The location was excellent for us because we were visiting family in Gloucester. Being so close to the train station was very convenient when we traveled into Boston, and the train noise did not bother us. Having a spacious home with several separate rooms worked especially well for our multigenerational family, and we appreciated the proximity to the beach. We thoroughly enjoyed Bearskin Neck and Good Harbor Beach. My children loved the backyard playhouse, dollhouse, beach tubes and toys. The home has great bones, and the vintage decor makes it clear that it was once very thoughtfully furnished and well loved.

Unfortunately, the home is in need of significant cleaning and maintenance. When we needed to change the bedding, we discovered that the beds did not have mattress protectors and that several pillows were visibly soiled with dirt and what appeared to be blood. This was shocking and particularly upsetting to my mother, who had never stayed in a short-term rental before. My father also found a significant amount of sand in his bed, which left him questioning whether the sheets had been changed before our arrival. The pullout sofa bed was very dirty, and many of the plates and utensils still had food residue on them from previous guests. We had to run everything through the dishwasher before using it. While doing so, we discovered that the dishwasher is not securely attached to the countertop and pulls forward when the door is opened. There were also several safety and maintenance concerns: The deep clawfoot bathtub was extremely slippery and difficult for both young children and older adults to use safely. At minimum, a non slip tub mat is needed. The toilet seat needs to be replaced. The interior doorknob fell completely off my bedroom door, trapping me inside until someone opened it from the hallway. Because the problem remained unresolved, I could not fully close my bedroom door for the rest of our stay. One bedroom had no air-conditioning unit, only a dehumidifier that needed to be emptied several times each day, despite the listing stating that the home has air conditioning. We ran out of toilet paper and paper towels by the end of our second day and had to purchase more ourselves. Beyond these specific issues, there were cobwebs, grime, and areas under and around the furniture that did not appear to have been cleaned thoroughly. Although the main surfaces had been attended to, the home did not feel clean overall. This was especially disappointing because I had contacted the management team before our arrival after seeing earlier reviews mentioning cleanli