The Chalet - Family-Friendly Waterfront Vacation Home on Crystal Lake
About this house rental
WATERFRONT on Crystal Lake! This quintessential chalet-style home sits on quiet Crystal Lake with 150 feet of private shoreline, private dock and swim platform for guest use, and close to a public town beach perfect for swimming! Perfect for your family getaway. Maximum of 8 adults age 21+. Bunk beds are for children only. Our large 3,700 square ft open-floor plan home has space for the whole family! Enjoy our walk-out lower level game room with Foosball and ping pong tables, plenty of games and puzzles, and a large TV viewing area with variety of DVDs to keep the kids occupied while the adults lounge on our comfy over-sized sofas on the main level in front of our large wood burning fireplace or enjoy a glass of wine on the deck while listening to music using our built-in Sonos sound system. Prepare gourmet meals in the expansive fully-equipped chef's kitchen with seating for everyone. In the warmer weather months, take one of our 3 kayaks out on the calm water, grill burgers on our large 6-burner grill connected to our house propane system, and enjoy the evening in our screened-in gazebo. Feel free to tie off your boat on our dock or rent a boat from Harrison Marina 5 minutes away on Long Lake. In cooler weather, jump on your snowmobile and ride on a local trail right on the frozen lake and take it to access 10,000+ miles of Maine's Interconnected Trail System (ITS) or drive 20 minutes to Shawnee Peak to ski on one of their over 40 trails, 7 glades, and 3 terrain parks - nighttime skiing too! Ice fishing is available on Crystal Lake and Long Lake. Cozy up to our one of a kind suspended wood fireplace while you watch the snow fall through our floor to ceiling windows. House Rules: • Maximum occupancy is 14 with up to 8 adults maximum. • No smoking indoors or outside. Smoking of tobacco, marijuana, or other similar products that rely on vaporization or aerosolization in or on the premises is not permitted. • No pets. No dogs, cats, birds, or other animals may be kept in the house or allowed anywhere else on the property. Our son is highly allergic. • No parties or events. Any assessed fines will be passed along to violators. • No loud, rowdy interactions. Please be respectful of our neighbors in our quiet neighborhood. Sound can carry quite easily across the lake. Per Association Bylaws, no excessive noise from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and no excessive noise all day on Sundays. Any fines incurred will be passed along to violators. • No parking on grass. Please only park on the paved driveway. • No visitors or extra guests beyond number of guests on your original reservation. • No fireworks. Although fireworks are legal in the state of Maine, the town of Harrison has an ordinance banning the use of fireworks on private property. • All trash and recycling must be bagged before being placed in the trash/recycling cans outside. This is a requirement by our trash removal service. Extra fees may be assessed for violations. • Do not move furniture. Is something amiss upon arrival? Please let us know.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Kitchen / Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony / Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Family friendly
Map of Harrison, ME
House in Harrison, ME
Reasons to book
Free cancellationFull refund if you change your mind
Includes essentialsGarden, Kitchen / Kitchenette, Air conditioner and more
Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental
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Reviews
4.5/5.0
Excellent(24 Reviews)
5.0
The Chalet was a perfect site for our senior citizen leaf peeping reunion. Just 90 minutes from some of the finest mountain fall colors and 90 minutes from coastal villages, this home base provided a lakefront retreat center each night before the next adventure.
The home, on beautiful Crystal Lake, featured a unique fireplace that warmed our hearts and bodies in the evening. The huge refrigerator was big enough to hold food for our gathering. The high-end master suite bathroom was professionally remodeled and sparkled with modern features.
The huge recreation area was well equipped with a big screen TV, ping pong, foosball and table games.
We fell in love with New England and can’t wait for our next trip.
5.0
We loved the beautiful, private location on the lake and enjoyed hanging out on the deck, the dock and swimming platform. The house has tons of room- it’s hard to find rentals that have 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and seating for all in the kitchen and common areas and this fit the bill perfectly. John is very responsive and proactively checked in with us during our stay to see if we needed anything. Highly recommend!
