Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Property

Guest: Kurtis (lake tahoe)
Date of Stay: 05/13/12 Review Submitted: 05/17/12

I stayed in this home with a bunch of old dive buddies from the past - place is very clean and functional. Plenty of room and beds for all. Conveniently located near major supermarkets for stocking up and picking up those forgotten items. Val the property manager was in constant communication with us to answer any questions and act as our personal concierge. Overall this is a very clean spacious home with a great back balcony porch to relax on. on a completely separate note having nothing to do with the home - DO NOT RENT A BOAT FROM ISLAMORADA WATER SPORTS - THEY WILL CHARGE YOUR CARD AND BRING YOU A BROKEN DOWN BOAT , THEN TELL YOU THEY WILL NOT COMPENSATE YOU FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR TIME OR INCONVENIENCE- AVOID AT ALL COST - THIS COMPANY RUINED OUR TRIP WITH THEIR UNBELIEVABLE UNPROFESSIONALISM - A LAWSUIT IS BEING FILED - as for this house - Everything was right on time. If i made only one suggestion , it would be to add some ceiling fans on the porch deck to move the still, hot air. I would definitely rent this home again. thanks Doc.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

2nd Year in a Row

Guest: goosemonkey (Tampa, Fl.)
Date of Stay: 05/05/12 Review Submitted: 05/15/12

Place is better than advertised. Bottom floor has been remodeled and this house could easily sleep 8 people comfortably now. Canal is clean and has many fish right off sea wall. For offshore fishing you are 5 minutes from the reef and the Atlantic Ocean!! Can't wait to go back again next year!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Lori

Guest: Lori (Fleming Island)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

Had a wonderful time at "Coconut Key" house in Tavernier. The house and grounds are very well kept. We watched the sunrise every morning from the decks of this gorgeous home. Enjoyed kyaking and snorkeling right from the boat dock in the backyard. Would love to rent the house again!

Owner response:We're happy you were able to enjoy the house and the surrounding environment, it really is a paradise. Thankyou for staying with us and please come back any time.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Veteran Keys Renters Very Pleased

Guest: Chris (Jacksonville, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/29/11

My family and I have rented five Keys houses in the Islamorada/Tavernier area over the past ten years ranging from $5k - $10k per week for Mini Lobster Season, and we've never been happier than we were with this house. This place is clean and comfortable inside and out. The kitchens and bathrooms are spotless. The beds are comfortable and clean. The furniture is cozy. The A/Cs are cold, and all the 'extras' like grill, washer/dryer, additional outdoor freezer, etc. all work perfectly. The outdoor furniture is in great condition. The pool is refreshing, and the grounds are meticulous. I'm not sure what was going on during the time of some of the negative comments, but as a hard-to-please group, we were blown away. Rarely are our expectations exceeded in rental houses, but in this case, they were! We haven't even left the place yet, and I'm about to call and reserve for next year.

Owner response:We're happy you and your family had such a great time at our house. We have to give our Property Manager Val all the credit for keeping the house and yard in such great shape. Your reservations are confirmed for next Lobster season.

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

BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN AND PEACEFUL.

Guest: Marcy (Miami Springs, Fl)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

This home was everything it advertised to be. We had a wonderful week and were very happy with all the amenities in the property. Its warm and well done decor made us feel like we were in our own home. The property owner was very helpful and honest with our contacts with him . We were extremely happy with all our interactions with Val , the property manager. She was very professionalism and personable. Location is perfect. Groceries , movies and other local business are less than a mile driving distance. Tavenier is right in the heart of the upper keys , Key Largo and Islamorada just a few minutes away. Fishing and snorkeling were great. The pool was the best!! We hope to return and would recommend this beautiful home to all my friends.

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

BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN AND PEACEFUL.

