We had a large family gathering over the Christmas holidays and the space facilitated awfully well for this. There was ample room to spread out, and to find privacy. The house is architecturally stunning, as are the views, but it is in deep need of TLC and is still waiting for a deep clean. When we arrived, the house appeared clean, but on closer inspection we found sticky tables, counters, and kitchen drawers. The cupboards and closets throughout the house are in a chaotic disarray, leaving little room to unpack (especially since closets are basically jammed with stuff and there might have been 10 hangars throughout the space). The small laundry room is a heap of sheets, towels, cleaning supplies, taped linoleum flooring and a jumble of odd linens on a shelf - none of which gave a sense of cleanliness. The ceiling of the main floor washroom is covered in unfinished plaster and no one wanted to have a bath in the tub. By the end of the stay we were not sure if the house would be sold within two months or going through a complete renovation (the stories arched in each direction as rationale for the state of things). A granite counter for the kitchen is expected in the next few weeks, so watch for this upgrade!
All in all, the output of money for this space is its winning formula. But, if you like things to be clean, be wary. And if you like to have 'direct' answers from your host, also not on the higher point grade. However, Kevin went out of his way to put up a Christmas tree for us, and met us at the ferry to escort us to the Whale Pod, which would have been challenging at night since there is no clear signage at the entryway and the drive is awfully steep.