Cottage Connection of Maine, Boothbay Harbor

Our family (with children and grandchildren) has visited The Villa on Ocean Point for many years. We have found the experience to be everything a summer in Maine could possibly be – calming, inspiring, enchanting. The house has such a wonderful historic feel to it with the many personal family photos and personal items displayed throughout the rooms. The breezes blowing through the windows, the sounds and smells of the sea are like a welcome shot of adrenalin for the soul. The views of the ocean and sunset are spectacular. While this is an Ocean Point historic house, it is so solidly built that our grandchildren can rise early, have breakfast with mom or dad, then play in the living room or on the porch without a sound disturbing late-sleepers. Speaking of which - The Villa has a large front porch fully surrounded by sliding windows where we spend time on rainy days reading on the wicker sofa or in the rocking chairs and playing cards or putting together puzzles at the glass-top table. Did I mention they have a closet full of wonderful old-fashioned toys which our grandchildren make a beeline for each time we visit? (Who needs electronic gadgets in Maine? !) The Cottage Connection staff is the BEST! Every detail is attended to: Clear concise rental agreements; detailed lists of things to do and places to go in the area; written lists of emergency measures & phone numbers posted on the refrigerator door; arranging for delicious pot pies for dinner upon our arrival; crisp clean linens in each bedroom, startup supplies of soap, toilet paper, detergent, spices, etc. – Nothing is overlooked in making our arrival and vacation stay perfect. ONCE we tried another rental agency … hoping to save a little money!! Oh my gosh! What a big mistake. Un-kept promises by the rental agent and the homeowner-- dirty dishes and pots & pans in the cupboards; nothing in the kitchen in the way of spices – not even salt; a disgustingly greasy grill in the back yard; unsafe electrical outlets in the bath and kitchen; no blankets for some of the beds; the washer was so noisy, it sounded like a earthquake and the dryer needed three cycles to get a load dry; no garbage bags; no broom; no large kettle to boil lobster; no shades or curtains on the bedroom windows… I believe you get the idea. Make no mistake, we did not save money. It cost more to buy startup supplies and regularly used items than our estimated initial savings. – Even our four-year-old grandson said, “I want to go to the ‘other Maine’ next time.” Go with the Cottage Connection and fully enjoy your Maine vacation.

Total lack of any urgency or customer service. We were told almost all the cottages we liked were booked even tho showing available on the Cottage Connection site & VRBO listings that link to it. Repeated calls and emails to confirm the availability of these cottages have gone unanswered. On the Water in Maine was super responsive, helpful and flexible. I cannot for a minute understand how Cottage makes any money let alone keeps clients. Insanity.