This review was based on our family of four’s long-term stay of approximately sixish weeks.
This is a cute little cottage close to a small private beach in Branford. Bob and Liz’s information and instructions were so helpful, which made parking and check-in a breeze. There were also very quick to respond to any communication, and were very helpful throughout our stay...great hosts!
This house was very kid-friendly in some ways - there was a pack-and-play, and some toys and games (although missing pieces). The screened-in porch upstairs was perfect and our kids very quickly claimed it as their playroom (and didn’t care that it could get cold in there). The kitchen was pretty well stocked, and the WiFi was AMAZING. The washer and dryer were a great size. All of the bedrooms were decorated nicely, and the beds were comfy. There were dressers in every one, which helped to store all of our clothes (although some drawers were broken/stuck); however, there were no closets anywhere so that made storing our suitcases/bins/winter coats more complicated. There was tons of extra bedding and plenty of towels, which was perfect. Like all “kitschy” beach houses, some things were “kind of” broken or in need of an update ; however, we had no major issues while there!
Some things to note if traveling with a family with small children - the walls in between the bedrooms are very thin (you can see into the other rooms through cracks in the wall), so bringing noise machines helped us tremendously. Also, two of the bedroom doors would not stay closed, so that complicated sleeping arrangements a bit. Also, the one bathroom only has a shower (no tub) so bring a portable tub for little ones! There is a little fireplace stove downstairs that does a great job at warming the house, but can get hot to the touch, so a gate would be helpful. Should also mention that this house is on a busy road with no sidewalks, which makes it tricky to walk with the family anywhere (although it didn’t stop us...we just had to time it at quieter times); however you are a very short drive to the green, playgrounds, etc. Parking is tight, so it made getting littles out of car seats tricky.
Overall, this is a perfect place to stay for a long weekend at the Connecticut shore. However, I don’t think we would do an extended stay with our kids again.