My favorite review so far...

[Donald28]

What's yours?

This is long but funny and pretty well written. I loved it of course.

Do you remember, my friends, a long, long time ago, when Mark Wahlberg was an underwear model, Elvis and Carrie Fischer were alive, and Cyndi Lauper just wanted to have fun – not psoriasis? A simpler time? A time when you bought your first computer in the toy department at Sears (Commodore 64!)? When you blew a paycheck on quarters to go to the local arcade? Well, Don’s AMAZING Tiny House/Arcade/Deck/Pool will give all of that back to you. You won’t need a Cosentix shot to transport yourself back there – you just need to book this place and spend a few days in the time warp of your youth. Okay, this place is AWESOME. Don is an AWESOME HOST. And Troy the Squirrel Marshall is delightfully furry and enamored of his toys. DO NOT HESITATE to book this place – it was so much fun we’re still recovering from it (after the age of 50 there’s only so much fun you can have before you need a nap…) First, let’s talk about the Tiny House. It’s not so tiny – it’s a innovative use of space and materials. The bed is reprehensibly comfortable – don’t even THINK of hoisting yourself up there and getting comfy and thinking “I’ll just close my eyes for a minute and then I’ll get right up and go play some games.” You won’t get up. You will be sucked into the arms of Morpheus (the God of Dreams, not Lawrence Fishburn as in: ) and you will be having yourself a little unscheduled nap. Not that unscheduled napping is a bad thing, mind you… Worried about the close confines of the tiny house bathroom? Don’t be. There’s an exhaust fan in there that can suck the shellac off a hardwood floor. Seriously. You can sit on the can and watch the fabric spangles on the silver lame shower curtain dance in the breeze. The temperature control and the mounted fan both work very well – we were very comfy when we finally went to sleep. My travel buddy spent the first night on the fold-out chair-bed, but on the second night he got into the super-comfy bed with me. After we were finished giggling and gossiping like two 12 year old girls at a slumber party, we both slept divinely well. The deck is so nice you’ll be spending most of your non-gaming and non-swimming time there. You can watch the squirrels and wait for Troy to come out and scare them off, then give you doggie kisses and offer you a toy. He’s a very well-behaved poochie and didn’t give kisses unless he was invited. I invited him often. Moving on the arcade: OMG. Just, OMG. Use your cell phone flashlight to navigate through the door to turn on the overhead lights. You’ll hear a click, then the lights will come on and the games will come to life with their assorted clicks, whirrs, and bursts of music. If you’re old school, there’s Skee Ball and pinball. If you’re an Arnold fan, there’s Terminator. If you can’t pull out from a traffic light without fighting the urge to lay rubber, there’s racing games. And not only THOSE – but a veritable cornucopia of the vestiges of my misspent youth! There’s also a pool, of course, but we’re from Florida and we’re not getting in the pool unless it’s over 80 degrees. It was a very pretty pool. We just didn’t use it. And, all of these heavenly amenities are yours – 24 HOURS A DAY. I work nights, y’all. I keep weird, weird hours. I was up playing pinball at 0400. It was sooo much fun! Should you be up in the daylight and are feeling a bit peckish, may I recommend a short trip to La Taqueria de Don Claudio? Yes, it doesn’t look like much – but the food was delish and plentiful – and rather inexpensive. Also, the Southern Buffet had some fried chicken to DIE for – again, reasonable cost and oh-so-yummy! To sum it up: Go to the Oasis Arcade and Tiny House. Be prepared to time warp to your youth, take long naps, and lounge in indolent splendor either on the deck or by the pool. And if Lawrence Fishburn tries to give you something – take the BLUE pill, not the RED one. Or, heck, take’em both – maybe they’ll cancel each other out…..

[Lawrene0]

Awesome, @Donald28! A guest who uses up the character count in praise of a stay is rare and wonderful. (And entertaining!) Thanks for posting!

[Junel0]

nice

[Clara116]

@Donald28 I so enjoyed reading that................and very cool stuff on your part! thanks for posting it.

[Sandra126]

Doesn't it feel great when a guest really gets it? Perfect, well done.

[Sarah977]

@Donald28  Thank you so much for sharing this, so entertaining. If this guy's not a professional writer, he missed his calling. How lucky you were to get a guest and review like this.

