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About

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History

Port Herman

Bella Vista MD is located on the shores of the Elk River in the Port Herman neighborhood of Chesapeake City, MD.

At the turn of the century, the small, waterfront community on the Elk River shore was the place to be to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of the city.

A large summer hotel opened the summer of 1888, called the Elk River House. This historic property is located next door to Bella Vista MD and now a beautiful residential home.

The tourist crowds are a thing of the past in this tranquil rural location but a unique part of Cecil County’s Victorian history is preserved in this little picturesque riverside community.

Accommodations & About Your Stay

Bella Vista MD is the perfect vacation rental for families, bridal parties, Mastermind Retreats, or Holiday Gatherings year round.

Bedrooms

Baths

Guests

Your Hosts

Bob and Gretchen

Bob and Gretchen are World Travelers and know what visitors want from their accommodation. Gretchen has been a Real Estate Broker for residential real estate for 40 years. She knows what people want in a house to make it a home.

With this combined expertise, Bob and Gretchen present Bella Vista to guests as their home away from home. Every aspect of your visit has been carefully considered because Bella Vista is their home too!

Many wonderful family memories have been made for their family here at Bella Vista and now they share that possibility for you and your family.

Bob and Gretchen welcome you to build enduring memories at Bella Vista in Chesapeake City, MD.

Hear what our guests are saying about us!

Marvelous house in a perfect spot We spent a long weekend at Bob and Gretchen’s house and had a wonderful time. The pool, deck, grill, dock, and the house itself are perfect. We brought our boat and found the location on the Elk River to be great for running up to Chesapeake City for lunch
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David H.
Paradise in Maryland Location, atmosphere, ambiance and Mother Nature at her finest! Right on the water with your own dock, heated swimming pool and hot tub!! Our large family spent a wonderful 4 day wedding weekend at this beautiful property. The owner is involved and very accommodating. They also provide an onsite property manager named
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Michele R.

Fantastic location! A beautiful home and grounds. The owner and caretaker were both very friendly, available, and

Donald M.

Amazing vacation My family had an amazing vacation, the house is beautiful, my granddaughters loved the pool, the owners were wonderful. Would highly recommend. We will be coming

Lisa D.
My dream home in Chesapeake City MD Rented last year and commented it only lacked bedside tables in master bedroom for a perfect 100 score. They heard me, there was a table on either side of master bed for CPAP machine, books etc… …. So it earned its 100%!! Thank You for listening. If I
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Nice vacation! The owner was very involved by phone and a close visitor. It was a nice vacation and a very nice

Pat M.

Charming Great house. Kids loved the pool. Adults loved the view. Would stay at

Andrew T.
My family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Bella Vista. The house is spacious and fully equipped. Adults enjoyed the various sitting spaces with exceptional views, along with the pool/hot tub; grandkids enjoyed the pool and jumping off the dock. This is our second visit to Bella Vista; everyone wants to make it a yearly visit!
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Richard 2019
Richard
We had a wonderful totally relaxing stay! Everything we needed was there, attention to detail was excellent. The view was incredible! Sunset from the pool every night! We only left once to go out for dinner at the Tap Room, where we had delicious Maryland crabs! Gretchen made sure we had everything we needed and
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Erica August 2019
Erica

The house is simply amazing. Every amenity that you could want is at your fingertips from a perfect place to dock your boat to a beautiful riverside heated pool. This house will not

Mike
This house is perfect for a family getaway. Several bedrooms all with en suite bathrooms. We cooked a lot in the well equipped kitchen. The sunset views are amazing from sacral rooms In the house as well as the entire backyard. My son fished off the dock and we all used the pool as we
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Ingrid August 2019
Ingrid
One of the best features of this home is the view! It looks out on the Elk River and the house is situated so that the full glory of the sun setting is available from the pool and the deck that sits right along the river bank. Gretchen made sure we had everything we needed
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Valorie
Exceeded Expectations! This beautiful house and property exceeded our expectations! Starting with our initial inquiry continuing with additional questions, the owners of this property were a pleasure to work with – going out of the way to make our stay memorable. Their handyman, whom introduces you to all the MANY wonderful features this rental has
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Bill K.

