A great Time

Guest: Yvette & Todd (-)
Date of Stay: 12/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/09/12

Hello Phil & Bernadette, We had a GREAT time in Isla Mujeres and your house was perfect for our vacation!  We have rented houses before through VRBO that turned out to be disappointments, but that was not the case with Casa Serenidad.  It was beyond our expectations.  We loved the location...walking distance to the cute little town nearby, ideally centrally-located on the island, and the ocean view (and sounds)...breathtaking.  The kids absolutely loved the beach and found literally a gallon of beach glass, along with the most beautiful, fully-intact shells we've ever found.  The kitchen is well-stocked, the beds are super comfy, and the house in general is very well-maintained.  Great water pressure, nice hot showers, and drinkable water in the kitchen, gorgeous pool deck with nice lounge chairs, a convenient video library, nice dishes, reliable Wi-Fi, etc...my only suggestion to make it a little nicer would be to consider changing the lightbulbs throughout to make the overhead lighting less harsh.  Drew stopped by our first day and was very friendly and extremely helpful.  The information in the house regarding restaurants was invaluable, and we tried to visit almost all of the recommendations.  We loved the bakery to the right of the "T"...unbelievable cream puffs.  Mango's was outstanding for breakfast, and Monchie's served killer fajitas.  We were extra-fortunate to be in Isla Mujeres during the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, and so there was a variety of celebrations going on, including the bull fights, just down the street from Casa Serenidad!  That was an experience we will never forget.To wrap it up, we were captivated by the charm of Isla Mujeres...the scenery, the people, the culture and of course...the food!!  It felt safe and never did I feel threatened or uneasy.  Don't apply the scary Mexico travel warnings to this island...it may be a 20-minute ferry ride away from the mainland, but it is a world of a difference. Thanks Phil & Bernadette

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Guest: Dennis & Kari (-)
Date of Stay: 03/15/10 Review Submitted: 11/30/10

Phil and Bernadette A real Pleasure Staying at your home and Villa Bella Next Door, Ashley and Curtis were better than the best, The House was wonderful, we were able to host a small gathering before the wedding and it couldnt have been better, everyone loved the house and the view was perfect, A Thousand Thanks for all you guys did for us and I can go on record saying its been the best, Great House, Great View, Perfect Neighbors with a bar next door!!!! Drew was on it at all times And Our Hosts Thanks Again Dennis & Kari and Kaylee too!!

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Guest: Alicia (-)
Date of Stay: 11/08/10 Review Submitted: 11/30/10

We had the vacation of a lifetime at your beautiful home. The pictures don’t do it justice – it’s a fantastic property with great amenities, good location and an amazing view! We loved hearing the sound of the ocean at night and during the daytime, relaxing outside under the palapas. This home is the perfect size for a group of 4-6 people. If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway and a slower change of pace, definitely head to Isla! -Alicia

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Guest: Adolf Zeman (-)
Date of Stay: 02/17/10 Review Submitted: 02/17/10

Bernadette & Philip: We returned from our trip to Isla Mujeres yesterday...it was hard leaving the Island (always is). Just wanted to let you know that we really enjoyed the house - it was perfect for the three couples. It is a beautiful house and is perfectly stocked with everything one would need. We really enjoyed the location and particularly enjoyed walking through the neigborhood and visiting the local restaurants, taquerias, and stores. We look forward to our return and whenever we have a group like we did we will definitely return to Casa de Serenidad. Take care, Adolf

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Guest: Kelsey3 (Virginia, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/15/10 Review Submitted: 01/15/10

My husband and I met Phil and Bernadette on the ferry ride over to Isla at the beginning of the new year. They were very kind and offered tips on places to go and sites to see. We stopped by the b and b next to their home and were astonished by the view! The house looked gorgeous and we definitely plan to stay on our next trip to Isla (whenever that may be). Phil and Bernadette: Thank you so much for the kindness you showed us on our trip and for the great tips! We really appreciated it!

