My wife and I just completed a very enjoyable week at Lilly Hill.
This is by no means a typical rental, so make sure you understand the home before booking.
The property, on a five point scale, rates a TEN! The grounds are very well maintained (although shrubs at the front entrance to the home were badly overgrown), and the manicured lawn leads to a private beach and very long dock. The magnificent waterfront views and ready access to the lagoon were the reasons we booked, and we were not disappointed. We had a kayak delivered to the beach and used it multiple times daily.
The home is certainly not a generic rental home. It is, instead, like a museum filled with antiques. Numerous grandfather (and smaller) clocks (none functioning), dressers, tables and paintings fill the home. You will find a 1970's Life Magazine with Caroline Kennedy on the cover in a bedroom. It is almost like the owner left unexpectedly (40 years ago) and asked you to house sit for a week. The kitchen cabinets and drawers are filled to the brim with "stuff" and many are quite disorganised. Remarkably, you will find Waterford crystal glasses mixed in with more generic glassware, and Wedgewood china and other beautiful plates and dishes predominate (fortunately, we did not break a single thing during the week!). Alas, this charmingly dated and elegant home contained a distinctly musty, old smell that dissipated after a day of airing out with windows opened.
The kitchen appliances and washer/dryer were dated but functional. They will need to be replaced if and when the home is "refreshed." However, the deck table needs to be replaced now and the Weber grill was unusable for us, due to severe rusting of the metal grilling surface.
The interior of the home was very clean upon arrival. Communication with the rental manager was fine.
Finally, there was a serious misrepresentation on the website. Instead of 2.5 bathrooms, we found one full bathroom and 2 half bathrooms. When we called the manager we were told that attempts to repair a non-functional shower were unsuccessful due to Covid. She told me that previous renters were notified in advance, but we were never called about this beforehand. Had we been travelling with another adult couple this may have been a deal breaker.
Also:
*large, well-functioning fireplace in the living room
*excellent outdoor shower on the side of the flagstone deck
*excellent Wi-Fi
