Held our week-long, extended family reunion here by occupying the Guest House and Cottage for sleep space, and the Guest House great room for meals, games, and socializing. Enjoyed kayaking on the lake. Botanical Hill Estate's location was convenient for day trips to Cayuga wineries, Strong National Museum of Play, Women's Rights National Historical Park, Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, Watkins Glen, Taughannock Falls, etc. We appreciated Cate's caring responsiveness to our few minor requests. Had an awesome time -- thanks for the memories!!
We had both the main house and the cottage which was great for our large group of 14 - ages 5-82. The private beach was a real asset. The property manager was very attentive, answering our advance questions quickly, and getting a leak fixed immediately.
Cateâs home was perfect for my group. In fact, having two houses to stay in was particularly comfortable. Buildings were clean and comfy, property was beautiful.
We really enjoyed our stay! We had a large group of family and the property had plenty of room to accommodate us between the 2 houses. Lake access was awesome and we enjoyed using the Kayaks and fire pit. It was a little tricky to find the location at night since there are 2 separate drive ways for the guest house and cottage - look for the botanical hill sign or American flag post. We had a great weekend and would definitely stay here again!
Amazing two properties with direct lake access, kayaks, and a grill made this a perfect family vacation spot for all ages. Proximity to great spots like Taughannock Falls and Ithaca made it an easy place to come back to for family meals. We would stay again!
David and Patti were incredible hosts. The property was Amazing. Everything was stocked and every detail planned. I would highly reccomend Rathbuns to anyone considering a stay on Cayuga. The private beach is serene!
The location is great. The lake was beautiful and easy to get to by foot. Not all 30 acres is available to guests. If it is possible it would be great to have some walking trails. The owner and his property manager were pleasant and responsive
Our family thoroughly enjoyed staying at this property. Our hosts were very attentive to our needs and any questions we had about the property. Being able to swim and fish so close to the houses added to the experience. S'mores and roasting hot dogs made this vacation "the best ever." - in the words of one of my grand children.
David and Patti were beyond fantastic as hosts--attentive, responsive and friendly. They could not have been nicer. The property is gorgeous, the lake pristine and remarkably uncrowded. This was our first trip to the Finger Lakes region and we were all impressed by the area's beauty, abundant fresh produce, and the plethora of wineries and cider mills. This was our first post-vaccination vacation as an extended family and it exceeded our every expectation.
Nice stay. A bit of walk (as stated in the description) to the lake. But kayaks and paddle boat available and included. Great views of sunrise.
Overall enjoyed our time there.
Great spot for a large family gathering! Property was great with private lake Acuraâs and lots of space for kids to run around. Our group of 10 adults and 4 kids was very comfortable.
We were not well informed about the specifics of the buildings. I had an awful time dealing with Vacation Rentals. The property owner was wonderful to deal with but Vacation Rentals really suck. I could not reach a human being and compared to other rental agencies this is by far the worst. Fortunately the owner saved the day.
Place not cleaned well, AC in guest house not working, no wash machin in guest house
Beautiful property site, and despite the many inconveniencies and lacking supplies we had a wonderful family vacation - loved the volleyball net, etc and fishing was fantastic in sonâs boat. This could be a first rate vacation site if more attention paid to having a thorough spring cleaning including cleaning gutters, outside decks and deck furnishings, kayak boats, broken paddle boat, filthy barbecue grill, pest control both inside and out, cleaning windows and window ledges, decks at beach and guest house. For large groups need dishwashers in each place. Kayaks filthy and needed to clean them ourselves. Beds good. Rental houses not set up with same cooking supplies. Missing pans and kitchen supplies in one house but well stocked in other house - also towels ok in one house not other. Blender and washing machine in one place, not the other. Need good broom and dust pan in each house plus workable vacuum cleaners in each house. With renting both places, houses needed to both be adequately supplied. Also no operating instructions for TVs so couldnât use - streaming instructions. Wifi not working most days plus spotty cell phone connections. Need to tell renters ahead of time that there are inadequate services. Need to have information listed in ie- a notebook - how to contact owner; passwords for Wifi, garbage and recylables - when collection, what to recycle and how to separate items, where to go for groceries, dock boat, sites to visit nearby. What all renters need to bring not furnished by owner as stores to shop at are a goid distance away. Sorry to make this many complaints but would really like this owner to be a successful VRBO renter as the prospects are great as the property is fabulous. Best wishes and good luck in your future repairs to a great facility!
We had a family reunion and there was plenty of space for everyone. There was plenty of space for our large group to be together as a group and for areas where individuals could be on their own. The property is quiet large and we felt isolated from the neighbors which was a great benefit especially when on a lake. We spent plenty of time on the lake. The Kayaks and peddleboat were a huge hit with the group.
Dave does a great job of keeping us updated on our trip and provided a wonderful environment for us all. Thanks Dave and your team!!
Everything about this rental was what it said and so much more! The waterfront, the acreage and houses were absolutely beautiful! The owner David and property manager Josh were both very accommodating and always available by phone. Our family vacation was perfect and I will be back! Thank you for everything!
We had 32 people (adults and kids) stay here for a family reunion. Used all 3 homes. The property is large and beautiful. Plenty of outdoor space for volleyball, wiffle ball, corn hole and evening fires. We had beautiful weather so we were outside most of the time. Dock area is great and the view is gorgeous! Loved having access to the kayaks and paddle boat. The homes are somewhat dated, but the owner is in the process of updates and what was done so far looked great! Took at day trip to Niagara Falls (2.5 hr drive) and hiked Watkins Glen (1/2 hour drive); location was great - close proximity to these attractions was wonderful as well as the having the ability to just stay there and enjoy the lake and property. And of course, do a few wine tours! Overall we had a great stay and for all 32 people to say that is something!! Dave the owner and Josh the property manager were available and responsive anytime we had a question. A breaker blew for the AC in one of the homes and Josh came right over to take care of it. Both of them wanted to make sure we had everything we needed to have a great reunion. And we did!
Beautiful setting for a great family time, plenty of space for all.
Our time at Botanical Hill was spent with five related families coming together from age 1 year old to over 80. The accommodations were more than adequate, everyone was comfortable with plenty of personal space. The houses were clean and well stocked, better than other rentals our group have rented in the past.
The property was charming, with the lake easily accessible and plenty of grounds for a variety of activities.
There were many things to explore in the surrounding areas, meeting a lot of different perferences.
Our thank you to the owner for sharing this lovely setting that resulted in many great memories.
We had group of 23 stay in mid July. We used all three homes onsite. It is such a beautiful property and the houses were clean and well equipped. The new dock and lake were awesone. David the owner and Josh the property Manager took great care of us. Thank you.
Beautiful grounds, great locations, overall nice property
The grounds are beautiful on this property, owner provides activities, including books, games, outdoor games, kayaks. Main house could be improved with air conditioning upstairs, additional towels, and a vehicle to get around on the property. the water is quite a distance; a golf cart or some other way to get around to all 3 houses would be a plus. overall a nice stay for the price.