I'm going to summarize the hotel then give the pros and the cons…read more Preparing for our vacation I found this exceptional lodging on the Internet and was very excited. It offers a homelike atmosphere to the rooms: a full service kitchenette equipped with basic kitchen ware such as cooking essentials and silverware. There is a Keurig and coffee pods waiting for you in your room. The spacious suite offers room to spread out and separate your lounging area from your sleeping area, etc. The pull out couch offers more sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people per room. There is a wonderful AC unit to keep you cool and an overhead fan in the bedroom. There are 2 televisions equipped with streaming capabilities and lots of closet space/hangers. When we arrived we were immediately impressed with the professional and classy appearance of the lodging. There is a wall for mailboxes and they also provide outgoing mail service. Further inside the lobby, an intimate lounge area offers 24 hour refreshment center which includes coffee, tea, cider and hot chocolate all via the Keurig. In the mornings there is a selection of pastries all thoughtfully displayed under glass. There is a laundry room on the 2nd floor which cost $9 for one complete cycle. And on the first floor is a gym. Outside and a short jaunt across the parking lot is a heated pool and a game room. This is a great place that teens and kids enjoy hanging out in. I found my personal experience to be exceptional in that I enjoyed all the aforementioned amenities (except being on vacation I chose not to use the stove so I didn't cook). The Walmart "around the corner" provided basic necessities for snacks. And we ate out the rest of the time. We did enjoy the breakfast display. We also utilized the pool which was nice, but be prepared to feel like you're crashing a private intimate family vacation. While there, 2 families occupied the pool their entire stay. The fact that there is a place for the kids to let loose allows the hotel itself to remain quiet and peaceful. Our bed was comfortable, yet we are used to a king size so it was small for us. The shower was wonderful with a nice strong current. They provide toiletries and there is a hairdryer as well. There are also pool towels available at the front desk. Just ask for them. Overall, this hotel offered a resort style feel and we were able to get a great price using a third party when making reservations. The only things to note that may be a problem for people include: *There is no lock on any entry way so if someone to come though the side door, they would find that they do not need to use any code for entry. This might concern some people, but we did not encounter issues. There are plenty of security cameras everywhere *The shower might be a tight fit for a larger individual. It was fairly cramped. And the bathroom does not have a vent. *There is no elevator so you might want to ask for the first floor. *But be prepared to hear every flush and all the water running from the unit above you *You also will hear and sense every footstep from above you but we used white noise while sleeping and that helped *We could not get the hang of the remote and the streaming style of the tvs. It was very complicated. *There is a pizza place across the street we never got to try because we were sight seeing most of the time. The one time we were going to try it they closed early. That was on a Saturday. *The ice cream place next door is cash only and very expensive. An ice cream cone is over $5 and a shake was almost $10. *They are a dog friendly hotel and our room had a slight wet dog smell. Be sure to ask for a room in the higher 100s and up. Overall we were happy and would return if in the area.

My home has been on the market for a couple years now with Joe Sala as my Realtor. It's not his…read morefault it hasn't sold btw -- many complications have come up that I'm finally getting settled now. But anyway, Joe has been very helpful and responsive. He also tells it like it is -- I appreciate his honesty and attention to detail.

If I could give 10 stars, I would!…read more Building a home from scratch can be overwhelming--especially when you don't live in the area. My wife and I dreamed of a 3-bedroom cottage in Bar Harbor, ME, and after hiring an architect, we faced the daunting task of finding the right builder. Through a recommendation, we found Ricky Sprague, owner of Generations Custom Homes (GCH). That turned out to be the best decision we could have made. From day one, Ricky stood out. He patiently explained the entire process, respected our budget, and built in flexibility for changes along the way. What impressed me most was his organization. Ricky uses what I called his "magic spreadsheet"--a clear, detailed budget and progress tracker that he updated with each invoice. I could see exactly what was spent, what remained, and how far along we were. For someone investing life savings into a project, that transparency was priceless. And here's the kicker: Ricky's estimates were spot on. The only deviations were the ones we chose, and even those were offset by savings elsewhere. Now, about quality. GCH typically builds large luxury homes, and ours was modest by comparison--a 3-bedroom, 2-bath cottage. But you'd never know it from the craftsmanship. The trim work around doors and windows is flawless. The tile work is magazine-worthy. Friends have tried to spot imperfections, and none could be found. The attention to detail is astounding, and the result far exceeded our expectations. Equally important is how Ricky handles challenges. No construction project is perfect, and we had a minor issue with window alignment. Before I could even decide whether it was worth worrying about, Ricky had it fixed--on his dime. That told me everything I needed to know about his integrity. He takes ownership, stands by his work, and makes things right without hesitation. One example that really stood out: when the quartz countertops were installed, one side wasn't cut perfectly at 90 degrees. I honestly didn't notice the misalignment, but Ricky immediately spotted it. He arranged for the company to come back, remove the affected sections, recut them precisely, and reinstall them flawlessly. I was beyond impressed with Ricky's attention to detail, dedication to quality, and genuine care for his customers. It's clear why I want to give Ricky and GCH 10 stars! They take pride in their work, listen carefully to their clients, and ensure the finished product exceeds expectations. Whether it's a large project or a small detail, they handle everything with professionalism, skill, and heart. Communication was also seamless. Ricky was always accessible--whether by text, email, or phone--and responded quickly. I never felt out of the loop despite living hours away. At the end of the day, what you get with Ricky and Generations Custom Homes isn't just a house--it's peace of mind. He's extremely talented, honest, and hardworking, and his entire crew reflects those same values. My wife and I are beyond thrilled with our new home, and I can say with complete confidence: if you're looking for a builder in the MDI area, stop searching. Hire Ricky Sprague and GCH. You'll be in the best hands possible!

