the evenings. As for the house, every one of the girls commented on how much they liked it when they entered. There were 9 of us staying there and the bedrooms and bathrooms accommodated all of us without issue (2 full baths, 1 half bath, 5 bedrooms, and a trundle bed in the loft/sitting area upstairs). There were plenty of linens but we always had an option to do laundry if needed as there is a washer and dryer on premises (we were there for 3 nights so it wasnt needed). We had a make-your-own pizza night for the group one night and two "communal" potluck breakfasts. The kitchen worked great for this! Nice big center island with counter space for prepping and putting out food. The other kitchen amenities were great...plenty of pots and pans, some storage containers, big bowls, utensils of all types, even a casserole dish. Most of us brought the stuff we needed but there were plenty kitchen items and such there already. The oven and stove worked great as well, especially for pizza night! It got hot enough to cook the crusts nicely on the pizza stones. The oven is small but it has two racks and tends to cook things evenly on both. There are about 5 outlets along the end of the kitchen island which became a popular spot for charging phones and tablets. Also, we didnt use it, but there is a grill out back for other cooking options. Some paper products were provided: paper towels, trash bags, toilet paper. We did have to go on a TP run by the third day but that wasnt too bad. Lastly, the walk to "downtown" Saugatuck was a couple of minutes at best.The location was just far enough outside of the main street for privacy but close enough when you wanted to be in the thick of things! Overall, the house was a wonderful option for our group this year and I would absolutely consider it again or another Bella Vita property in the area.

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Debbie Hunckler

I have rented from you twice this summer. The second experience was just ok. I am not sure that I would ever consider renting this house again or recommending it to another person. Our entire party felt the same way. House was very musty /dusty smelling. Only one dishrag and one drying rag was present in the kitchen.Handsoap should be provided in both the kitchen and bath as well as ample toilet paper. These are basic necessities. Where is the rental fee money going? These stays are not cheap and BASIC necessities should be provided. As the planner of this event, I felt embarassed when we arrived and found things less than desirable! Other little things were annoying as well. No mention of a Keurig and the picture showed a regular coffee pot? We had to run out to find keurigs for the pot. We would have brought our own had we known. The extra duvet had no cover on it. Gross! I am sure it is not washed every time someone uses it. The house is meant to sleep six so you should assume that there will be less than 3 people to a bed and the pull out would be used to sleep two people. You would also need two pillows and only one was there for the pull out. If you have a house that sleeps six, dont you think it would be wise to have more than six bath towels? Especially for women. Most people do not come with laundry soap the first night to be able to wash towels or duvets. We were not even sure if a washing machine was present prior to our arrival.Towels do not dry thoroughly in one day. At the very least there should be individual towel hangars to hang all six towels up to dry them before the next shower! Both stays were lacking in places to set your luggage down to access clothing. Not everyone is the type of person to use drawer space for a 3 day stay. Luggage racks / chairs should be provided to place luggage somewhere but the floor. The second stay also had an outside access door into the bedroom. It had a broken screen door lock and a flimsey bottom lock on the regular door. We put a chair in front of it for safety sake. It does not matter if Saugatuck is a low crime town, this is a different world than in the 1970s. Please consider all of these suggestions if you expect to have your rentals recommended to others. I have many friends of retirement age as well as children and friends that would consider this location a great place to vacation. I would however use caution when recommending accommodations. Thank you, Debbie Hunckler

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