DVD player, ping pong, books, video library
Check availability

Reviews of Dreamy Island Cabin W/ Lofted Layout, Wood Stove, Shared Pool & More - 1 Dog OK

Dreamy Island Cabin W/ Lofted Layout, Wood Stove, Shared Pool & More - 1 Dog OK
Shelton, WA

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 20 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 20 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 20 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 20 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 20 reviews" "

7.4/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Anna T.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Needs improvement!
This house seriously needs improvement. The shower curtain was completely busted, so when we took a shower, water went everywhere. Also, the house has so little venting and so much moisture trapped into the carpets, etc, that if the windows are shut, there is significant condensation on the windows. There is a musty smell, and the beds are very uncomfortable. That said, the location is IDEAL, the beach and swimming pool are amazing, and the place is dog-friendly - all of which are serious positives.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Aug 2023
Thank you for taking the time to share your valuable feedback. We sincerely apologize for the maintenance and cleanliness issues you had. Please know that this is not the typical standard our guests can expect, and when issues occur, we make every effort to resolve them quickly and efficiently. Our local operations manager is aware of all your concerns, and we will follow up to ensure that all your concerns will be resolved. Our team will also ensure that additional care is taken when cleaning the home between reservations. We hope to have the opportunity to better serve you in the future.

2/10 Terrible

Genie F.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Home needs plumbing and interior upgrade before it will be acceptable home to rent.
Plumbing so old that toilet clogged, could not be plunged and we had to move. We were without a working toilet a full day. Kitchen equipment is sparse, knives dull, carpet and furniture are old and dusty. Cleaning job was haphazard. Location is across street from North Beach Park and hiking trails. Nice access. Neighbors are rude and clearly unhappy that renters are in the community. I do not recomment staying here.
Stayed 6 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mark P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Mom's Memorial
The place was perfect. Exactly as advertised. Location across from North Beach could't be better!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

Allyson A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonder place
We really enjoyed our stay here. The house worked for us. Would rent again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

Brad S.

Difficult check in
Trying to plan our vacation around check in time was difficult. We were sent 3 different codes to check thru the gate in which none of them worked.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Sam B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great area, house needs a better manager
The good outweighed the bad, but someone needs to fix a few things there. First the good: entry code worked for us. the beach is great for kids, lots of rocks to collect, but sandy. Water is clear. On clear day, nice view of Ranier. Deer, dolphin, seals, and bald eagles. Nice walking trails. The Clubhouse is open. Pool, chess, checkers, games, ping pong table and Internet. Lots of books and videos and games to borrow. Also, the house has a fantastic fireplace and lots of wood to use outside. Bring a box of those fire starter pieces to easily start the fire. The bad: VRBO totally unresponsive. Cabin has no Internet (which we knew) or phone service so, can't really call from there. There are no instructions about who to contact with issues. Seems it would be VRBO, but no response. The house was freezing when we got there. No one thought to turn up the heat for us, I guess. DVD player doesn’t work. Toilet seat is broken. Pans are in bad shape (Teflon scraping off). Knives are dull. Fridge makes a loud noise all day and night. Beds need a comfortable top layer. One bedroom does not have blinds. There are only 3 towels for 4 people. I would stay in this area again, but not at this house. For the price at the time we rented, it was overpriced when these things are considered.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Lisette K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Relaxing Retro Local Getaway
We loved the retro 70's motif of the cabin - how rustic and original/ true to the era it was (era in which it was built). It was VERY clean, despite being pet friendly, fully-stocked with fun games, great DVD options and kitchen needs. There is radient, baseboard heaters and they even provided firewood for the wood burning stove (not sure if they always provide it but very nice to have a cozy fire). The location of the cabin, inside the community, couldn't be better - directly across from beach/ water access and a park with covered common space & fire pit. We were there in the winter and didn't use the porch but in the warmer/ dryer months, it would be excellent for BBQ and outdoor dining - lots of space. The community center/ game room was awesome, it has a library, ping pong, pool table, games, bathrooms, playground and a rock painting event for the community members (probably got lucky on the rock painting). There was a nearby coffee shop & bakery that was fantastic for breakfast and lunch. Grocery stores and other restaurants are about 30 mins away so I'd recommend bringing food. A few hiccups; as mentioned in a previous post, the 3 digit code provided to get into the community didn't work and the on-site office staff almost refused to let us in and would not give us a code. Once we managed to access the community & house, there was a key card to get the gate open. I would just triple check with Vacasa that you get a good code, especially if you arrive after the office as closed. There was no window covering in 1 of the bedrooms or loft, not a big deal with all the trees, it wasn't super bright in the morning, but it would be nice for privacy. Also a bit light on bed pillows (2 per bed), a few more would have made it a bit more comfortable. Lastly, the listing says the pool MAY be closed for COVID, but regardless of COVID, the pool is regularly closed during the "off season", fall & winter. All-in-all, we would 100% go back. The property was fantastic, clean, comfortable, great local & tons of on-site amenities.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Doug K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Quiet islands getaway
We had a great stay and they are pet friendly so we brought our small dog with us. The only downside was the complicated checkin - principally the initial gate entry process. Luckily, a willing neighbor let us through the gate when the provided number (security patrol) failed to respond. Once past the gate, no issues at all. Lots of cycling and hiking in the area. We'll likely be back.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2021

