Close enough but far enough away!

Guest: va travelers (Charlottesville, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 04/04/09 Review Submitted: 04/21/09

My wife and I and our 2 young kids stayed a week. House was nice and very clean. It had everything we needed and was close enough to get to all we wanted to do...great beaches, fishing, and seafood. Grocery store was a bit of a hike (although there is a mom and pops place fairly close with less selection and higher prices). Even caught my first tarpon in the canal behind the house!

Recommended for:Families with young children.

We will be back

Guest: phil H.
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/12

My wife and I spent a very relaxing week here last July. The house was exactly as advertised. It was very clean and comfortable. Our 8 year old son and our dog also made the trip with us and enjoyed it as well. It was very quiet and private. We swam in the pool every day. We also drove down to Key West a few times as it is only 23 miles away. My only complaint is that the canal(which was the original selling point for me) was completely choked with weeds and unusable for fishing or boating for the whole week. Other than that, it was wonderful and we will definitely stay here again. I am an executive chef in St. Augustine,Florida and I have to say The Square Grouper Restaurant was excellent and I will definitely eat there again. Debby was also very nice and accomodating. Our first night there she knocked on our door and gave us a bag of fresh Mahi that her husband and a friend caught. I cooked it on the grill by the pool and it was awesome. Thank you Debby! What a way to start our vacation! Once you stay here, you will be back. Phil and Gina Howard

Recommended for:

I would most definatly rent this place again!

Guest: Carly l.
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

This rental was more than I expected it to be. The house was immaculate and more spacious than the pictures made it out to be. A huge plus was an outdoor covered seating area by the pool with a grill! The pool was a little warm the first day but after the first rain shower it cooled off fine. Debbie from next door was a such a big help when it came to help with turning the pool light on and getting the hot tub fixed immeditaly when it broke. There is the most adorable food market with lots of specialty items right around the corner and a liquor store too, both with very friendly staff. I would highly recommend this house and hope that we can come back and visit it again!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.

Lovely Cudjoe Key Home!

Guest: Kath (Charleston, SC)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/05/10

The house was lovely and met all our expectations. So often "pet friendly" can mean "shabby." And that was definetly NOT the case. The location was great! Close enough to pop down to Key West for a day or an evening, but quiet and very in tune with nature. We really enjoyed relaxing in the pool and the evening breezes made grilling dinner a perfect choice. Our stay was so lovely, we hope to be able to make it an annual event.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, pet owners.

Great Place to Relax

Guest: Tim and Tammy (Warren,ohio)
Date of Stay: 10/24/09 Review Submitted: 11/05/09

We stayed here for a week and had an awsome vacation. Very nice home with all the amentities. Quiet neighborhood. A dip in the swimming pool or a relaxing rest in the hottub was a great way to end the night. We fished in the canal behind the house and caught baracuda and mangrove snappers. Super location, a nice short drive to Key West to shop and eat. Try the Square Grouper right down the road. They had great food. Michael and Janie we very nice and accommodating. We will definately be back to visit. Thank you for sharing your beautiful vacation home with us.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Renters Beware

Guest: JJ11 (Florida)
Date of Stay: 07/20/09 Review Submitted: 08/24/09

If you don't mind a nosy neighbor, which happens to be his cleaning lady stopping by and spying on you, you'll love this place. Also after a long day of fishing don't plan on coming back and relaxing in a nice cool pool unless your vacationing in January or February, you'll be very disapointed its very small and very hot. Bet it didn't get any cooler than about 90 during our stay even at night, still never figured out which was hotter the hot tub or the pool. Another thing you don't want to do is get in the pool with sunscreen because it will cost you money out of your deposit, everyone should know that suncreen completely ruins your filter (go figure I've been doing it at my house for years and never had that problem) and don't use the toilets either because you'll ruin the septic system and a box of Rid-x will cost you even more money. The canal behind was dirty, very narrow and the approach to the canal is difficult to navigate unless you have a bit of experience. Don't be fooled by the shot at the open Atlantic it takes longer to get there than that. All in all I would say, save your yourself the headache and find a better place. Something about this place reminds me of a sewage plant. Really stinks.

Owner response: The above customer was angry after they informed us they would have 4 guests then showed up with 12 and we charged them a small additional charge for an extra pool service and septic service, which was only our cost. Our contract states 8 maxium guests with occassional visitors. My wife and I do not have a problem with more than 8, just be honest with us, and we will accomadate your needs and prepare the utilities for such. As far as the nosy neighbor, that is Debby and Paul, Paul is there to fix anything you may need or show you to the boat ramp, a local fishing hole or where the best resturant is. Debby will help with anything you need around the home or any questions you may have. With that said, if you like they always respect your privacy. They are so nice and we are lucky to have them. My wife and I love sharing our home with you, we keep it very nice and clean and we hope this negative response will not sway you from staying with us in any way. Thank you for the time to read this Janie and Michael

Recommended for:Age 55+.

Amazing vacation, Great house!

Guest: Marc D (White Plains, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/21/09

I travel to the keys every year for a fishing trip with my cousins (3 of us total), I pretty much plan the next trip as soon as i get back from my last trip. So i do know the are real well and i know the waters as well. The place was perfect, the only issue was the canal was a little tight. I had a 22' center console and it took a little work to get her docked. Leaving the canal was also a little awkward at first, but we got the hang of it fast. After a long day of fishing, jumping in the pool was clutch, sat out for a little on the very clean deck and enjoyed the beautiful Florida sun. Having the car parked under the house was great, everything stayed cool, and sitting under the house was nice as well. The rooms were very clean, and the kitchen was perfect for the week. We had everything we needed for cooking up the fresh catch of the day. the bbq was great, except the tank was empty after our only use. Bedrooms and bathrooms were very clean and comfortable, ceiling fans and ac made those warm nights beautiful. And to top off our days we played some fooseball. Couldn't have asked for a nicer place to stay, and Mike was great to deal with. he answered all my questions and was very timely with responses. It is a perfect house for families or for the the fisherman looking for the prefect catch. There were a few nice bars and restaurants in the are, no name pub up in big pine key, and you always have key west with tons to do, only about a 20-30min drive. As for places to get amenities, there is a publix-like store up in bpk about 10 minutes north. I would highly recommend the house to a friend or family. And I would like to thank Mike again for a great vacation!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car.