My Maine house on Mount Desert needed serious repairs to the three decks surrounding the house in…read moreorder to get it ready for the market. The previous contractor had done a very poor job, partly because I was out of state for medical reasons. I fired him and then had a difficult time finding a reliable contractor. Ricky Sprague, the owner of Generations Custom Homes, was so moved by my story and angry that an elderly widow had been taken advantage of, that he promised to take on the work, despite having a full workload and worked with me to keep costs as low as possible, given how large the job was. His crew arrived when promised and worked diligently and expertly to repair-- and in two cases to completely rebuild--the decks, so that the work could be mostly complete before I had to leave. Ricky kept me informed of issues that arose, particularly those that would increase the workload and the costs and offered solutions that were elegant and worked with my constrained budget. He and his crew completed the work in little over two months, cleaned up the site, and got it inspected. I am so deeply grateful not simply for the quality of the work but also the respect with which I was treated, and the way Ricky made sure the project came in on time and within budget. I cannot recommend the company highly enough. If possible, I would give them more than 5 stars!

I've come up to the Penobscot Bay, Cape Rosier, and Blue Hill areas for about twenty years and had…read moresome very mixed experiences from several different rental agencies. While some agencies try to be big and flashy, Peninsula Property Rentals keeps it very focused, personal, and customer-oriented. They truly understand that customers are coming for a vacation and make it as easy as possible for them to enjoy it. That being said, I'm rather biased because I've just returned from a wonderful vacation thanks to their help and I can honestly say that this is the nicest business I've ever reviewed on Yelp and the most satisfying customer experience I've ever had. That's a very strong statement which I fully support! To start off, the rental agent from PPR took the time to contact me by telephone. They were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and downright earnest about finding me the perfect rental house. She took the time to actually hear from me what I wanted to do on my vacation and then helped me pick out a location which would suit that best. I ended up getting a gem of a place with a gorgeous view of Penobscot Bay and Deer Isle, but my experience with PPR didn't end there. I found myself requesting information from them several times and was directed to find some of the best services in the area, found great kayak rentals which delivered to my door, found some of the best local restaurants and things to do so we could plan ahead for our vacation. When all was said and done and I was ready to pack my bags to head up I was extremely satisfied, but yet again it did not end there. I've had situations with other rental agencies where I travel up to Maine on a Friday night, something is horribly wrong with the place and I can't get in touch with the rental agent until Monday morning when they open for business again. Not with Peninsula Property Rentals, I was given the direct number of their owner and operator, Sandy Douvarjo and was told to call any time if there were any problems. Fortunately when I arrived there was nothing wrong at all, everything was in perfect order and we settled in quite nicely. That's not enough to earn a raving review though. On July 4th my brother got called in to work remotely and needed internet access. As the cottage we were staying in had no internet access we attempted to find a coffee shop in nearby Blue Hill with wifi access, but unfortunately due to it being a national holiday no businesses were open. We immediately called Sandy and she actually let my brother (who she had never met) stay in her office and get internet access for the day to telecommute. She and her husband had plans to go to a cookout that day as well, but attended to every single need instead (we were lucky enough to leave early so that they could still go, but they showed their willingness to bend over backwards to please their customers and that's something I haven't seen in years!) and for that I would highly recommend Peninsula Property Rentals to anyone and say you'd be a fool to take a vacation to Maine without using their services. I've only been in the door for twenty minutes and I'm already making plans to book with them again.

