Great Escape to Convene with Friends & Family w/ Hot Tub & Many Decks

Q: Is Great Escape to Convene with Friends & Family w/ Hot Tub & Many Decks pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 20 lbs per pet.

Q: Where is Great Escape to Convene with Friends & Family w/ Hot Tub & Many Decks located?

This family-friendly Cragsmoor vacation home is located in the mountains, within 2 mi (3 km) of Minnewaska State Park and Sam's Point Preserve. VerKeerderkill Falls is 2.6 mi (4.2 km) away.

10/10 Excellent

nancy p.

Aug 4, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

So Beautiful

Such a beautiful house in such a beautiful setting. Hopefully we will be back.

Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kristianne A.

Oct 18, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Exactly What We Needed

We had a wonderful time staying at this property. Outside grounds are beautiful and has everything you could ever want/need to enjoy hanging out with family and friends. Kitchen is well stocked and house is super homey and comfy. Host is super communicative and friendly. If we are ever up in that area again, we will definitely be coming back here.

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie v., Brooklyn

Jan 4, 2018

Wonderful!

Such a great, cozy home. Perfect for our group New Years escape. Beautiful location, great hosts, couldn't ask for more!

Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Jul 15, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Mountain Escape

The property was nestled away in quiet Cragsmoor with easy access to hiking and other towns. The outdoor decks were a huge plus to this property, especially the side deck that offered shade in the morning to enjoy a cup of coffee. The kitchen and bathrooms were generally stocked. We would definitely stay here again!

Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Aaron M.

Jan 2, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful way to start 2020

Amazing place. Comfortable for a large group.

10/10 Excellent

Samantha W.

Sep 15, 2023

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely House on Beautiful Property

I stayed at the property with colleagues from work for a work event. The house is lovely, very homey, and spacious. Lovely garden and huge deck. The area is gorgeous. The host was great.

Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

Oct 3, 2012

Just passing through

The location is isolated yet well worth the drive. Quiet and scenic. The house is unique, wonderfully squeaky floors which brought me back to childhood homes of my grandparents.

8/10 Good

Jill B., Middletown, NY

Feb 8, 2019

The house was beautiful!

Our group loved the house. Slept 11 of us comfortably and we hosted a small baby shower there as well. The hot tub was perfect for the -3 degree weather we had one night. The wood stove kept the downstairs comfortable. We had trouble with the heat upstairs but it was not a major issue and we let Diane know. Overall great stay!

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Tim k.

Jul 17, 2015

Everything you could ever ask for..............

This house was exactly what we were looking for, an escape from the hustle and bustle. The home and yard is beautiful and perfectly maintained. The deck is simply fabulous, with plenty of room for our entire family. This house is not just a house. It is a home and it has such a lovely warm feeling. The kitchen is stocked with supplies (we loved the pro waffle maker) and everything in the house is top quality. The owner was so receptive and answered all of our questions. We hope to return soon - so sad to leave.

10/10 Excellent

Tami D.

May 12, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Tranquil and comfy

We had such a wonderful time! The house had plenty of space and was very comfortable. The decks, garden and view were amazing! We loved the overlook at the Old Stone Church down the the road and the Sam's Point Overlook hike nearby with its breathtaking views. We made fires in the firepit and enjoyed smores with the kids, snuggled and read by the wood stove, chilled in the hot tub. The whole stay was so tranquil and relaxing. Our host was very responsive and helpful. The only challenge we had was regulating the water in the shower which kept alternating between hot and cold, but that didnt detract from our stay. We really enjoyed our stay! (The house feels like someone's home so for those that prefer a vacation rental not feel lived in, this might not be the place for you and for those who like a place that feels homey, this is the place. We traveled with 3 kids ages 3.5- 9 and had a great time but could see the house being stressful if traveling with toddlers since there are decorative items that are breakable around the house that are within reach of little hands.)

Stayed 7 nights in May 2021

This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Mary M., United States

May 9, 2013

Magical Weekend

I cannot even begin to describe the magic that Blue Heaven holds. My friends and I had an amazing weekend away celebrating my birthday! The house, the record player, the living room, the kitchen... all of those factors work well for socializing and relaxing. The house is spacious and comfortably accommodated all of us with sleeping arrangements. It is impeccably clean and has amenities for any season. That's one of my favorite things about Blue Heaven. During the fall and spring, the bonfire outside would be excellent to sit around... it seats so many and the stars you can see at night... wow. During the winter, the indoor fireplace and hot tub keep you warm. We were there in winter and with snow on the ground but warm temperatures during the day... it couldn't have been much better :) The surrounding area is a dream to hike in. We were in utter awe at the beautiful trains and crags and just... everything. Further, the home is classy and comfortable and it's owners are a delight to deal with. I learned about the development of the home by reading the books on the coffee table and it was such a pleasure to read and see how the house looks during all seasons. The garden in the summer...wow. I recommend this without hesitation and I will be back!

