My husband and I stayed in this cottage for 3 days. It was so calm and peaceful, lots of privacy. The cottage was spotless, comfortable and very well-equipped. It is in relatively close proximity to towns, restaurants and golf. A very relaxing 3 days, the owner was wonderful to deal with. Thank-you for the lovely bottle of wine! We would stay here again!
We are delighted, Don and Ann, that you chose Kiwi Lodge as the first place you have ever stayed in Maine, on one of your periodic travels from Canada to visit family. Thanks for your feedback on the nearby golf course - I have incorporated it in information for other guests. And it is great to add Canadians to our growing international roster of visitors!
I was absolutely stunned when we arrived at Kiwi Lodge. I can't remember a more perfect setting for a country house amidst bright autumn foliage, green grass, deep blue sky and a glassy lake. The log cabin is beautifully built and rustic, with windows everywhere to take in the views. Everything was immaculate and lovingly prepared for my arrival, with an especially effective central heating system and updated kitchen. The furniture is comfy-cozy and electronic entertainment systems are avalailable in case you don't already have enough to do. The owner provides a paddle-boat, canoe and kayaks and other water-fun equipment. My favorite perch was at the table on the deck overlooking the lake. I had such a sense of peace and wellbeing in the still silence.
Kiwi Lodge is wonderful for families, couples looking for a romantic hideaway, or even an individual who craves a bit of quiet in a beautiful get-away. The owner is wonderful, leaving a welcoming bottle of wine for her arriving guests. The cabin is also close enough to town for one to visit shops and restaurants.
I can't recommend Kiwi Lodge highly enough. I look forward to my next visit!
Angie, thank you for this great review! Wonderful that you were able to fulfill that dream of visiting Maine: not so easy to do when you live in Dallas. I hope those memories of the peaceful, cool green environment will sustain you in the Texas summers, and inspire you to plan a return visit.
We just returned from a week at Kiwi Lodge. It is just beautiful. It is exactly like the pictures, except the kitchen photo doesn't do it justice. It was for our 25th anniversary and was a dream. Kay had left us a bottle of champagne and a lovely card. She'd earlier sent us tons of information on what to see in the area. The maintenance man was friendly and helpful (he was there when we arrived setting up the hot tub for us). Kay called to check on us a few days after we arrived. So friendly. The quiet, getting to see the stars without any competing lights, the quail, chipmunk, ducks, loons kept us company. There was a fire ring down by the water that we didn't get to use as it was just a little too chilly for us.
The cabin is roomy, love the church pew! Computer hookup was easy and consistent. There was room for many more than us, but for us, it was just right too!
Thanks for all the attention to detail!
The Ms
After a wonderful stay in 2011, we knew where we would vacation in 2012. We just spent another wonderful week at Kiwi Lodge!! Again, a beautiful note and beverages awaited our arrival. The beauty of the location is almost indescribable. The pictures and description are completely accurate. And it's amazing how the owner keeps adding new touches to the already wonderful existing ones: the beautifully crafted hat/coat rack, the variety of cool new water toys, the volleyball net. It really does have all of the comforts of home (and, frankly, some comforts we don't have!!). Everything we needed (and more) was there. This time, we grilled and used the stove. Kitchen tools, spices, mixing bowls....it was all there. We fished, enjoyed all of the boats, swam, watched the loons and baby ducks, enjoyed the hot tub, played volleyball & badminton, built campfires. The owner and her team are wonderful to talk to and deal with. They maintain the lodge in beautiful order. You can tell the pride they take in this beautiful property and in ensuring their guests have a comfortable stay. If we lived closer, we'd visit more often than annually. Places to check out in the area: Farmington's stores and the fabulous Harvest House Restaurant. Gifford's Ice Cream is incredible, too.
We loved our stay at Kiwi Lodge, it was really peaceful. We took the boats out for a lot of rides, enjoyed playing volleyball and badminton. The house was spotless and Paul was very nice. The only thing I didn't like was the week went by so fast!
We spent a week at Kiwi Lodge and had a fantastic time. The log home is very spacious, clean and well-equipped. The furniture is very comfortable. We toasted marshmellows and relaxed in the hot tub daily. The home is very private and the cries of the loons were heard every night. Other than swimming and boating we also ventured around the area. Coos Canyon and Smalls Falls were both incredibly beautiful and fun - waterfall cascades with lots of swimming areas amongst the falls. Kay and her team were very easy to work with and very accomodating. On the way home our 6 yr old declared that this vacation was the best one. I highly recommend!