I contracted with Classical Endeavors to build a screen porch onto my cottage and I can't say…read moreenough about the professionalism, advise and pure craftsmanship that was exhibited by the owner and his crew (a family run business!) I was provided a detailed estimate up front, and we did make many changes based upon suggestions for improvements and all were money well spent. I would personally recommend them anytime and plan already to use them again next spring!!

Marc sold our house with us being across the country after a relocation rendered us un able to use…read moreour second home. We found him to be knowledgeable, fair, a good negotiator, and reasonable! It was just a really nice experience. 10/10 would work with Marc again!

Unfortunately, I would not recommend renting from Salt Air Properties. I recently booked an Airbnb…read morethrough them for a future stay in October, but found out my father in law had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. As soon as we found out, I knew that our plans may need to change as his prognosis wasn't looking good so I went to Airbnb to see what our cancellation options were. I realized I was 3 days late to a full refund. The partial refund was still available to me though, which was 50% a night minus the service fee. I figured it might still be worth a shot to explain the situation at hand and see if the host was able to accommodate us, and make exception for a full refund or even a credit for a future stay. I sent Amanda a direct message with the request mentioned, and she had advised to reach out to Airbnb to explore my cancellation options. I reached out to Airbnb and they said I could try to request for the full refund and though there is a cancellation policy, the host can ultimately decide if they want to honor a full refund and make exceptions given the situation at hand. They even said they saw the messages and felt the host was understanding so requesting the full refund looked promising. Anyways, we tried working out having me request the full refund and I was not able to due to access issues. The Airbnb agent then said she could request for at least what I was already owed (50% minus service fee), and I can just request for the remaining balance after and the host will just have to approve that request for the full refund. It wasn't until after that I realized by doing that, Airbnb had to cancel my reservation. I asked if it could be undone but they said it could not. So, that was done but I figured I'll just do what I can now. I submitted for the remaining balance and even uploaded documents of proof of us going to the pulmonologist and being recently diagnosed. Within a day or two, I got a message that Amanda denied the full refund. I got my partial refund, but there was an amount I lost. I reached out to her again and requested if there was a possibility I can just rebook the same reservation (with the same dates) so at least some of my other family members can go even if some of us had to stay back. The dates were still available, I requested to pay back the refund I got back, but just requested if we can just at least use the funds I lost during this process towards the reservation again. Amanda said no and that I would have to rebook the reservation again and essentially now, pay MORE because she was not willing to use those lost funds towards the original reservation. I am truly upset by the lack of professionalism, empathy, compassion, and communication by the host. What was the purpose of having me reach out to Airbnb to explore my cancellation options if you knew you weren't going to honor the full refund or credit request? Amanda could have been fully transparent and also practiced more compassion to explain that she understood the situation at hand but couldn't honor the request and a partial refund would be the best she could do. I would have been more than fine with that because I do understand I missed the cancellation policy for a full refund by a few days. But not being direct, transparent, and compassionate was disheartening. On top of that, not even considering the accommodation of returning the reservation to us if I was willing to pay back the refund and use my lost funds towards it... that was all I needed to know about her. Greed over compassion. She could do better as a host and as a human being. I hate that I even have to give a 1 star. Also wished I saw that she had a yelp review before I booked. I would've much rather provided business to another host that would be much more deserving.

Traveler Beware! I would not recommend renting this Airbnb…read more I needed to cancel this Airbnb reservation due to a medical emergency involving my daughter and her newborn (only 2 weeks old at the time ) I contacted the hosts well in advance and sent multiple polite requests explaining the situation. They initially said they would consider my appeal but over 48 hours later I had to message them again. At this time they said I was required to cancel first before they would review any refund options. Quote: "We will work with you as much as we can... If you cancel tonight, there is still a chance that the nights will rebook. We are expecting great weather this coming week and that always helps when people are looking to book their trips. Thank you. " After canceling, I noticed the property showed some of my original dates as unavailable, so I followed up with six more respectful, well-worded messages requesting some compensation-- all completely ignored. To this day almost one month later, I have never received a response. This level of unresponsiveness is extremely unprofessional. Ultimately, they retained the full payment, even though the property may have rebooked for the same dates. This experience did not meet my expectations for communication, consideration or professionalism , so I would not recommend this Airbnb based on my experience. I understand it may have fallen outside standard policy, but this was a clear opportunity to show empathy and simple kindness and decency given the genuine medical and financial situation. Sadly, they chose profit over compassion. For that reason, I cannot recommend this Airbnb to others.

Very professional and an excellent cleaner. My house never looked better…read more And the price was better thank I expected. I am so glad I called Deborah for my spring deep clean. Give her a call you won't be disappointed!!