10/10 Excellent

Ayden G.

Feb 4, 2025

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome House for a group

This place was fantastic and comfortable for our group of (adult) students who were attending a program locally in Cragsmoor. Diane had thorough instructions for everything in the house--the only hiccup was the checkin (somehow we never received the door code) but Diane was responsive on the phone and helped us right away.

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

nancy p.

Jul 22, 2024

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home

Beautiful historical home in one of the most beautiful places in America The Great Cragsmoor!!!!!!!

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

audrey c.

Oct 23, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family gathering

Beautiful location to enjoy the fall foliage. House is fully equipped. Older home that is well maintained. Very comfortable beds, great deck and hot tub, fire pit, etc

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tammy S., Holly Springs, USA

Jul 24, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Short stay on the mountain!

We had a local family reunion and 9 of stayed at the house! Plenty of room. Comfy beds, and plenty of charm. Honestly we were only awake at the house for 1 hour Friday, 1 hour Saturday and 45 mins Sunday otherwise we were at the reunion in Otisville. So wish we could have enjoyed the property more.

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Colette W., Astoria Queens

Jul 18, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing and Comfy

I had a wonderful stay here with 6 other friends. Plenty of comfy spaces for us to all hang out. The outdoor space is amazing. We spent a lot of time relaxing outside, reading books, playing games, eating meals outdoors. The views from the backyard are beautiful. We walked down to the Stone Church and saw the amazing view. It is also just a short drive to hike the ice caves at Sam's Point Preserve. Highly recommend. Diane was very responsive and helpful when we had a couple of questions. We had a wonderful time here.

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Melissa C.

Jun 17, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet, private, and comfortable

I spent a weekend here with four friends looking to relax and unwind. We found the house extremely welcoming and comfortable, and we could have spent all day on the beautiful deck! Very spacious and stocked with everything you might need. We would definitely return.

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kirby C.

Mar 20, 2022

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful spot on top of the mountain

My friends and I had a great weekend at this property. Spacious, charming, clean, with lots of fun things to do. The back deck and hot tub made for a great hang-out spot. Great views of the extremely scenic area. Owner was responsive and helpful. Highly recommend!

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

George S.

Sep 10, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Getaway

The home and surrounding property was beautiful. This was the second time I stayed and it hopefully won’t be the last.

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Serena R.

Jul 31, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful and relaxing house

We had a wonderful stay at this gorgeous property. Our group was two families with young children, and the house felt safe, spacious, and fun. The hot tub and back deck are incredible, the kitchen is well-stocked, and the fire pit was great. Diane was prompt and helpful with her communication. They do have pets in the house so our allergies flared a bit but we were mostly outside so it was fine. The location is perfect too. We can’t wait to come back!

Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Chris C., Brooklyn, NY

May 18, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A very special property

My friends and I had an amazing time on our trip. The area is gorgeous with some amazing views nearby. The house is so cozy. Furniture you want to sink into, soft comforters on every bed, chairs and blankets at the ready. Our group plays board games and their gaming table is perfect. The backyard is really well maintained with a lovely view of the mountains. The hot tub was perfect. This home is a gem!

Stayed 3 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Lisa S., Kendall Park, New Jersey

Apr 4, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful mountaintop home!

My family spent a wonderful week in Cragsmoor finally getting to spend some time together since we have all been home for so long and we had a very nice, relaxing time. The home is very warm and inviting and the deck and property is really wonderful. We walked to the neighboring stone church where there is a beautiful view of the nearby small town of Ellenville. Diane was a wonderful host and answered all of our questions right away. Though we didn’t have many! The manual is very clear and the home was easy to maintain. Thanks again Diane!

Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jessie M., United States

Mar 7, 2021

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Bliss Heaven Bliss!

