What a disappointment. Avoid this place. It's an outdated over-priced dump. If we'd paid half of what we were charged it would have seemed almost fair. You can do much better for the money, and even for hundreds less in this area. The 1-Star rating is strictly because of location. That lovely lake fountain in the photos was non-existent - the fountain device is now yard decor. We walked in the door and the musty odor was overwhelming. Fortunately we could open some windows to air the place out. With the dark wood paneling, the outdated furniture and the wrinkly old carpeting it's more of a squalid camp than a cottage. From the photos and previous reviews we thought we'd be spending the week in a lovely, quiet, clean, private cottage by a beautiful lake with a lighted fountain. Instead what we found when we arrived was a stinky squalid camp with decades-old and terribly uncomfortable furniture, a bed with a flimsy foam cushion and a cratered center, pillows that should have been donated to an animal shelter a year ago and filth everywhere. The walkway from the parking area to the "front" door was blocked by a garbage can to keep tenants from being tripped by a water line that the owners couldn't be bothered to bury. The door, windows and screens were all just filthy, the roof covered with debris and the yard full of downed branches and twigs. Only one of the four windows in the gloomy bedroom opened. Not all of the cottage's remaining windows worked, either. And there wasn't a screen door between the house and the screened-in porch, for some reason - probably because it was broken at one time and never replaced. These owners, clearly, are not big on upkeep. The bathroom window was sealed shut from the outside with duct tape, as discovered when we tried to re-close the window, required because the bathroom's filthy overhead light/vent did not work - a typical example of the owner's lack of concern for their tenants. The bathroom cabinet looked like something that was plucked from a trash pile. The shower curtain was moldy. The owners' house and the access to the waterway is right next door, from a little half-sunken dock. You need to be willing to do a lot of paddling in order to get from that dock to the river, though, as it is 2.5 miles away through a maze of open areas and connecting streams. The owners had peacocks, emus, dogs and possibly other animals or birds. The male peacock screamed day and night, on their property and on the cottage grounds, sometimes right outside the cottage windows. One night while taking photos near the water we heard squeals from their property that seemed to be from a pig. The squealing went on for a while and we had to leave because we could not bear to listen to it any longer. After that night we never heard another pig noise, so we can only imagine what became of the creature. Within an hour of our arrival one of the owners' neighbors was blaring their car horn and screaming about the peacocks. Sunday morning, around 9:15, a neighbor was apparently target shooting. We stopped counting after 50 rounds were fired. The owners would not return our emails or phone calls for weeks when we were trying to contact them before we arrived. It seemed that once they had our money they wanted nothing more to do with us. Gary knocked on our door an hour or so after we arrived; we never met Joanne. There are little notes of instructions all over the cottage, such as the one that told us that we could not turn the thermostat to a temperature lower than 76 because if we did the AC unit would freeze up and shut down. For this we paid top dollar? Never again. read more

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The first review is so far away from our experience and stay at Riverlake Cottage ( 26th, 27th August, 2019) that it makes me wonder if it is nothing more than spite from an evicted long-term renter who actually caused the property to be in this condition because of his own neglect. The property has since been purchased and beautifully restored by the new owners and nothing could be further from the truth as it is today- absolutely beautiful, tranquil, immaculate with the most kind and thoughtful hosts imaginable. Everything about this place is magical. Our stay was far too short and we are already looking to return for a longer visit. Highly recommend Riverlake Cottage in Homosassa. Count yourself lucky if you can book a reservation because it is a highly sought after vacation rental. read more

It would take a book to describe how well we loved this vacation. The cottage is very comfortable to start with. Cooking in is no problem, and the BBQ grill was very easy to use. The beds comfortable, and the towels/linens were plentiful. The entire cottage was cleaned professionally, and felt like home from the start. I don't know why you would vacation in Florida, then spend time watching TV, but they have that covered as well. Every conceivable channel from cable and satellite. Location is excellent:back in the woods, dock and kayaks available 24/7. You are about 45 minutes from Tarpon Springs to the south, and lots of low country fishing spots to the north and south. 5 minutes from Seafood Seller (5 star dining of your catch cooked right there), Dan's Clam Stand, Margarita Grill are all within 10 minutes. Bringing the kids? Weekee Watchee is 25 minutes away. All this and you can get expert GUIDE SERVICE from Riverside Guides. This service was spectacular. Gary will put you on fish. We caught grouper, redfish, speckled trout, catfish, shark and ate like kings everyday. Gary is knowledgeable about all the current spots and how to bring home a ton of fish. He is excellent for experienced fishermen and patient with amateurs. The wildlife you witness in the boat is incredible. Gay grew up here and loves what he does. It shows! He is currently giving a break on his service if you stay at the cottage. Sometimes you get on base. Sometimes you hit a grand slam. This place is a winner!! read more