We had a great time during our week at Kiwi Lodge. The house was extremely comfortable and so easy to settle into for our week's stay. We cooked dinner several nights and it was like being at home. Everything we needed was easily accessible, all we had to do was open cupboard doors to find the pots/pans, bowls and dinnerware...because it was all there!!! The wildlife on the pond was a highlight for us. We had several ducks who would hop onto the dock and wait for us to call them, at which point they would waddle up to the house and wait to be fed! The loons were incredible, and we were fortunate to have them swim very close to our dock so that we could take pictures. We enjoyed the paddle boat and the serene, peaceful feeling of Sand Pond. Did alot of relaxing!!! I would highly recommend this property if you are looking for peach and quiet.
My friends and I have had an autumn reunion for the past 14 years in various locales in the northern New England area. This is the first time we have stayed at this particular rental. The reunion couldn't have gone better thanks in great part to the fine accommodations, friendly assistance from the owners, and beautiful setting. I'd love to rent this house cabin again in the future.
This cottage is absolutely beautiful inside and out! The listing photos and descriptions are very accurate. The property is extremely clean and well-maintained. The owner, Kay, is a delightful person to work with. Upon our arrival, she left us a very kind welcoming note and a bottle of wine. The property manager, Paul, was very helpful and available to answer all of our questions. One morning we lost power around 10am due to very high winds that day. Paul contacted the power company to notify them of the outage. He offered to bring a small generator and a portable heater to us so we could take the chill off the cottage. We had plans to be out and about that day, so we gratefully declined that offer. By the time we returned to the cottage several hours later the power had been restored... and we had no further problems during the week. The cottage is located at the end of Sand Pond with a lovely view from the deck and dock. The area was very quiet during our week there (neighbors were not at their cottages). The peace and serenity we experienced was so good for our souls. We listened to the sounds of the loons and marveled at these awesome creatures. This spacious cottage has all the amenities of home. There is plenty to do at the cottage and surrounding area (we enjoy the town of Farmington with its many shops ... a trip to Renys is a must!). We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Kiwi Lodge!
My family of 5, with 3 kids under 7, stayed at the Kiwi Lodge for a week in October. The weather was chilly but the house was warm and inviting. Upon arrival, we noticed how clean the house was - this house has been maintained beautifully (which, unfortunately, is often not the case with rentals). Also, everything you might need is available for you. Grill, hot tub, game consoles, satellite television, iPod radio, laundry machines, and everything you'd need in the kitchen. We spent time almost every day using one of the 4 boats that are available for use on the lake. Canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating were so much fun. We fished and played on the nice lawn out back. At night, we had fires in the fire pit down by the pond and made delicious s'mores. It was so nice that there was firewood, kindling, and newspaper ready to use.
A few (minor) negatives: There were no shades in the bedrooms, so my kids were waking up with the sun. I've since learned that shades are on order so I suspect that this wouldn't be an issue in the future, but it was tough waking up so early. Also, we found the mattresses extremely firm. My wife, who has never had back issues before, had a very sore back by the end of the week. She's fine now after the first night sleeping at home. Lastly, we could not regulate the temperature of the hot tub. The first day it was perfect. The next day it was so hot we couldn't go in so we turned it down. The next day it was just warm and needed to be hotter so we turned it up a little and somehow, after a day, it was then so hot we couldn't use it. Perhaps we just don't know how it works, but the controls seem simple enough.
We did have a wonderful time and we would not hesitate to return to Kiwi Lodge. The owner was so gracious and helpful - she supplied a lot of very helpful information about the area (spots for hiking, places to dine, etc) which was great in planning our week. Don't hesitate to book this gem.
This is very helpful feedback; our goal is perfection but we know there are always things to be improved! We often ask guests if they have suggestions, and those suggestions are always given very serious consideration. Earlier this summer, we added a CD player/radio to the living room and two comfortable chairs to the deck, after other guests said that they would have appreciated having those amenities. Yes, as already discussed with the family, shades will be installed in the two upstairs bedrooms next week, when we will be there to prepare the property for winter. Reading about the hot tub was a shock, though. It was thoroughly overhauled this summer, several new parts installed. The company will be out to check it again. The mattresses are top of the line, made by a factory near Biddeford in Maine. We made sure to get the type with attached pillow top on both sides of the mattress with the aim of having them softer on top with a firm layer beneath. On the one hand it is good that there have been only favorable comments about them up to now, but it is also very disappointing for us to have had even that one. Perhaps the memory foam pad which we have for the futon might have helped.
This family were wonderful guests; they left the house in excellent condition. We are delighted that they enjoyed the property and the area so much. Maine vacations are the best!