6/10 Okay

Lindsey L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Started poorly, ended strong!
Check-in wasn't great. The number provided to call @ the gate keypad was disconnected. I called "patrol" from the keypad, but unfortunately reached voicemail. I called Vacasa (management for property) directly; they only had the same info I had, but Vacasa rep said she would try to call someone at Hartstene Pointe & ask them to come help. While on the phone with Vacasa someone drove into the community, parked their car inside the gate & got out of her car. She asked if we were residents; we said no, we're renting, but the number we were given to call wasn't working. She SCREAMED at us several times, I'M NOT LETTING YOU IN. We never asked her to let us in, we never even tried to talk to her. She just VERY CLEARLY did not want us there. Awhile after my call with Vacasa I hadn't heard back from them & no one from the Pointe had shown up so I called patrol again from the keypad. This time someone answered & I explained our situation. He was a bit condescending & definitely not eager to help. At that time a resident drove up to the gate & must have overheard my conversation with patrol because he buzzed the gate open & signaled us to go through. A HUGE thanks to that individual! I never heard back from Vacasa & patrols seemed very uninterested in helping, I have no idea how much longer we would've been waiting to get past the gate had that person not let us in. At the cabin we promptly read the rule book and noted the warning about following the posted speed limits, which we would do anyway. We were still yelled at for "speeding" even while driving under the limit. The same person who yelled at us for "speeding" also paced in front of the cabin watching while we were on the deck doing a puzzle-seemingly keeping an eye on us. All that being said, while we were out on walks many others smiled & said hello, so clearly there are some nice people at the Pointe as well. Check-in/people added stress (I work in a busy ER in Seattle & was trying to leave the stress back there!), but other than that the getaway was great. The property is accurately described in the listing & I feel they have addressed some of the complaints mentioned in past reviews. For instance, we had more than enough clean towels & the property looked & smelled freshly & thoroughly cleaned. The location is amazing. The nearby trails were great as were the quiet beaches. Aside from the check-in snafu & some unpleasant individuals, everything else really was perfect. Ultimately enjoyed stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
Hello Lindsey, Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. We are pleased that you have a pleasant stay. We apologize for the check-in gate issues and the rude neighbors that you came in contact with. We hope to host you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

