The house is cleaned by the family and it is evident that it has not had a professional cleaning. At check in we were made aware that we were required to sign a lengthy occupancy agreement. I would never have booked this property if I had seen this agreement in advance. She sent her daughter to pick up the agreement the morning after check in. Clause #1 this licensor retains the right to immediately terminate this contract and remove the licensees or their guests Clause #2 this licensor retains absolute control and unlimited access to this property during the course of this license to occupy. The property is monitored, etc. This contract goes on for 5 pages. It was beyond ridiculous and Vrbo was not aware that it existed. The agreement also demands that all windows be closed if you are leaving for any period of time. The house has no air conditioning. I asked during our stay about leaving a few windows open while we went to the park. I stated that the radar was clear with no rain in the area and she said “Please don’t. You can open it up when you get back. We get really hard rain here mixed with weather like this. An emergency carpenter to fix things will cost you thousands and he will be working during your stay. It’s not worth it and it has happened before. It actually stays pretty cool there.” It was 86 degrees that day. We still got the experience of contractors working during our stay though. They did roof repairs while we there because the neighbor reported “a shingle on the ground.” That was the night BEFORE the remnants of a tropical storm blew by. This owner should not be permitted to use Airbnb or Vrbo and should work through an independent agency that discloses this agreement at the time of the booking. The owners call the home phone daily and communicate with you so that nothing is in writing in the Vrbo platform. It is a home that they should enjoy and not rent. Don’t forget to bring anything because they block amazon from delivering ANYTHING during your stay. I asked to do a walk through during our check out process and her husband refused to give me anything saying that everything was in satisfactory condition. The place looks good in pictures. It needs some TLC. We were told not to drink the water so we used a partially functioning OLD water cooler. The stairs going down to the beach are dangerous. The dishwasher works intermittently. The location is great.

The location right on the water with your own private beach and views of Acadia can’t be beat! The property has a really big backyard too which was great for playing games and fire pit. Trenton is a cute little town, grocery is nearby, lobster shacks, and a great bakery nearby. Takes about 20 minutes to get to Bar Harbor and Acadia. We rented bikes but realized the house location was not best for that, however we did take them to Acadia and rode some of the trails there which was great. The house did not have a/c which we didn’t expect, but it’s Maine and I imagine 11.5 months out of the year you don’t need it! It was just a really hot week when we were there. Overall great week.

For large groups visiting Acadia National Park and surrounding area, this property indeed is a great find. Does it compete with a 5-star hotel? Definitely not. It is 5-star in its own way though. The property has a main house and a guest house about 20 yards apart. It has a large yard, some large deck space, and is next to the ocean. I mean not only you see the ocean from the windows, you can step into the ocean from the backyard. The houses are relatively old, while the bedrooms are comfortable and clean, large groups may need to have some people sleep on the living room sofa beds and/or bunk beds in the garages. Bathrooms are functional, but nothing fancy and water temperature wasn't that stable. For large groups, the bathrooms can also be crowded. Look beyond a few shortcomings though (easier if you have a small group), this property is a haven and can also be a great value. We appreciated the owner stocked the kitchen with very large pots and plenty of dishes and cups. There were many bath towels provided and also many blankets and sleeping bags. There were cleaning supplies and laundry supplies. There are gas BBQ grills and also several picnic tables next to the guest house. We didn't have children, but I'm sure they will be happy staying there too. Of course, getting up in the morning to watch sun rise from the ocean is a treat. The location is very quiet, and about 30 mins away from both bar harbor area and southwest harbor area. It is convenient for the shops in Ellsworth too. The night we arrived, there was a storm and knocked the power out in a large area. The owners warned us and sent us some flash lights and extra heaters. They also sent us a new generator to power the refrigerator and some lights the second day. The power was restored shortly after, but that was a great effort and we thank them for that.

The owners have gone out of their way to make this our home away from home! There were welcoming bouquets of flowers, coffee, a decorated cake, toys for kids, jam and many other quaint and friendly touches. The home has lovely bedrooms which we used for parents and since there were 11 kids (12-23 yrs) they spread out in the garage ( which is really a dorm room with a pirate theme ) with plenty of futon bunk beds, a couch and TV. The down stairs of the other home on the property had numerous futons and hide a beds down stairs also! The upstairs had hide a bed couches and 2 bed rooms. Our group of twenty had way more than enough room! We never did count how many beds didn’t get used! The outside had picnic tables, grills, and at least 9 hammock chairs with the amazing view of Mount Desert Island including Cadillac Mountain! The lawn was spacious so the kids could play Capture the Flag! Our kayaks could be launched right from the beach which we did everyday at least once. We went exploring and looking for seals in the early morning mist. A magical and beautiful time on glassy water. One of our sons saw a baby seal within 4 feet of his kayak. The owners have bottled water dispensers and if you let them know they bring refills. The kitchen and laundry are easy to use. We truly enjoyed the peacefulness of the area, the beauty of the view and the comfort of the home. We took care of it and it took care of us. Thank you Debbie and family for your hospitality!