Guest: Marcy (Miami Springs, Fl)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/27/11

This home was everything it advertised to be. We had a wonderful week and were very happy with all the amenities in the property. Its warm and well done decor made us feel like we were in our own home. The property owner was very helpful and honest with our contacts with him . We were extremely happy with all our interactions with Val , the property manager. She was very professionalism and personable. Location is perfect. Groceries , movies and other local business are less than a mile driving distance. Tavenier is right in the heart of the upper keys , Key Largo and Islamorada just a few minutes away. Fishing and snorkeling were great. The pool was the best!! We hope to return and would recommend this beautiful home to all my friends.

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

Amazing Vacation!!

Guest: Kathy (Ft Lauderdale FL)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/03/11

Our family had a great time while staying at this property. It was excellent to have our boat a few steps from our door. The location was outstanding. Fishing was amazing and even snorkeling in the canal was great. Our girls described the vacation as the best! We would love to come back and make it a family tradition.

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

Super Vacation

Guest: xmxpro (Charlotte NC)
Date of Stay: 03/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/24/11

This was my first trip and vacation at this home. My family and I have stayed at other homes in the area over the years. This was by far the best fit for a small or large family. Pros: Location Pool Clean Up to date fixtures BBQ! Fishing.... Only feet away Cons: Our boat was in for service, so we could not utilize the dock at the home I would highy recomend to others and have booked another trip.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Holiday problems

Guest: william (Lincolnshire UK)
Date of Stay: 02/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/30/11

Our party of 4 booked for a 4 week stay. On arrival we found the following problems:- 2 dining chairs with legs falling off, cracked glasses, chipped crockery, main oven element broken therefore unusable, holes in very worn bed linen for both master and guest bedrooms, cooking saucepans unusable due to damaged non stick surfaces, no phone although 2 are advertised, BBQ unusable because it would not ignite and was extremely dirty.I have photos as proof. As per the Contract, we notified the owner immediately who advised that the problems would be sorted by his local Assistant. It took until the middle of the third week of our vacation to get all the problems remedied. We had to wait in for the Assistant twice, the cooker repair man twice and once for the phone man. On requesting compensation, the owner's offer was for 1 week's rebate as long as we left the premises at 10.00am the next day! Obviously, there had been no inspection of this property for some considerable time. The first time that the Assistant had ever been in the property was on the Thursday of our first week. In addition, there is a cement works opposite that starts at 7.00 am and is extremely noisy Monday to Friday. We have used VRBO for many years vacationing in the Keys and have never encountered any problems of this kind.

Owner response:William, The Indiana tile guy stayed at the house the 2 weeks prior to your visit. They have stayed the 2 previous years and love the place. I called him when I started receiving complaints from you, my biggest concern was the oven not functioning. I was told his wife baked cookies before they left. The oven repair was started immediately. Waiting for the part was beyond my control. There is an oven in the downstairs efficiency that works fine that could have been used while you waited for the other one to be repaired. The other complaints you had, I was unaware of because my housekeepers had not informed about them. All the complaints were immediately corrected by my new property manager. When talking with my property manager she stated your complaints were a little exaggerated (legs falling off the chairs turned out to be slightly loose legs which were easily tightened) because you didn't want to be blamed for them. I'm thankful that you brought these things to my attention so they could be corrected. I had not been to the house in 4 months and I have terminated my housekeeper and hired a new one. A few things you forgot to mention: The new barbeque delivered in 2 days, all new pots and pans delivered the next day, new dishes,new wine glasses ( of which my assistant found 6 existing when you left), new sheets for the beds (which had been replaced 2 months previous, housekeeper related problem), local phone installed (oversight on my part, everybody has a cell phone). My assistant was available to meet with any of the serviceman that came to the house but you told her it was unnecessary. To anyone reading this review we're very disappointed that we let these renter's down even though our property manager got everything corrected pretty quickly. I think the bottom line is that this house just wasn't a good fit for these people.

Recommended for:Sightseeing

Great Time Away!