From the moment we walked into Blue Heaven we instantly felt like we were staying at our home away from home. The home is charming getaway equipped with everything you will need. Myself and 7 friends had plenty of space for privacy and gathering for meals and fun. The kitchen was fabulous; every spice, cooking utensil and kitchen item you can think of. We also really enjoyed the grill on the spacious deck. Each bedroom has plenty of pillows and blankets for all. Bathroom were also spotless and well stocked with towels and washcloths. The back deck and property is beautiful with a clean hot tub that we basically lived in and plenty of deck space for relaxing and nature watching. Having a campfire in February was a real treat as well. And we can’t forget about Ben! He was extremely helpful maintaining snow removal and any grounds keeping needs we requested. Ben was very friendly and gave us a ton of suggestions on places to visit in the area. This was truly one of the best rentals I’ve booked and my family and I have been using VRBO for almost a decade. Thank you Diane for giving us a little piece of mountain paradise, we can’t wait to come back!

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2021

2/10 Terrible

Caitlin M.

Oct 13, 2020

Liked: Check-in, location

Disliked: Cleanliness, communication, listing accuracy

Stay not as expected. Poor customer service.

Our vacation stay at this property was not as expected to say the least. Overly packed kitchen - kitchen was too full of opened (seemingly in use) food for us to be able to store anything in the cabinets. Instead we had to pile our goods on the limited counter space. Internet - We were unable to connect to the internet upon arriving even given the instructions that were provided. We reached out to the property owner for assistance but found her to be unresponsive for several hours. Eventually she responded and the connection information was different than what was given to us. Heating - the thermostats are nest operating systems. The two nest thermostats had programmed schedules for the heat to stay at 50 degrees. There were no instructions left in the property manual on how to operate this system and/ or override the schedule in place. So we had no heat for the first day and night with temps in the 30s at night. Family friendly home - this house is listed as “family friendly” and “children welcome”. Well as a mother of a 1 year old there were far too many trinkets and stuff hoarded in the main living areas of the house that were not conducive to having small children in the house. Hot water - throughout the stay we did not get any hot water (even with only one shower or faucet running at a time). Eventually we were able to get warm enough water to take quick showers in. Trash - our stay was ending on a Monday AM so the property owner instructed us to have trash out for pick up between 9a-12p Monday AM. However, she left no instructions that the trash cans were located in the garage that only the tenant living there had access to. Customer service from VRBO and Property owner - a misunderstanding during the booking came to light approx a week before we checked into the property. The property owner waited until the evening we checked into the property to bring this issue up to me and charge me an additional fee (giving us no chance to reconsider our stay). The property owner HARASSED me via text message to my personal number, VRBO messages, and customer service calls until all hours of the night (1230 AM) despite the fact that VRBO advised me not to pay the additional charge. The owner threatened to come to the property and kick us out a full day prior to what we paid for with no refund. Because this customer service was so miserable by VRBO and the owner we will NEVER recommend this company or property. Use another rental company!

10/10 Excellent

Darshan N., Jersey City, USA

Jan 4, 2020

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing and Relaxing Stay

You can find everything you will need for a weekend at this place. We were a group of 10 people and this house fit all of us comfortably. There are several beds in the house so most of us had our own bed and the 2 couples shared their beds with their significant other. The house has a fully stocked kitchen in terms of spices, dishes, cooking equipment, basic cooking ingredients, which was really helpful because we had brought own groceries to cook with and were able to prepare our meals fairly easily since all the tools were available. There is a grill in the back that worked well for the steaks my group had made and a dish washer to make cleaning easier. Dining was easy for all 10 of us, more than 10 would have been a little crowded at the table. The living rooms was SO comfortable with a woodstove in place of the firepit, we spent most of our time here, Diane does a great job of decorating the room to make it feel cozy. There were also a plethora of games and puzzles to choose from but we had brought some of our own as well as a TV with HDMI+USB C adaptor for your laptops. Spacious living spaces with lots of towels and extra bedding if needed. The back patio was beautiful the view is amazing since the trees were not covered with leaves and it's very relaxing with places to sit. Also the hot tub was so relaxing, it does take some time to heat up if it's cold outside but when we got there it was at a good temperature and fit about half of us at a time. There's a fit pit and sitting area a few steps down the back patio that was nice because we were able to sit and enjoy the night sky in the fire. We were not planning on going around the area too much so we didn't explore a lot of it but there is a small town Ellenville about 15 minutes away for groceries and hiking 5-7 minutes the other way from the house (driving), there didn't seem like a whole lot to do around there but we didn't really want to leave once we got to the house.

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

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