This home in Biddeford Pool has everything that you need for a family holiday. We thought the location was going to be the star (and it certainly was a star, with short walks to multiple beach, tide pool, and nature options), but the home's amenities were a surprise. Anything that we needed (from high chairs to toys and to cooking supplies to bikes and strollers) was available and well labeled. The house manual was one of the best we've ever seen, with clear instructions, maps, and even host family annotations and commentary on restaurants and shopping suggestions. The flowers and trees in the yard were just beginning to bloom, making the back porch a beautiful spot to unwind. When it rained, the sunroom was still a nice place to sit.
Overall this was an excellent stay, even in the late fall in New England. The walkable distance to the beach and kayakable cove (with provided kayaks) was a huge plus. The house is comfortable and well equipped. We'd stay here again without hesitation.
CONS: Trying to figure out how to unlock the door was ridiculous - very confusing instructions. Finally called the agent. The house smelled very stuffy & musty so we opened all the windows. shouldn't the cleaning staff had done that?? The exterior of the house is in need of repair - rotten shingles. Also the interior trim around the windows is in bad shape. The fridge ice machine did not work and the 'professional ice machine' also was not hooked up. And as another guest noted: 2 dish towels and 1 roll of paper towels - hardly adequate.
PROS: Nice area, close to beach walk, and the grounds are lovely, professionally landscaped. The kitchen obviously has gone through a major overhaul and is wonderful. The beds were all very comfortable. Nice dining room. And huge TV room although the window shades look wonky.
Lots of room for a family reunion!
Great house and location. Not so great communication.
The house was lovely and had every convenience. Plenty of room for people to gather in different spaces and relax. It would have been great for a multigenerational group. The location was wonderful for morning walk along the beach, even in chilly weather. Overall we had a nice time.
The cons: The management company did not respond to my questions before arrival. Check-out was 10am on Sunday. Makes sense for busy summer season but since we were only coming for an off-season weekend I asked about late check out. Didn't get a response. Then at the last minute got an automated message offering late check out for an extra fee. That would have been nice to know ahead of time. Also, the house was not as clean as we would have liked. I did reach the management company and they said they would notify housekeeping, but that didn't help us at all.
We rented the house for an 80th Bday celebration. Location was perfect for everyone traveling and had meaning with past summer visits to Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Saco. The house provided plenty of room with a nice big dining table which we were all able to sit around and share memories of the Birthday Wife/Mom/Grandmother. Kitchen was well stocked, ice maker was nice and probably even more important for summer getaways. Grandchildren enjoyed the ping pong and foosball table in the basement.
While the communication with Vacasa LLC was easy (more then enough eMails & Text msgs), seems a bit disjoint with them wanting to manage everything thru their platform vs our rental thru VRBO. Makes me question the fees going to both Vacasa & VRBO
We loved our stay! The place was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed. Check-in was easy and the neighborhood was nice! We would love to stay here again
We enjoyed everything about this house and the area of Biddeford Pool. The house was beautiful, spacious, family friendly and had everything we could've asked for and then some. The ocean breeze coming in through the windows even in mid November was our favorite part. We walked to both beaches several times and enjoyed riding the provided bikes around the neighborhood. The kitchen was perfect for cooking the big family dinner that we planned. Beds were all comfortable and the basement was a dream for all the kids. Would love to return!
The property was beautifully landscaped. The house was clean, comfortable, and supplied with all the amenities to make oneâs stay stress free and fun. We were a family group of 13. Eight adults and five children under the age of five. Bikes, boogie boards, games, kayaks, ping pong, 56â television, and a weight room station are just some of the perks provided. The kitchen was stocked with multiple electric appliances, pots, pans, dishes, glasses etc.. The Mermaid House was set up to make the guests feel like they were in their own home and whatever was needed at a moments notice was readily available. We had a great time and would gladly rent again.
My children had so much fun on our family vacation. We walked to the ocean twice a day. They had so much fun finding all the tiny crabs and shrimp. We cooked some fresh Maine Lobster in the phenomenal kitchen. The most organized rental I have ever been in. The house manual was also so helpful and well thought out. We really enjoyed The Mermaid House and hope to book again in the future.
We were comfortable & had an excellent stay at the mermaid house. There were 11 women and all agree the kitchen is great! We would definitely recommend this spot.
Great location, lots of room for all, wonderful and well-equipped kitchen. Very clean, loved the table on the deck and the fire pit. Upstairs (where the bedrooms are) could use a coat of paint (chipping on doors/walls/window frames) and a little updating (tiny showers in 2 bathrooms). Beds comfortable. Had a great time there with extended family, good memories
Had a great weekend stay at this beautiful cottage! House was spacious and extremely well stocked with everything you could need! You won't need to bring anything extra with you. Plenty of seating in the kitchen/living area and also at the big dining room table. Basement game room was a huge bonus! The labeling and instructions taped everywhere were a bit much though. We were confused at first by the very large binder full of check out instructions that were about 25 pages long...luckily we rented through Vacasa, and their check out procedures were very simple. The 'master' bathroom shower was so tiny, not really suitable for adults. Other than that, everything was great!
The house was super well equipped for our family of 5 and ideally located within the beautiful enclave of Biddeford Pool. The proximity to the local rocky and sand beaches and bike accessibility made it easy to keep our 3 small children happy and entertained every day!!
Biddeford Pool is an amazing vacation spot and I am already thinking about going back next year. This house is situated approximately a block away from a gorgeous stretch of 2 mile sandy beach. The beach had very small waves which made it easier on the parents in our group. No worrying about the children. In the opposite direction is a nice little rocky beach where you can jump off rocks into the ocean at high tide. Other than the beach and some older residents, there isn't much of anything in Biddeford Pool itself....you need to drive to Kennebunkport or Biddeford for most food options.
A few things about the house itself.
The check in process was difficult, due to the Pandemic. We weren't in until after 6:00 PM due to the strict cleaning protocol and at that time the owners of the house were still around coming in and out. The house itself is large and well laid out. Perfect for multiple families. The owners provide bikes, scooters, surf boards, beach chairs, umbrellas, just about everything you could need. The beds are comfortable. The only thing I would add (and the readers can decide for themselves if this is a good thing or not), is that absolutely everything in the house is labeled and has a place where it is supposed to go. Also, the town's trash policy is limiting and requires you to be creative with your trash to fit it all in the garbage cans upon checkout. All in all, great place in a great beach location.