3.0
While it’s a beautiful property on a stunning lake, the house itself is a bit run down. We stayed with 4 families & kids ranging 8mo-12. The kids had a blast jumping off the dock, the lake was warm. The downstairs was great for kids, lots of toys, games and movies. However there was a very musty smell when we arrived.Turns out the bathroom toilet was leaking & the floor was soaked when we arrived.We turned the water off so it was OOO, but all the kids were on that level as well as one couple so it was disruptive to not have a working bathroom for all the guests on their level.The owner was very responsive and was able to get a plumber over pretty quickly, however the problem was only fixed for a short time and the toilet started running and leaking again. We had to turn the water off and could not use the bathroom the entire trip. The appliances were very temperamental and we had a hard time cooking on the stove. It’s a beautiful wolf stove but very old and a lot of burners don’t work. That being said, it did the job.Most every bed was so uncomfortable every guest was complaining by day 2. People were taking turns sleeping on the couches, which were comfortable.The biggest issue I had with the house was the deck. It was beautiful but so old and rotted. It was extremely dangerous and honestly should not be in use at all. If you leaned up against after a few drinks it could’ve easily snapped resulting in a very bad outcome. All and all I would give the house a 6/10.
5.0
We stayed at this location for a family vacation with 8 adults and could not have been more pleased with our accommodations. Spacious yet very comfortable and welcoming. The open concept allowed for togetherness without being too crowded. The sleeping accommodations were ideal and the lake is beautiful!! There is a nice large dock for sunning and swimming. I highly recommend this property for anyone that is looking for a beautiful lake vacation with comfortable accommodations!!
1.0
Overall we were very disappointed. The owner has a hot tub listed. When you get there the hot tub is OOO. We contacted him and we got in an argument as he claimed it was not listed. Well, it was. We selected the property for that amenity and paid a premium. No refund was provided.
The house also needs of wood repair. The deck railing is falling apart and it is dangerous! Poor or no maintenance of the property.
4.0
Our favorite part was the fireplace, the big windows watching it snow was a hit especially for my family from SC. We didn’t catch any fish but had fun on the lake. We skated, tubed behind a snowmobile, we played hockey. John wad always prompt at getting back to us with any questions… We would rent this house again for sure
5.0
very nice house
5.0
The owner was very thorough and responsive. Plenty of space, quiet neighborhood, beautiful lake with things to do, ice cream/ convenience store close enough to walk.
5.0
Great property and owners. Many thanks!
5.0
Second time here, another good vacation. John has made improvements to house since last year and it was great for the 14 of us. Quiet, clean lake.
5.0
Enjoyed every minute
The chalet is incredibly beautiful and equipped with everything you could need for a family vacation! The lake is clear and the kids had a fabulous time swimming and jumping off the raft! Plenty of choices for restaurants, outings, hikes, and boat rentals. Can't wait to go back next year!
5.0
Annual Family Vacation
This home is awesome with respect to families having fun together as well as relaxing together. The setting is simply beautiful. The house was well stocked and had lots of space to spread out and to have some privacy and quiet time. Highly recommend!
5.0
Amazing family get away on Crystal Lake
This house was perfect for a relaxing family retreat. Beautiful home with gorgeous wall of windows looking out to the lake. We kayaked every day right out the backdoor, and the house is a 2 minute drive to town beach and ice cream shop. Super close to Long Lake for bigger boating outing. We had 3 babies and a 4 year old and the house was well stocked on toys, packnplays, infant life jackets, etc.
5.0
Nice big house with plenty of space for 3 family with kids. There is space for having meals, playing board games, TV, etc. Some of the things in the house are dated (appliances) and the outside deck can use some TLC, but overall it's a wonderful place to spend a week in the summer.
