The Briars

We came upon this property following an unfortunate series of events at our previous rental. After a sewer line ruptured and water was cut off from the house, our family of 11 was desperately in need of a new rental property. An online search yielded "The Briars." An email and a few phone calls later, and Lance, our host, was arranging for our use of the house the next day.

The home, itself, is an incredible piece of history. Previously serving as a bed-and-breakfast, it is appropriately appointed to sleep 20. Our family of 11 found plenty of space, including three children under the age of 10 who loved the bunk bed setups. There are bathrooms galore and the dining area was comfortable enough to seat everyone during meal times. This is hard to accomplish and a welcomed amenity for us!

A short walk away was a family-friendly beach, as well as interesting walks along the York River, The Briars sits on the corner of a main road and a darling cross-street with views of the York River. Just a short drive away from downtown York, the area is abundant with historic homes and properties. The front porch is a comfortable seating area for the family outside (great for reading or napping). A recently installed fire pit also makes for a great hangout spot in the evening.

What really set this property apart from other rentals was our host, Lance (or "Joe"). From our first conversation, he was sympathetic to our family's situation and extremely welcoming as we made use of his property. Whether just popping around the corner to check in, sending a text to let me know about something awesome that was happening, or just allowing us the opportunity to relax and enjoy our vacation, Lance made sure that our family truly got to appreciate the area and its adventures. He was a wealth of knowledge, as he grew up in the area, and a phenomenal resource. He happened to spot two bald eagles in a tree while he was out and texted me to let me know of the opportunity to see them in the wild - just two minutes down the road! These tidbits of information led to fantastic experiences and helped us create family memories from this trip.

Stay here in comfort and relax. Take the time to enjoy your vacation. The Briars and Lance makes this happen, and it was the best!

Vacation house rental big enough for 20

This historic house is nice and cozy, but the management needs serious improvement.

Pros:
(1) Lots of bedrooms, comfortable beds
(2) Plenty of parking spaces,
(3) Nice view of the river from the 3rd floor balcony

Cons:
(1) The upkeep/maintenance guy does not have any respect for our privacy. After we properly checked into the house, he stormed into the house with random potential renters and toured around while we are engaging in group activities. The upkeep/maintenance guy is also very rude/racist, he would ignore anybody that is not Caucasian, by-passing them and talks to the Caucasians behind.
(2) This house barely has any cellular reception ( Verizon, and AT&T). Only parts of the third floor have Verizon reception.
(3) This house has no usable WiFi. There are 15 of us and more than half of us are rejected of a connection to the router, and for those of us who connected, internet was so slow that even emails couldn't get sent. I uploaded a picture of the only router in the house, it's behind the TV in living room, the indicator for internet connection is not lit up. Moreover, the WiFi signal was not covering the Kitchen, parts of the second floor, and the entire 3rd floor.
(4) Second floor bathroom doors won't properly shut (to engage the bolt-lock mechanism), a few bedroom doors make a loud cracking noise while shutting, this is annoying to the sleeping ones while some of us make a trip to the bathroom at night.