Great location, lots of amenities We stayed for a week with another family, and there was plenty of room for both of us. The kids played in the pool, and we sat out by the river. Great place to relax and enjoy the

Josh B.

Lovely home to vacation! Home is beautiful and was a great place for a

Jackie K.
Beautiful!! We had a great time at Bella Vista!! We stayed here during a heatwave and could not have asked for a better way to spend the week than by keeping cool in the pool. We had a wide range of people with us from 18 month thru adult and each one of us had
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Carrie G.

Simply Fantastic First class from the moment we

Mike F.
Our stay was way to short! Had no idea it was so wonderful First class all the way. Just add master bdrm bedside tables and you’ll get 100%. We hope to return. The area is so friendly. The restaurants top of the line. This house has more that you can dream up … Chefs kitchen
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Margaret M.
Beautiful house and wonderful owners! The house is absolutely beautiful, very comfortable, with all the amenities you could ask for, and plenty of room for everyone. The property is equally beautiful – we watched many sunsets from the 87-degree pool, and enjoyed the panoramic views of the water all day long. The owners and caretaker
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Kevin C.
Magical. The house was the most comfortable and well appointed rentals I’ve ever stayed in. I don’t even know where to start. The grounds have a heated pool, jacuzzi, dining areas, and private dock stretching out to the river. It was perfectly manicured with grandfather trees and beautiful flowers. Plenty of space for the kids
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Airbnb Review Erica June 2018
Erica
Our family spent a week at Bella Vista, Gretchen’s home. We enjoyed every moment of our time there. Our highlights were swimming in the heated pool and sitting on the patio by the entertaining Elk River. This home is beautiful, clean and spacious. The sunroom is lovely and bright, too. Gretchen’s home is filled with
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Airbnb Review Tim May 2018
Tim

This is a great waterfront vacation spot in Chesapeake City. The sunset views are awesome, the kitchen is one of the best equipped I’ve had in a vacation home, and Gretchen is a lovely

Airbnb Review Tejinder May 2018
Tejinder

Gretchen’s Bellavista more than met our expectations. The home is spacious and well-equipped/decorated. The owner went out of her way to make sure that we were satisfied in every conceivable way. Enthusiastically recommend Bellavista for its location, view, accommodations/amenities, and

Airbnb Review Richard September 2018
Richard

Beautiful home, great amenities and spectacular

Dawn

Bella Vista is an amazing home with all the amenities needed for a relaxing and memorable stay. The sunsets over the Elk River are phenomenal. Bella Vista exceeded expectations with amenities, views and value. Highly

Airbnb Review Karen April 2019
Karen

Great

Airbnb Review Frank May 2019
Frank
This vacation exceeded all our expectations. The house is perfectly situated in the Elk River. The sunsets are stunning. We took the kayak out on the water and swam in the heated pool for hours. There are amazing outdoor and indoor speakers that they showed us how to use. We sat on the deck every
…

Airbnb Review Devi May 2019
Devi

 

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Policies & F.A.Q.

Checkin & Checkout
  • No pets
  • No smoking, parties, or events
  • Check-in is anytime after 3 PM and check out by 10 AM
  • No boats OR boat trailers allowed on property
  • Boats are allowed to tie up to the dock.
You must also acknowledge:
  • Must climb stairs
  • Security Deposit - if you damage the home, you may be charged up to $1500
Cancellation Policy
  • Cleaning fees are always refunded if the reservation is canceled before check-in.
  • The Airbnb service fee is refundable, up to 3 times per year, within 48 hours of booking. Separately, if a guest cancels a reservation that overlaps with any part of an existing reservation, we won’t refund the Airbnb service fee if they decide to cancel.
  • Accommodation fees (the total nightly rate you’re charged) are refundable in certain circumstances as outlined below.
  • If there is a complaint from either party, notice must be given to Airbnb within 24 hours of check-in.
  • Airbnb will mediate when necessary, and has the final say in all disputes.
  • A reservation is officially canceled when the guest clicks the cancellation button on the cancellation confirmation page, which they can find in Dashboard > Your Trips > Change or Cancel.
  • Cancellation policies may be superseded by the Guest Refund Policy, extenuating circumstances, or cancellations by Airbnb for any other reason permitted under the Terms of Service. Please review these exceptions.