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Guest: Bob & Family (-)
Date of Stay: 08/05/09 Review Submitted: 08/05/09

Bernadette and Phil, We returned from Isla last night and wanted to get off a thank you for letting us rent your lovely home. Not only is the house great, but snorkeling with the whale sharks was unbelievable. We were completely surrounded by dozens on the surface and many more below. I would think the summer seasons could/should increase in demand as word gets out about the whale sharks. We used Enrique's Unique Dives (he as a web site with lots of info) next to his families restaurant "La Tigrena" for our scuba and everyone else we dove with were repeat customers who came back to dive specifically with him. He set us up on the Ixchel II for the whale sharks and they also were fantastic. We found some whale sharks and jumped in to snorkel with them. We were immediately surrounded by so many it was impossible to count as they swam by, under, around, and past us. A really great experience! It is very rare to see so many and I wanted to share the info so that it might help if you wish to promote the summer season. Isla now has something to attract visitors during June, July, and August and word is getting out. We're passing the word to other families who share our interests, and even talked on the way home about returning to Isla to spend more time with all the sea life that surrounds the island. Your emails, hospitality, patience, and help were outstanding. It's why we chose you. Thank you for everything and hopefully you'll consider letting us come back some time if we can. Don't forget, we have a furnished guest house of our own set here in the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands, which is yours should you be out this way. Thanks again and best wishes, Bob and Family BOB, IT WAS A PLEASURE HAVING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY STAY IN OUR HOME. YOU ARE WELCOME BACK ANYTIME PHIL & BERNADETTE CASA DE SERENIDAD

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Guest: Lost in Vacation (Ocala, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/03/09 Review Submitted: 05/03/09

Phil and Bernadette, you have a wonderful home on a lovely paradise island and we appreciate you sharing it with us. We had a wonderful week in both Casa de Serenidad and on Isla. The Casa had all the amenities and comforts of home combined with true island living.....we loved it. Isla is friendly and inviting island. We will certainly visit again. Jonathan and Tonya

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Guest: Nancy Ngo (-)
Date of Stay: 04/02/09 Review Submitted: 04/02/09

Hello Phil and Bernadette; A couple of things...I got to view your beautiful house on March 31st. I am so glad that I finally got to see it. It looks great! Also, I received this nice email from our most recent guest at your house (Mar 24 to 31): Meaghan -- We just got back from Isla yesterday. The place was fabulous -- the pictures didn't do justice to how beautiful it was (which hasn't always happened when booking spaces :)) Thank you so much and we'll be sure to recommend your place in the future! (Also, we're from Minneapolis so that was also a bonus to rent from someone from around here :) ) Nancy

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Guest: Jacque Stein (-)
Date of Stay: 02/24/09 Review Submitted: 02/24/09

Bernadette and Philip, Thank you so much for the use of your beautiful house. We loved the house and location. I can see why you fell in love with Isla and the people. We appreciated the recommendations for meals. I think we ate at almost every one. We had a lovely dinner at Mango's for Valentine's Day. We loved Don Mari and Manilito's in the neighborhood, the bakery was amazing. Thank you also for the beer. We had gone out and were planning to leave a six pack for the next guests when I talked to Drew and he indicated that you had arranged for it to be available. We also met Plu who said that he knew you. We arranged with him for multiple taxi rides including the one to the ferry on our way back to Minnesota. We hope to go back soon! Jacque and Jim Stein Heather and Jay Homuth

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Guest: Jeanne Dorweiler (-)
Date of Stay: 04/07/08 Review Submitted: 04/07/08

Hello! Just wanted to let you know what a great time we had at Casa de Serenidad. We were very nervous about noise at first when we found out the house was next door to Villa Bella, but no worries -- the house was amazingly quiet -- no noise from either the B&B or the road. We loved going down to the beach, wading around, and looking for shells. It was amazing how many conch shells you can find! The pool was a fantastic place to relax after a trip to the ocean, and having the rafts in the house made it even more pleasant. We hit the bakery every day for our treat selection, tried the chicken lady, and of course went to Baseball Tacos! The orange juice at Ronco's was indeed very good. It was a wonderful location for a quiet retreat and yet access to the busy parts of the island. Thanks for a wonderful vacation!

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