This property was not what we had expected based on the VRBO listing. The owners said that VRBO had changed the description and info without their knowledge, so I thought I'd leave a detailed comment so future renters know what exactly is included. The property is two homes with 5 bedrooms total. The listing when we rented said 6 bedrooms in two homes, plus a bunkhouse. There are three bedrooms in the main house (Briar Rose) and two in the guest house (Ariel's Grotto). There is a tool shed in the backyard (Bunkhouse) that has two futons. Briar Rose has two full bathrooms upstairs with showers. The downstairs bathroom has a shower that I think is wheelchair accessible, meaning it had no shower curtain and was open to the rest of the bathroom. The main house first floor has a kitchen, dining room and two living rooms with couches. The guest house had a full bathroom upstairs as well as a kitchen and living room area with three futons. The lower level has several sofabed couches. Pros: The view is amazing. It is a 5 star view Huge backyard with playset and lots of picnic tables and nice outdoor grills Proximity to Bar Harbor and Acadia was very nice Accommodates a large group Has two houses for privacy if wanted Well stocked with pots and pans - even a crockpot is provided Includes toaster, coffee pot and blender Plenty of nice bath towels, washcloths and hand towels are provided Both houses have views and nice decks Cons: No sheets provided for any of the futons or sofa beds (just blankets and sleeping bags) Some dirty pans and a broken glass were found in the cupboard One of the back sliding doors did not lock Briar Rose has one dining table with 6 chairs - one was broken The bunkhouse is a tool shed with plywood floor, two futons and a fan. There is electric and two little windows, but it was not what I would consider a true bedroom. Things to note: Contract requires you to remove all paper and food products at the end of your stay. In other rentals, we've been able to leave and use items from previous renters. So prepare to bring napkins, extra toilet paper, and any salt/pepper, spice, oil, etc. that you may want. If you have a paddle board or kayak, you would love this property as it has a great beach for those activities.

We stayed at Briar Rose and Ariel’s Grotto for 4 nights. We had 10 adults, 4 teens, 11 and 6 year old. The kids loved staying in the grotto having some space to themselves. The main house was very comfortable and kitchen was well stocked with all we could need. The views were amazing! We felt like we were in a Robert McClosky storybook. We were a short drive from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The IGA was 5 minutes away and many lobster pounds close by. The location is perfect!! Debbie responded quickly to any questions we had. We would highly recommend this location for a truly amazing Maine vacation!!!

There are not many places out there in this neck of the woods that will allow a gathering over 16 plus people. The great thing about Briar Rose by the Sea is that it does it in style. Our group had a wonderful time playing on the beach, the provided swing set, and the massive green lawn backyard. The kids loved finding starfish, crabs, shells, and other sea life during low tide. At night we went out quite a few times to see the bioluminescence plankton. Kids loved seeing those light up at night. We had a wonderful time and Briar Rose by the Sea was located in a great location for what we wanted to do. We took a few day trips over to Bar Harbor and Acadia. We also went into town, don't miss PugNuts Ice Cream in Surry Maine (best ever). We ventured inland to see the breathtaking beauty of fall. The location offered us so many places.

Very accommodating, 13 guests 7yo-73yo

For our family group of 17, Briar Rose by the Sea was a fantastic vacation home! We brought kayaks, paddle boards and tubes and used them every day of our 1 week vacation. The water was perfect for swimming too. Some of us paddled with seals which was very fun. The huge deck was perfect for setting up picnic tables and having a family dinner together each night. Having the Grotto and bunkhouse really made our large group comfortable. The property is just a short drive to the beautiful Acadia National Park. Someone from our group was in the park every day....hiking, biking, scrambling on rocks. To top it all off, the weather could not have been better. Sunny and warm with cool ocean breezes. Debbie is the perfect host, answering questions very promptly. If vacationing near the coast of Maine and seeing the beautiful Acadia NP is on your list, check our Briar Rose. It’s very lovely.

We rented the Briar Rose & Ariel's Grotto properties for a family reunion group of 17. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay here! The property is within relatively quick driving distance of Acadia NP/Bar Harbor and was quiet and clean. The large back yard and private beach area was pristine and fantastic. The owners were quick to assist with helping us restart the water heater when it went out once during our stay. We just have one critical comment. Upon arrival, the owners had left a separate rental contract we were also required to sign with some surprisingly strict cleaning rules for a deposit return (essentially, leave it as clean as you found it including scrubbed fridges, ovens, bathrooms). We usually leave rental properties clean and organized but the deep clean tasks are always covered by the owner. One note is that large parties should be mindful that the property has limited bedroom space so we ended up with some kids sleeping on floors, etc. Not a problem for us and beds were as advertised, just consider for your group.

We couldn't have been happier--10 adults, 9 children. Five bedrooms for the 10 adults. 6 kids slept in a huge space with 3 big futons in the smaller house. Pull-out couches were also available . Huge deck where we had all our meals. Beachfront was ideal--shallow enough for the littlest to play and skim rocks. Worked fine to launch kayaks (rented from a nearby rental place). Kids loved the play structure (swings, slide etc).Twenty minutes to Acadia National Park. Debbie left all kinds of treats in the house for us (huge cake, pancake batter, jam, maple syryp, taffy, etc.) We had a great time!

Great place for our family reunion. Everything about the stay was incredible - the lodging, the views, the hiking, the lobster...I could go on and on! The owners were more than accommodating...they even had welcome gifts for our family of twelve-a large cake with Welcome to Maine written on it, along with numerous Maine products. I highly recommend staying at Briar Rose and the Ariel's Grotto. 👍👍👍👍

Five star!