Review from Julie:
We stayed at Natal Granite Retreat with our children and grandchildren over Christmas and it was wonderful! The grandchildren loved the bunk room and there was plenty of space for everyone. The kitchen was awesome and they have every kind of pot, pan and cooking utensil that you can think of. There were even sleds for the grandkids to uses in the garage and there was plenty of areas just behind the house to play in the snow. We would definitely stay here again. There were a few maintenance issues like light bulbs that were out, bathroom locks that didn't work and the wifi did not work. It worked off and on the first day and then nothing after that. The router looked pretty old and one of the wires was broken. But it was Christmas and it did our family some good to be "off the grid" for a few days. The description of the house said there were 3 master bedrooms, a "granny quarters", the "queens" room and the bunk room. For clarification purposes, the 3rd master bedroom is the "granny quarters". We were expecting one extra room but it worked out. Also, we payed for the linens. There were plenty of hotel quality towels but I was a bit disappointed with the bed linens. Our sheets did not fit the bed so we were always struggling to keep them on the bed. If you pay for the linens, just know that you will have to make the beds yourself. Making beds is my least favorite chore so I was a bit disappointed that I had to do it on vacation. When you arrived, the sheets are folded on each bed. And when you leave, they ask you to strip the bed but put the comforter and pillows back which made me wonder how often they were cleaned. If we rent the place again, I think I might bring my own sheets and blankets. Regarding the owner, she was great to work with! At one point, we had difficulty navigating the web site but the owner emailed us personally and she even gave me her phone numbers. All in all, we would highly recommend Natal Granite Resort and we would love to stay there again.
- Stayed: December 2015
- Source: HomeAway
Review from Faith:
Dottie was the perfect picture of an Airbnb host in her thoughtfulness of setting up the house but even before so in answering many questions regarding set up and logistics. She was above and beyond in responsiveness and helpfulness and really helped us to experience an amazing time at her amazing space. Definitely lots of room for a lot of fun and perfect for large groups like ourselves!
- Stayed: August 2015
- Source: AirBNB
Review from Tessa:
This is a great house and we were actually able to check in a little early! I booked this house for a company retreat with about 14 people and it was perfect. Plenty of room for everyone and the setup worked great for presentations downstairs. I would definitely stay here again!
- Stayed: August 2015
- Source: AirBNB
Review from Lisha:
We had a wonderful time on our vacation. Dottie's place was perfect for our family. We had more than enough room for our extended family and everyone's favorite place was on the back deck each morning and evening!! We are already planning on returning in a few years. Thank you Dottie for providing an amazing environment for our get together.
- Stayed: August 2015
- Source: AirBNB
Review from J:
We rented this cabin for the weekend for my buddies bachelor party and it was awesome. The inside is well taken care of and beautiful, More than enough room for the 12 guys that we had. The property management company that you go through is super helpful also. We spent all of our time on the back deck hanging out. Its a quiet neighborhood so you can't get too loud but we had a great time here.
- Stayed: July 2015
- Source: VRBO
Review from Jose:
This home is extremely well planned to accommodate medium to large groups. There were 16 men in our group with ages ranging from 15-86 so you can imagine the varying needs. The home is completely accessible on the main floor which includes two master suites, one of which has an accessible restroom. There is a large deck on the lower level and a smaller one on the main level so time can be spent inside or out comfortably. Although we had high expectations, this home exceeded them. We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at this home and are looking forward to returning in the future. Thank you Dottie for sharing your a well planned and beautiful home.
- Stayed: June 2015
- Source: AirBNB
Review from Laura:
Dottie's house is AMAZING! The photos don't do it justice. We rented the home for the weekend because my fiance and I were getting married at Camp Edison and we needed a place that was handicap accessible for my dad as he is in a wheelchair and no longer mobile. This place was perfect! There was a total of 10 adults staying in the home for the weekend and there was more than enough space for everyone to be comfortable. There are also plenty of dishes and silverware to accommodate a large group. We added the linen service and we recommend you do the same, otherwise you have to bring your own sheets, pillow cases, and towels. (Remember to bring hand soap and other toiletries). The back yard is beautiful because it's nothing but trees and wilderness. Our wedding photographer took photos of my fiance out back and I know the photos are going to be beautiful. If you are looking for a big, beautiful home for a big group of people, this is the place for you. It was a busy weekend for us because we didn't have a wedding planner, or florist, so we ended up putting all the centerpieces and wedding decor together ourselves but there was plenty of space in the kitchen for my sisters and I to work. It was a nonstop, stressful and busy weekend for us but my fiance and I are hoping to return to the Natal home to vacation with friends and actually enjoy everything that Shaver Lake and this lovely home has to offer. Thank you Dottie for everything!