Beautiful lake with a nice aluminum dock and three kayaks. Fishing right from the dock was great. The owner was very responsive to questions and small issues that we had during our stay.
5.0
Great Family Vacation
Location was great! Loved the house, property & proximity to the lake. Kitchen very well stocked.. Mattresses in the basement not the most comfortable. Missed having cable for sports. Loved all the games, ping pong, fusball, movies etc. Big hit was fireplace. Beautful home. Our family loved it & the time in Me & NH. They can't wait to return.
4.0
Very comfortable home with a great indoor fire place. Place could use a little TLC especially the deck. Beds were comfortable and neighbors were quiet so we all slept well. Kitchen had all the cooking equipment you could ask for. Needs someone with a little attention to the small things as we had no kitchen towels or typical seasonings.
4.0
House is large and spacious
Very comfortable home with a great indoor fire place. Place could use a little TLC especially the deck. Beds were comfortable and neighbors were quiet so we all slept well. Kitchen had all the cooking equipment you could ask for. Needs someone with a little attention to the small things as we had no kitchen towels or typical seasonings.
5.0
Great house
5.0
Fun time on the water!
Great house
5.0
Perfect Vacation
Nice big house with plenty of space for 3 family with kids. There is space for having meals, playing board games, TV, etc. Some of the things in the house are dated (appliances) and the outside deck can use some TLC, but overall it's a wonderful place to spend a week in the summer.
Beautiful lake with a nice aluminum dock and three kayaks. Fishing right from the dock was great. The owner was very responsive to questions and small issues that we had during our stay.
5.0
Amazing
Amazing house with everything you need, phenomenal kitchen, we were able to serve 8-10 people regularly, and all of the conveniences you need. The lake is beautiful and very clean. We didn't catch much in terms of fish but that might be our (lack of) skills vs lack of fish. We will be back!
1.0
While there are some lovely things about this place (see below), we were really disappointed with the quality of the appliances and the general state of many of the rooms. Although the owners list benefits like a wolf oven and sub-zero range, they fail to mention that these appliances are probably 30 years old. The oven is hard to get working and smells like gas the entire time, several of the burners can only be lit w/ a lighter, the dryer doesn't dry, etc. The bathrooms haven't been updated in a long time and several have cracks in the tile. Only 1 shower can be used at a time with sufficient water pressure. The basement smells strongly of mildew when it rains - you get the picture. The deck is in need of repair and we did have an issue w/ kids getting splinters. For the rate charged, we were surprised by the lack of updates and if you choose to rent, you should just be aware.
The other big challenge was communication. We left expensive sunglasses in the room and couldn't get them sent back (they said they would look and then never got back to us). We also received a notice from a third party telling us that the owners submitted a claim of theft, alleging that we stole a comforter. The comforters were fine, but certainly not worth taking home, and it's frustrating to get a message from a 3rd party vs. communication from the owners.
The other struggle was the temperature. The owners have this set to change temp 5-6 times per day automatically so during the middle of the night the temp would be set to 90 degrees and the AC would turn off, eventually waking us up. This would similarly happen throughout the day and one of us, after wondering why it was getting so warm, would have to go change it. They told us that this was recommended by the HVAC company and were unwilling to allow us to change the program.
Now for the good. The lake is wonderful and the windows are great. The fireplace is unique, though there wasn't a ton of firewood to actually use. The deck and the swimming platform were particularly great for the kids and we used them daily. We also enjoyed the park down the street. Otherwise, there isn't a lot to do in the town of Harrison or immediate surroundings.
5.0
Great Family Vacation
The house was set up well for our extended family of 14 to enjoy. Excellent large living room and deck for hanging out. Boat dock was terrific for swimming, boating (we rented a pontoon boat for the week), and fishing (caught a ton of bass and sunfish right off the shoreline. Lake was clean and quiet with almost no mid-week traffic. We booked again right away. Recommend highly.
