Notes from the host
Big Fun
Quirky and retro and different and definitely not a corporate hotel. It's clean and fun and centrally-located in the Harrisburg/Hershey Central PA area.
It used to be the town bank, so it has open space and plenty of indoor space. It was the town bank for over 60 years and now it's been renovated to be my home. It can host anything from a couple's weekend to small events such as family reunions. I rent it out when I'm out of town so it's all yours if you reserve it. It's my home some of the time, so it's got most of the usual things you'd expect to find as far as amenities.
It's five minutes from downtown Harrisburg and a little over 20 minutes to HersheyPark area (about 11 miles). Two miles from the Farm Show. It's 3 miles from I-83 and I-81, so it's convenient to just about everything in the PA Capital Region.
There are lots of restaurants, nightspots, shopping, and anything else you might need, all within about 10 minutes.
The town of Penbrook isn't fancy. It's a blue-collar kind of town and not wealthy, but it's safe and close to a lot of stuff. It's also very convenient to several major highways and attractions. The town itself is small and more of a throughway. It's certainly not touristy. The location is convenient to everything in the Harrisburg, Hershey and surrounding areas. It's close to all of the main highways.
The building is decorated and furnished in my personal taste, which is very Americana retro, like mid-century 1950's and 1960's mostly. All of the modern touches are there, including top-notch Internet and electronics. Please be aware that this is not a hotel or resort. It's my part-time home and decorated in my own personal style.
Hopefully you'll agree that it's cool, fun, and a positive and uplifting vibe. It's got a lot of open space and it's decorated in my personal style and of course that might not be for everyone. So please check out the pictures and feel free to ask any questions before booking.
My guests are welcome to use the instruments, play the games, and enjoy anything in the house. Feel free to eat the snacks, cook, use the spices, have a beer (and nothing wrong with leaving a beer either). It's a fully-furnished home and you're welcome to use it as such.
This is my home much of the time and is a completely-stocked home. I don't have fancy tastes, but it's certainly clean and has plenty of linens, extra blankets, tons of pillows, and much, much more. I like a comfortable home!
There are a lot of old-school board games, puzzles, card games, and more. I try to bring the place back to the age when people spent quality time together rather than everyone retreating to their rooms and play on the phone. (not that there isn't good wi-fi there too, lol)
There is a foosball table and dart-board and games for all ages.
It's got a lot of space inside (my buddies and I even throw football to each other inside.....not saying you should do that, but you could ;) However, I want to make sure everyone has an accurate description. There is virtually no outdoor space. It used to be a bank and banks don't need yards. There is just enough space where your doggy could use the restroom, so to speak, but there isn't much in the way of "hanging out" space outside.
It's basically "in town". It's about five minutes from downtown Harrisburg in Penbrook. Penbrook is a calm town; it's not fancy but it has its charms. A lot of people drive through Penbrook during morning and afternoon rush-hour because it has a main road. But other than the "commuting" hours it's a fairly quiet town.
My house is big inside and centrally-located but it has almost no green area. There are parks nearby though. It's a big, fun place with a positive vibe inside with lots of indoor space and room to spread out.
There is a good local pizza shop right across the street and you can walk to the 7/11. Plenty of restaurants and shopping are minutes away and you can be along the river in Harrisburg or at City Island to watch professional baseball in 10 minutes. Hersheypark is less than 20 minutes away.
There is a well-stocked bar that has room for around 5-10 people. The bar is on the honor system and please feel free to leave something behind ;)
There are my music instruments that I leave out for all to enjoy. (guitars, stand-up bass, drums) I totally understand that once in a while something gets broken: picture falls off a wall, guitar string breaks, etc., but please let me know. Otherwise it might be a while before I notice, especially with drum-sticks or guitar strings.
*Please be clear that the number of guests includes anyone who is visiting even if they are not expected to spend the night. The rate is based somewhat on the number of guests. It's not just the number who would be spending the night. I am not opposed to larger groups, but please be open about the estimated number of guests and the occasion for the visit. *
There is a parking lot that is part of this property as well. Around 10-12 vehicles could go there. The parking lot is about 50 feet from the house. After that you'd have on-street parking. You can always load/unload right in front of the building on the main road (Walnut Street).
Please feel free to ask whatever questions you like before booking! It's definitely better to ask ahead of time to avoid anyone being let down.
Events such as small wedding receptions, family reunions, or company get-togethers are welcome. However, parties for locals just having a party for the sake of partying are not allowed. Unfortunately the only problem guests have been 20'something locals who just want to have a party. Most events are welcome as long as they are accurately described at the time of the reservation request. Please just ask if you're not sure. Please be clear that the number of guests visiting needs to be included on your reservation request.
I realize this site doesn't do a great job at labelling the rates and fees. There are reasons the rate varies depending on the number of guests. For example: a married couple wanting a weekend alone is far different from 20 guys having a bachelor party. The wear and tear, resources used, and possible extra clean-up all costs a lot more. But if the rate is the same for 20 people, then it would be too expensive for couples or a small family. So the base rate is lower and increases with the number of guests. Unfortunately I haven't found any method that works as well and is fair to a variety of types of guests.
I am pretty reasonable about guest charges. For example, if you're staying three days and want to have a small get-together for a few hours on just one of the days, I'm not expecting you to pay for each guest for three days. Unfortunately the website doesn't make some of those nuances easy to tackle. So just message me ahead of time. That being said, if you're having ten friends over for the day there should be a fair surcharge.
The Covid times and too many guests abusing the "group events" have put a damper on larger groups. I'm not opposed to them but I do expect anyone submitting a reservation to be up-front about their intentions. ....hopefully that seems reasonable to all.
I don't charge a cleaning fee and most of the time there is no security deposit. In fact the only "fee" charged is for pets. Any other fees or taxes are charged by the website and the local and state government......I don't get any of that.
*About pets: I love animals and I don't want to say "no pets". However, I now realize why some owners don't accept them. Most dogs do bark as soon as the owners leave, whether the owners believe that or not, lol. Most dogs do shed a bit more when they have new stress. They do sometimes make a "mess" inside. Worst of all would be the possibility of fleas. I love pets, but I hate bugs. Please be 100% sure your pet was recently treated before arriving. Also, my limit on number of dogs or cats is two. That doesn't mean an occasional exception can't be made, but I think an additional fee would be fair and please inquire first. ....I really don't like having rules, but the pets have sometimes been more difficult than one might expect.*
I do my best to be a super chill host and I'm happy to do what I can to help with special requests.
You'd be reserving the entire home for your family or friends. Single rooms aren't available to rent.
Feel free to ask for area recommendations; especially if you're torn between a few choices. I can certainly help. Central PA is a wonderful area with a lot to offer!