- Stayed: August 2014
- Source: AirBNB
What Laura loved about your listing:
Dottie, this was the perfect place for my family and I. I love that my mom was able to get my did into the house in his wide wheelchair with no problem. Your extra long dining room table was a great place for my sisters and best friends to help me put all our flowers and centerpieces together. I also love that it was two stories because on Saturday, when we were finally done prepping everything for the wedding, my fiance was able to stay downstairs to get ready while I got ready upstairs and we didn't see each other until the ceremony. My fiance and his guy friends also enjoyed your man cave. Thanks for everything!
Dottie, this was the perfect place for my family and I. I love that my mom was able to get my did into the house in his wide wheelchair with no problem. Your extra long dining room table was a great place for my sisters and best friends to help me put all our flowers and centerpieces together. I also love that it was two stories because on Saturday, when we were finally done prepping everything for the wedding, my fiance was able to stay downstairs to get ready while I got ready upstairs and we didn't see each other until the ceremony. My fiance and his guy friends also enjoyed your man cave. Thanks for everything!
- Stayed: August 2014
- Source: AirBNB
Fabulous Weekend, Amazing Cabin, Perfect for a Large Group of multiple Families!!!
We stayed for 3 nights and wished it was longer. We ended up having our whole family able to make it, a total of 10 adults and 8 kids, ranging from ages 2 to 72. I have to say, it slept everyone very comfortably. The write-up states that the cabin is deep in the woods and we almost avoided it because of this, however it is close to everything yet you feel deep away from everything. The deck in the back was ideal. We were able to watch the kids play all day adventuring around the cabin and into the woods. We were hoping for snow but the kids made like there was. They hunted for snow and brought it back and packed it into some of the hills around the cabin and sledded basically on wet dirt. I have to say, if there was snow this would be the PERFECT cabin to have fun sledding around. Plenty of great runs and you can watch the kids from the huge deck area. We enjoyed playing board games on the outside deck as well as around the large table in the dining area. We enjoyed having a fire in the fire pit out back. The bunk house was amazing, the kids loved it. The bunk room was ideal for our kids who ranged from 8-16 years old. The bedrooms for the adults were perfect as well, since two of them had extra futon beds we were able to have our smaller ones sleep with us, ages 2-4 but could have even slept adults they were full size futons. We had fun adventuring on the trails out back and even took one into town to get a little treat for the kiddos (a bit of a long hike but we needed it). We've ALL already discussed our next trip and it has this cabin as our first choice!!! You won't be disappointed if you rent it. Hope this write-up helps paint of picture of great family memories that for us will last a life time!!!
Awesome Cabin
We rented this cabin for the weekend for my buddies bachelor party and it was awesome. The inside is well taken care of and beautiful, More than enough room for the 12 guys that we had. The property management company that you go through is super helpful also. We spent all of our time on the back deck hanging out. Its a quiet neighborhood so you can't get too loud but we had a great time here.
Another Excellent Stay
This is the second time we have rented this home. We love it! Dave, the owner, is a great communicator and was very accomodating to our requests. We look forward to using this place again!
Artistically decorated, friendly cabin
The cabin is clean, roomy, and is beautifully decorated. There are no "mass produced" artworks on the walls. They are origionals. Appliances all work and are good quality brands. The whirlpool is a jacuzzi nd many kitchen appliances are brands like kitchen aid. There are great hikes and there are even trails next to the cabin. The lake is a short drive away, and it was a warm swimming temperature when I went. There are all kinds of boat rentals nearby, and I notice because I sometimes like to rent kayaks. I went to the falls which is a shrt hike away and it was beautiful. There are also swimming (fishing) holes one can hike to. I enjoyed my visit and will return again. I would reccomend it for either a business conference, retreat, or workshop, or a family gathering. I went wih family.
Very spacious, comfortable, entertaining accommodation at Shaver's lake
We stayed at this cabin for a week. Our group had a wide range of ages from 8 years to 80. This place was wonderfully setup to accommodate all our needs. It was fun to stay home where the large living spaces were great to hang out with rest of the family. The man cave was great for the youngsters to party late night without disturbing my 80 years old mom. The kitchen and dining space was great for having meals together. Wifi connection kept us connected to the rest of the world. Hiking trails behind the house took us to interesting places. Shaver's Lake was only a few minutes drive from here. The owner was very accessible and accommodating. Overall we had a wonderful stay.