Audrey W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great location but house could use some work
The good: - Location was terrific. You walk 30 seconds to get to the beach and there are plenty of picnic tables to sit at. There are grills and electric stoves to use as well. - There were beautiful running trails around the island! - The clubhouse was great - they have a pool table, swimming pool, ping-pong table, tennis courts, and equipment to rent in exchange for an ID. Lastly, good wifi to work from! The bad: - Weak cell connection and NO wifi at the house. It would be nice to reiterate this on the online listing, since I unfortunately missed it. We needed to work on this property and ended up buying a mobile router through Verizon which was barely good enough to last us the week (and thank goodness). The clubhouse had good connection, but can be loud for a working environment with kids going in/out of the building and playing pool/ping-pong. With headphones in and very few meetings, it wasn't bad at all. - The house could use some work. There are minor repairs that could greatly benefit the feel of the home: (1) The screen door wouldn't properly open/close. We wanted to keep the sliding door open with the screen door closed to let more airflow into the home since it'd get a little musty throughout the day. There were also some holes that we covered with some tape to prevent bugs from coming in. (2) The toilet paper roll was missing half of its piece and sitting above the toilet. (3) The shower curtain was moldy and can be replaced. (4) The ceiling fan in the home will squeak when turned on. - They gave us 2 towels when we booked the place for 6 people. We luckily had our own towels to compensate and hung them up outside whenever we could. With no laundry unit, I would expect them to better equip us. I'd recommend asking them explicitly to leave you more towels. - The lighting of the house isn't great and the trees surrounding it doesn't help (though beautiful). We spent most of our time on the deck and hung up our own string lights. I think a few more lamps would easily solve this. - The house was a bit dusty and musty when we arrived. The ugly: - The neighbors are deeply unfriendly. They're very strict about the 15 mph limit and will yell if you're going any faster. They'll lecture you for not having your dog on leash. Avoid the people, I'd say. Overall, we felt there's a lack of care on the house. There are some VERY minor repairs that should be done especially given the amount they charge for it, and still maintain its rustic feel.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Anna M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Vintage Harstine!
Our family owned an original cabin on the pointe for many years before we (very sadly) sold in the early 2000s. This cabin is reminiscent of our old 70s cabin, so it felt very “Hartstine” to us all. It is truly like stepping back in time in its vintage, rustic charm. Very conducive to playing family games and front deck coffee drinking - like the good old days 😉. As one can gather from the description, this also means there is no washer or dryer, no dishwasher, and one small bathroom (with a teeny shower and slightly moldy shower curtain). Also, no WiFi, but we had Verizon cell service so we could still text, call and even watch movies on our phones/computer. My son in law had a zoom interview he was able to do without issue in the loft. If you’re good with that type of “roughing it”, this is a wonderful place! The location can’t be beat - directly in front of the pointe beaches where everyone wants to be all the time anyways. We loved the cozy loft for the kids and having two little bedrooms on the main floor for adults. The only reason I’m not giving this a 100% 5 star review is that there were some things that probably should have been there, including a broom for cleaning the vinyl flooring (there was a small solid floor vacuum, but it was broken and seemed it might be dangerous to plug in), paper towels (there was a small remnant roll there), enough coffee filters, and enough towels. Since there was no washer or dryer, it was challenging to reuse the same towel the entire five days for both showers and pool time. I would suggest knowing ahead of time there are not spare towels and making sure you bring your own beach towels at the very least. We ended up taking a lot of laundry (towels, bath rugs, wash cloths) to a relative’s in Olympia one day and doing it there mid-stay. Not big deals if you know ahead and are prepared! In all fairness, I run a vacation rental, so I may also pay more attention to these things. I want to be as thorough as possible in my review for the next guests to know and prepare for. All in all, it is a sweet, old style family cabin experience, and we would definitely come back! Thank you for sharing your place with us!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

6/10 Okay

Amy H.

Super rustic cabin, beautiful location
This is a cabin, honestly think camping with indoor plumbing. Gorgeous location at North Beach of Harstine, big deck, brand new BBQ. NO Wi-Fi, very minimal cell service. Very 70s, old floors, decor, furnishings, mismatched dishes, silverware etc. not updated. One firm/newer bed, the others were not comfortable, upstairs double bed was wrapped in plastic (noisy and uncomfortable). Sheets were scratchy, but comforters were soft and fluffy. Slider doors to the big deck are sealed shut. No beach towels, tennis rackets but no balls. No “guide” to the community (we couldn’t make a pool res through owner/Vacasa but friends who own on the island could make one for us). We we arrive the sponge used by previous occupants was out, I managed to find a new wrapped one under the sink. Teeny tiny shower. Light above kitchen sink would turn off and on randomly. There is heat, we didn’t need it, no AC (didn’t need that either). No washer/dryer which we needed for towels. It is a gorgeous location and the house has tons of potential but like I said, very, very rustic. You can’t beat the view from the deck!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Amy. We are sorry to hear you were not able to more fully appreciate the home's rustic charm and furnishings. We make every effort to ensure our home is reflected clearly and accurately through our listing information in order for guests to make informed rental decisions. A washer and dryer, WiFi, AC, beach towels, and tennis rackets are not featured amenities advertised for this home. Our photos and virtual tour provide an in-depth look at the home's layout and design, though we regret that the beds were not suitable for your party and appreciate this feedback as an area to improve upon in the future. We hope to have the opportunity to impress you in the future!

6/10 Okay

jared m.

Disliked: Cleanliness
Beautiful location, unclean cabin
The vacation home is in a beautiful location: short walk to the beach and tucked away in beautiful greenery. My wife and I enjoyed relaxing, bird watching, and going on walks around Harstene Island. We also took advantage of the grilling cabana located on the community beach. However, upon arrival we were surprised to find the bottom of our white socks completely gray within 20 minutes of exploring the cabin. Additionally, tried to turned on the garbage disposal which made an absolutely terrible crunching sound. Ended up pulling out a broken shot glass. Extremely disappointed with the cleanliness of the place. Overall the experience was okay due to the location of the home, but the condition of the home was inadequate.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 20 June 2023
We are delighted to hear you enjoyed this home and its location. Our apologies to hear about the cleaning details that were amiss. We appreciate your feedback, and the opportunity to address these concerns with our local team. Please know the issues in the home have been addressed and rectified by staff and we look forward to providing you with an exemplary visit next time.