Unusual Vacation Rentals by Eden Monroe

 

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As the title suggests in the romantic suspense novel, Dangerous Getaway, a stay in a vacation rental property, no matter how great the anticipation, doesn’t always turn out as expected. Such was the case for Rhone Alexander and Grace Upton with Birch Shadow:

“You think there was another woman down here, trapped?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Now look at whose imagination is being over-active,” she whispered in undertones, her flesh beginning to crawl. “What makes you say something like that?”

“Because while you were sleeping I found a woman’s shoe down back.”

While dramatically disappointing vacation rental experiences are definitely possible, most fails seem to fall into the categories of annoying to downright uncomfortable. Here are three such experiences as set out in Buzzfeednews.com:

"When I was about 10, my family rented a small house in Cape Cod for a week. It was really nice until I woke up in the middle of the first night and screamed when I saw little black dots all over the ceiling — it was like the ceiling was painted a different color. The house was infested with gnats (they're like tiny mosquitoes). They were insanely hard to kill and bit us everywhere. They were on the walls, the furniture, etc. Hundreds of them just everywhere. We spent an absurd amount of money on products said to kill them, but nothing worked. We basically stayed out of the house as much as possible and one night I slept in the yard because honestly there were more bugs inside than outside. It was miserable, like an actual horror movie. We all had hundreds of bites that ended up getting infected. I remember my mom trying to get our money back. All the owner said was, 'It's gnat season, sorry,' and didn't reimburse us. Worst family vacation ever."

And the second vacation rental experience: "The house was filled with clowns. Clowns everywhere. Little figurines and blankets and paintings. It was a nightmare and half."

And thirdly: "My now-fiancé and I went on a trip together to Philly a few months into our relationship. When we arrived, our host came down in her pajamas and slippers holding a small poodle... It became clear she wasn’t going anywhere and that the 'entire place' listing was incorrect. When we reached the room we’d be staying in, the host pointed out the erotic photos decorating the walls, saying this would 'set the mood' for our trip. She also let us know she would be in the room 'right next door,' working on a pending lawsuit she was filing. Throughout the trip, she would knock on our bedroom wall and speak to us through it. It also became clear through our stay that her dog, who she told us was a service dog, was never let out to use the bathroom but rather stayed in the house. We found dog poop and pee in various locations in the home, including in our room!"

In Dangerous Getaway, Birch Shadow is nestled deep in the hills of Elgin, New Brunswick, in beautiful Eastern Canada. Sandwiched between two heavily-treed slopes that stretch lazily toward a cloudless sky, this idyllic 19^th century inspired cottage features sumptuous grounds surrounded by spectacular scenery. It seemed to be the perfect choice … at first glance.

In real life, some vacation renters aren’t quite so fortunate in finding a rental property that’s inviting even at first glance, again according to Buzzfeednews.com:

"We had just travelled seven hours from England to Scotland expecting to rest after a long journey in the house we had rented on the internet, only to find that the house didn't exist. So we were stranded in a strange country at 12 a.m. in the pouring rain."

In another situation travellers encountered less than stellar living conditions, including a unique shower situation where a “garden hose ran from outside through a window and taped to the ceiling” although there was apparently an ample supply of hot water.

And then there was the downright creepy (Buzzfeednews.com):

“Pictures online had been taken about 10 years prior. The whole house had fallen into disrepair, with windows that had been boarded up, overgrown shrubbery, and the front door hanging off its hinge. The owner was an elderly man with one eye that swiveled independently like a chameleon's. There were dozens of feral kittens, which he warned us not to let inside the house. On the desk in the foyer alongside the guest book was a dish of dead butterflies and a list of people who were born and died in the house. I spent the whole night wondering if I was in a Stephen King novel."

Among the mix are the vacation rentals that turn out to be truly horrible by anyone’s estimation. The following Buzzfeednews.com experience would definitely come under the heading of nightmare, at least as far as I’m concerned. I would be in the door, and right back out again in no time flat:

"My family and I went to Hawaii and rented a house around Hilo for a couple weeks. In the kitchen pantry and all the bedroom closets there were these giant, flying cockroaches that would launch at you every time you opened the door. After day two we didn’t open the doors, but we could still hear them rattling around the rest of the trip."

Some people actually seek out highly unusual experiences, and delight in finding them. There are vacation rentals available to satisfy just about any taste - something a little bit different according to thrilllist.com. How about spending your vacation in the middle of a cemetery?

“Hudson, New York

“This 1900 building is a schoolhouse turned tool factory turned artist’s studio turned Airbnb, located inside of the Cedar Park Cemetery, which is home to thousands of burial plots and has all sorts of notable people resting in peace. This building has several lofts—this one is Chinese-inspired, meaning you’ll sleep in an authentic 18th-century opium wedding bed. Not creepy enough for you? Think about it this way: If no one is renting out the other spaces, you’ll be the only living soul for miles.”

Of course there’s also the other side of the story, injustices suffered by vacation rental hosts at the hands of undesirable guests as described in Beyndpricing.com/blog:

“On a more disgusting note, a host shared their experience of finding used Q-tips squashed into the carpet and chewed gum or candy stuck in the furniture after the guests checked out. This lack of respect for the host's property is unfortunately not uncommon.”

However, overall the vacation rental business seems to be an acceptable balance of good and not so good, as explained by an industry insider, again in Beyndpricing.com/blog:

“A host shared their experience with guests sneaking in extra people without permission, property being stolen, and a pet bird dying after windows were negligently left open.

“While these stories are certainly shocking, it's important to remember that they represent a tiny fraction of the overall Airbnb experiences. Most stays are enjoyable and trouble-free. However, these tales serve as a reminder for hosts and guests alike to exercise caution, respect, and common sense when using the platform. Happy hosting!”

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/monroe-eden/