Great family vacation home
We just got back from a weeks stay at the Natal home and we had a wonderful time. The house was perfect for our large family vacation. We had 7 grandchildren and 8 adults and we fit perfectly. The kids and adults loved playing pool. We loved the fully stocked kitchen and the roomy dining area. We had a blast cooking every night and all being able to sit in the kitchen and dining area together. We loved that we could spread out and not get on each others nerves. The kids could play downstairs and the adults could visit upstairs. The TVs in each room were a nice touch as was the dinnerware. It was nice to have such nice plates and glasses. Other homes we have rented usually use their left over dishes and nothing matches. We also took advantage of the hiking trail and hiked most everyday. We have voted and hope to come back in the winter to enjoy the snow. Thank you for having such a nice home available.
Spacious
The gathering space was equal to the number of people this cabin will sleep...and that is a lot. The man cave was nice and the kitchen and dining room were enormous. If I had to give a negative for this cabin it would be the carpet in the upstairs master that did not contain the jacuzzi tub. It was quite dirty. Whoever is hired to clean the cabin should also take a little time to look under the beds. Left behind personal items and small bits of trash were found under almost every bed. Overall, the cabin itself was great and we would definitely rent it again.
This is the perfect house! I rented the house for our first Scrap Retreat (scrapbooking) in November. The kitchen is perfect for large groups and everyone was able to eat together around the large dining table. The work area downstairs has great lighting for scrapbooking. The entire house, including the bedrooms and bathrooms were very clean. I was so impressed with the house that I am renting it again in April for my second Scrap Retreat!
Great place! We took a youth group to the house, and everyone fit so comfortably, and there was enough space in the living room to have sessions. The kitchen is stocked enough to cook and feed for 30 people at least! There's a campfire in the back for a relaxing evening of marshmallows and stories. It had a very homey feel to it, and we all sure felt at home!
As a group we went skiing at the China Peak Resort, they have a great beginners package with lessons and rentals, but does not include any slopes bigger than bunny-hills.
There was also an open recreational field in the Shaver Lake town we could use for sports activities in the afternoon.
The only issue is to plan ahead for food, as the closest "big" grocery store is 25 min away at least, and there are no places in town that deliver, although town is just 5 min away.
I would absolutely recommend this house, and would definitely return with my group of kids!
Spacious, gorgeously comfy
Wonderfully accommodated our Women's Church Retreat.
Fully equipped kitchen, freezer, washer/dryer, wood deck, hammocks, pool table, tv, bbq, computer, firewood provided, 2 Kings, 3 queens, 5 doubles.
Detailed ratings for this rental
SO GREAT!
We stayed at this cabin with a group of friends and it was AWESOME! The house is beautiful and spacious with original, hand made tiling - wow! The upstairs is handicap accessible which it is difficult to find places where my friend in a wheel chair can go.
There are three master style bedrooms with their own bathrooms. One upstairs has a giant Jacuzzi tub. There's a dorm room that would be perfect if you had a bunch of kids and there's a room with a pool table and giant TV.
There's also a room that has two queen beds that can be taken out so that you could hold a workshop in that room. The owners are clearly computer nerds because the whole house is intelligently wired for computer/Internet. I want to come back and do a workshop with a group up there.
The kitchen is everything you'd expect and the kitchen table holds the whole group. Everything is kept up and clean.
I like that it's up in the pines and so quiet. There are hiking trails all over and of course the lake and town nearby. The granite rocks around the house are amazing!
I think you could easily bring 4 whole families with all the kids and be perfectly comfortable. If you have a big group, this is such a good deal! We had 8 people and it was great!
Very spacious, comfortable, entertaining accommodation at Shaver
We stayed at this cabin for a week. Our group had a wide range of ages from 8 years to 80. This place was wonderfully setup to accommodate all our needs. It was fun to stay home where the large living spaces were great to hang out with rest of the family. The man cave was great for the youngsters to party late night without disturbing my 80 years old mom. The kitchen and dining space was great for having meals together. Wifi connection kept us connected to the rest of the world. Hiking trails behind the house took us to interesting places. Shaver's Lake was only a few minutes drive from here. The owner was very accessible and accommodating. Overall we had a wonderful stay.