I'll have to go through my reviews to figure out which is my favorite. It might be a hard call, my guests tend to leave very nice and thoughtful reviews.

[Lizzie]

Such a characterful review @Donald28 🙂 I think if ever there was a time to frame a review, this might be it! 

This could be a great new CC topic idea, Donald,  to share your favourite review...

[Donald28]

276 views but just 11 thumbs up and 6 comments. Is it not as awesome as I'd thought or are hosts just too lazy to click a thumb icon or make a post? LOL 

[Erik201]

Donald,

That was an amazing post!! It made me want to come stay at your place. Keep up the great work!!

[Sandra126]

Ok, thought I would join you in this topic so I spent some time this morning looking for my favourite, but couldn't find it. I relish an original reviewer. I have been called many things in reviews, I think my favourite is ''genius''. Instead of my lost favourite which was from many years ago, here are some excerpts: (my fave of these is from the five year old)

''Serindipity...on steroids.''

''Got that end of the world is nigh feeling. Book in here for as long as you can and you won't wipe the smile off your face.'' (not really sure what this means but I love it)

''This house is like stepping into Wes Anderson's imagination.''

''Open the front door at Queensberry Pip and step into a time warp where your voice can travel mysteriously between rooms and the esteemed late Baron von Mueller will lead you on an action filled tour around Daylesford.'' (I have a speaking tube connecting bathtub with living room)

''Staying in Sandra's home is like having a special, members only pass to an art gallery for the duration of the stay. Every wall, every ceiling is unique and fascinating. Sandra is a creative genius and her home and garden are full of joy and affection for Daylesford and history. '' (Genius! I am overwhelmed!)

''We truly felt like we were staying in a massive artwork.''

'' Love at first sight? An adventure on a couch? Simply, stay.'' (adventure on a couch! Fab.)

From a five yearold: "I like the strawberries and there was one raspberry that I ate and it was delicious. And I ate cornflakes and strawberries for my breakfast. And there is an electric blanket here. I had a good time here in Daylesford. I hope I come here again. Oh- and the bed is very fancy. It has a roof. And there is a red lamp with feathers on it". (LOL! A roof! Red feathers!! Lovelovelove this review.)

''We have found nirvana in an Alice in the wonderland theme house.'' (it isn't themed, but lots of guests make the Alice connection anyway, probably because of Bigger and Smaller notes on my kitchen drawers, who knows? )

And to finish, a review from an exec at Airbnb, which makes it an automatic favourite of flattery to my hosting soul:

''I’ve stayed in 100 Airbnb’s around the world. This is hands down one of my absolute favorites for so many reasons. ''

[Sarah977]

@Sandra126  Lovely!  A speaking tube from the bathtub to the living room- now that is genius. I'm surprised the 5 year old didn't mention that, but the fancy bed may have taken precedence.

[Sandra126]

I don't think that bathroom was done when she stayed, the house has gradually progressed. But I scared another child with it once! The voice comes out into a ceramic bulldog head in the bookshelves.

[Sarah977]

It was hard to choose- I've had several in this vein, but this one was especially eloquent:

"I loved my stay here! Sarah's hospitality was outstanding. The home itself is beautiful and the setting can't be beat. My favorite thing to do there (besides pet on her sweet dog Minga) was to throw my bedroom door open in the morning to see the jungle canopy and all the fantastic birds. You can lay in your comfy bed with your coffee and watch/listen to the birdsongs. The room itself is so sweet and I've got to say, the photos don't do it justice. It is light and airy, with wonderful night breezes coming through the many windows, And yes, you can indeed hear the ocean at night! The bathroom is very roomy with a hand tiled shower that is just gorgeous. I also loved my walk to town and the beach every day, saying good morning to the locals and the horses along the way. It was quiet and peaceful, a relaxing respite within easy reach of a vibrant beach town, secure and hosted by an interesting woman who gives you privacy, care and company when you want it. Perfecto!"

And this one I've always loved, in its total brevity, even thought it really doesn't review my place:

"I spent one of the best weeks of my life here :)"

And here's my favorite private feedback:

"That was one of the best stays I've had. You wouldn't believe the crap that people put out there and actually charge money for on AirBnB."