1.0
Not what it appears & terrible communication
While there are some lovely things about this place (see below), we were really disappointed with the quality of the appliances and the general state of many of the rooms. Although the owners list benefits like a wolf oven and sub-zero range, they fail to mention that these appliances are probably 30 years old. The oven is hard to get working and smells like gas the entire time, several of the burners can only be lit w/ a lighter, the dryer doesn't dry, etc. The bathrooms haven't been updated in a long time and several have cracks in the tile. Only 1 shower can be used at a time with sufficient water pressure. The basement smells strongly of mildew when it rains - you get the picture. The deck is in need of repair and we did have an issue w/ kids getting splinters. For the rate charged, we were surprised by the lack of updates and if you choose to rent, you should just be aware.
The other big challenge was communication. We left expensive sunglasses in the room and couldn't get them sent back (they said they would look and then never got back to us). We also received a notice from a third party telling us that the owners submitted a claim of theft, alleging that we stole a comforter. The comforters were fine, but certainly not worth taking home, and it's frustrating to get a message from a 3rd party vs. communication from the owners.
The other struggle was the temperature. The owners have this set to change temp 5-6 times per day automatically so during the middle of the night the temp would be set to 90 degrees and the AC would turn off, eventually waking us up. This would similarly happen throughout the day and one of us, after wondering why it was getting so warm, would have to go change it. They told us that this was recommended by the HVAC company and were unwilling to allow us to change the program.
Now for the good. The lake is wonderful and the windows are great. The fireplace is unique, though there wasn't a ton of firewood to actually use. The deck and the swimming platform were particularly great for the kids and we used them daily. We also enjoyed the park down the street. Otherwise, there isn't a lot to do in the town of Harrison or immediate surroundings.
5.0
The hosts were fabulous and attentive! Central air, sleeps 14 in beds! Large dock and a floating dock too! Kitchen and family room area is awesome! Things to be aware of if it matters to your family: LOTS of steps down to the water and only TV is in the basement where there is only one couch so you got to be creative with movie nights and a large family! Even still, we had a blast! A beautiful, well-appointed property with lots of extras!
5.0
Spacious & Fun!
The hosts were fabulous and attentive! Central air, sleeps 14 in beds! Large dock and a floating dock too! Kitchen and family room area is awesome! Things to be aware of if it matters to your family: LOTS of steps down to the water and only TV is in the basement where there is only one couch so you got to be creative with movie nights and a large family! Even still, we had a blast! A beautiful, well-appointed property with lots of extras!
5.0
This was about the most fun vacation we’ve ever taken. The property owner was quick to resolve a couple of problems we had. Loved it.
5.0
Great place to stay and play
This was about the most fun vacation we’ve ever taken. The property owner was quick to resolve a couple of problems we had. Loved it.
5.0
We were so thankful to be able to vacation at this beautiful home for Thanksgiving. The home had everything we needed and more. The views are incredible and the fire place made the weekend warm and cozy. Lots of space. John, the owner, was very helpful and checked in to make sure we were comfortable. We would definitely rent again.
5.0
Thankful
We were so thankful to be able to vacation at this beautiful home for Thanksgiving. The home had everything we needed and more. The views are incredible and the fire place made the weekend warm and cozy. Lots of space. John, the owner, was very helpful and checked in to make sure we were comfortable. We would definitely rent again.
FAQs
How much does this house cost compared to others in Harrison?
The average price for a rental in Harrison is R 7,220 per night. This rental is R 7,706 above the average.
Is parking included with this house?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at The Chalet - Family-Friendly Waterfront Vacation Home on Crystal Lake. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this house?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this house. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is The Chalet - Family-Friendly Waterfront Vacation Home on Crystal Lake pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this house is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at The Chalet - Family-Friendly Waterfront Vacation Home on Crystal Lake?
We found 11 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, kitchen / kitchenette, internet / wifi, fireplace, and parking.
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