Guest: Indiana Tile Guy (New Paris, IN USA)
Date of Stay: 02/05/11 Review Submitted: 03/25/11

This was our second time to stay here, and we definitely want to again in the future. My family of 8 stayed up and my parents stayed in the lower level. We have been coming to the keys for several years and we have found this place to be a great value. The children love the pool, and the ocean views really help make the mornings come alive. We bring our boat, and we can be to the reefs in just a short boat ride. Fishing and snorkling are excellent. Canals are full of lobsters too, but most were too small. There is a cement plant behind the house, but our experiences have shown the neighborhood to be very friendly and quiet. Thanks again for a wonderful stay, and we hope to come back soon!

Owner response:Eric, I hope you make it back next year. It's pleasure to have you and your family stay at our home.

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

Review of House

Guest: Kim R. (Pennsylvania, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 02/07/11

This is the first time we have vacationed in the Keys and overall we had a delightful vacation. The owner told us that there were two double beds in the downstairs "in law suite" but he was a little misleading. There are two futons that convert to double beds, which left us searching the house for bedding and making beds after traveling 20+ hours by car to get there (our plane flights were cancelled due to snow/ice storm in the Northeast). This room is probably best used by teenagers. It was not comfortable for us -- 2 adults and 2 kids. Fortunately, the weather was worth our travel by car. It was sunny and in the 80's all week. However, the air conditioner in the downstairs in law suite needs repair. It may work but is too noisy for anyone to stand to have it on more than a few minutes. We ended up uncomfortable a few nights when sleeping but it sure beats dealing with the snow and ice at home. Finally, the home backs up to some sort of industrial business. It is very noisy (loud dumping, truck back up beeping and heavy machinery noises) at the house and the noise starts about 7:00 a.m. Our family that stayed upstairs had no complaints other than the noise. The dock, pool and fish cleaning station were great. You don't need to go far to catch fish. We saw sea turtles and dolphins via our boat not far from the house. The Keys are just beautiful and so relaxing. We will vacation in the Upper Keys again but we plan to rent a different house that will be more comfortable for our family.

Owner response:The downstairs has been completely renovated since these renters were here and it is in fact a very nice bedroom suite at this time. Had these renters told me 2 adults and 2 children were going to attempt to sleep on the 2 Futons that were there at the time, I would have recommended against it. Had they let me know about the A/C downstairs I would have had it fixed immediately. A new air conditioner has been installed. We have since hired a new Property manager to insure that we avoid these kinds of problems. The house does not "back up " to an industrial business. It is sand supply business that is across the street on the other side of the woods thus making the home private with no neighbors across the street. It may have been busy because of the massive new sewer system being installed on U.S. 1. You can hear the trucks backing up if you have the windows open in the front of the house or if you are in the front of the house but it is unnoticeable in back by the pool and dock. The location of the business can be seen on the website by viewing the satellite view of the area.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

Guest: Hunter2 (Tampa, fl)
Date of Stay: 07/24/09 Review Submitted: 07/24/09

My family and friends loved the house from decor to the location. The downstairs was nice with two familes being there. I went fishing every morning (caught great fish)and was able to return to take everyone snorkeling by noon. The pool was very nice after a day in the sun and saltwater. We never had more that a 30 minute boat ride to deep water to fish or reefs to dive. We are already planning our next trip here. Thanks for a great house, Hunter

Recommended for:

Guest: Shawn M. (-)
Date of Stay: 02/11/09 Review Submitted: 02/11/09

This was a very nice place to stay. The home was beautiful, recently remodeled on the second floor. Lower bathroom remodeled. It was very clean. It was nice having two different kitchens and living areas for our family vacation. The Landscaping was very nice, nice patio, small pool, but the kids used it constantly.It is 5 min. to a state park, it has the canal, so we had a boat and went fishing everyday. Every Morning I awoke to the sunrise, Just lying in my master bedroom bed. We will stay here again!! Thanks for a wonderful vacation!!

Recommended for: