Vacation Rentals by Owner

Back to Paradise

Guest: A senior couple
Date of Stay: 11/05/11 Review Submitted: 12/19/11

We just came home from a second stay in this villa and did want to make a short review (because we wrote one already before in June 2011 and the standard of the house didn’t change) just to say thanks to Caroline &Terry for again a wonderful time in their beautiful villa. Then we saw the last review and were wondering if we have been in the same villa like the guests just before our stay! As well inside as outside everything was in a perfect condition. The amenities and the quality are far above standard. There is no need to bring anything from home. We were there for nearly 6 weeks and regularly people came to take care for everything around the house, such as the swimming pool, the garden and the insect control, as is needed in a subtropical environment. Besides, the beds at the poolside were also for older people (our age is 65 and 70) comfortable. Very pleasant is also that the communication with Caroline goes very easy and that Mary and her management team respond immediately if needed. OK, again we had a great time, did already decide to come back in April / May and it's obvious that we can recommend this villa to our best friends!

Recommended for:

Nice on the inside, average on the outside

Guest: fraugast (Germany)
Date of Stay: 10/14/11 Review Submitted: 12/08/11

The house is located in a very quiet part of Rotonda, there is barely any traffic and walking or cycling are safe. Behind the house is a nice little pond which houses two (very shy) alligators. The nearest supermarket is a well-stocked Publix at about 10 minutes by car and there is a Win Dixie not much further. The beaches are each at around 30 minutes driving distance, our favorites are Gazparilla Beach and Blind Pass Beach, though Stump Pass Beach and Englewood Beach are a little closer and are also nice. Good dining can be found in Boca Grande (the Pink Elephant is a treat, Loose Capoose is good for lunch), but also in Englewood, Nicola's Italian Restaurant and Lock and Key are our favorites. The house itself is very nice on the inside, we found it very clean and there was everything you could possibly need to make the stay comfortable. However, this only applies to the inside of the house. The pooldeck was kind of neglected. It is difficult to describe, but there were these little details, like leaves piling up on the inside corners of the screen, mould on the patio fan, moss growing on the edges of the pooldeck, a worn/torn deck chair etc. and the pool water not as sparkling as we are used find it in other homes. It was not really bad, just not really great. Also the deckchairs available were rather on the uncomfortable side, personally we would have preferred a sunbed with a thick cushion, not those hard mesh folding deck chairs. Also there were only two beach chairs and one small, rather decrepit umbrella, not enough for a house for 6 people. We are outdoor people and spend a lot of time on the beach or on the patio/in the pool, thus these things are important to us. A nice touch are the five bycicles that are provided for guest use. They are all adult bikes, but our 10 year old daughter (140cm) could cope after my husband had lowered the seat to the lowest position. There are also a ping pong table, paddles and balls, which was great fun for a family game of ping pong. Overall a nice experience with some minor issues.

Owner response:We were amazed by this review. The picture painted is definitely not what we believe to be true. We have set ourselves high standards and these we intend to maintain inside and outside. We are regularly making new additions/improvements. We enjoy staying often ourselves. Our Management Company insists on the pool being sparkling clean and it is serviced by them every week and the grass is cut weekly. We also employ a specialist lawn care company who fertilize and try to keep the condition looking good even in the Florida sun and heat if at all possible. The patio furniture comprises 6 very comfortable padded chairs around a lovely glass table. 4 loungers are also provided of which 2 were new this year plus 4 collapsible beach chairs. Since there are no plants or shrubs growing within the lanai there is no way that leaves could ever accumulate within it. .The villa and lanai are all inspected and cleaned after departure and prior to the arrival of every guest. The management team pride themselves on their attention to detail. All extras provided at the villa at no extra charge are also in very good condition: 5 bikes. Ping Pong table and plenty of balls and bats/paddles. Wii games for the TV Gas barbecue Golf clubs and bags etc. As can be seen below this reviewer also wrote in our guest book before departure and was extremely happy with the villa then! I quote: Oct 14 – 27, 2011 We very much enjoyed our stay in this beautiful house. Thank you very much. Thomas, Katrin, Tim + Jelte Hanover, Germany A copy of this entry in our guest book has been sent to HomeAway. We would definitely say that our villa is well maintained and a lovely vacation villa inside and outside in a peaceful location overlooking a wildlife lake.

Recommended for:

A place to be happy!

Guest: A Senior Couple (Beuningen, Netherlands)
Date of Stay: 05/03/11 Review Submitted: 06/13/11

Through the years we did rent several villas in California, Arizona and Florida but this one in Rotonda we like most. Behind the villa is a peaceful small lake with wildlife and even alligators you could see nearly every day just sitting in the lanai. The villa itself is tasteful decorated, very clean and everything you could possibly need to feel like home is available. Rotonda is a good place for walking and biking and after we discovered the baskets for the bikes we could even do small shoppings to Publix using the bike trail. (Not recommended for carrying strawberries back home, as we did!) There are three nice beaches and also good restaurants in the neighbourhood, but because of the perfect kitchen equipment cooking at home was never a problem. If you did spend enough time on walking, biking or reading, like we did, then in the villa you can find all information for other things to do. We loved our stay in May so much that we already enjoy to come back this winter.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children, sightseeing.

Great place for a relaxing holiday

Guest: Frank (Frankfurt, Germany)
Date of Stay: 01/15/11 Review Submitted: 02/01/11

Having rented a lot of holiday-homes in Europe and some in Florida i think the house in Rotonda was the best equipped one of them all. Everything was perfectly clean and the view from the lanai towards the lake is fantastic. We really enjoyed staying here and will definitly come back in the future.

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

December 18 - Jan 1, 2011

Guest: Rita (Lafayette, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/04/11

What a beautiful villa! We enjoyed ourselves so much. The kitchen had everything you could possibly need and we cooked in most evenings. The men fished in the lake several times and caught and released several large catfish. They also golfed at several different golf courses in the area and enjoyed those. The villa was very clean and well maintained. The management company took very good care of us; one day the electricity went out so I called them and they got right back to me explaining the problem. We dined at Farlow's a favorite of ours and The Gulf View restraurant on Manesota Key. The beach is only 10 minutes away and very beautiful. All in all we were very pleased with our stay and hope to stay in the villa again in December of 2011.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Restful Rotunda

Guest: mike b. (Hampshire, UK)
Date of Stay: 11/16/10 Review Submitted: 01/21/11

We stayed here in November 2010 for 8 days and our daughter joined us from Virginia for 4 days for some family bonding. The Villa is a delight and the booking process simple and friendly. we have stayed in Rotunda before but this was our first stay at this property. It was good to revisit some of the beaches and surrounding tourist spots but we were also able to discover some new areas. We spent lots of time by the pool relaxing and winding down and the views are peaceful and secluded. All the facilities at the Villa were past our expectations and the management company were readily available should we ever have needed them. we can recommend the property and the local beaches and hope to return again at some time in the future. And the sun shone every day................

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect Location and Wonderful Villa

Guest: Michelle & Mike (Staffordshire, England, UK)
Date of Stay: 08/15/10 Review Submitted: 10/15/10

We had a wonderful time at the villa and it is in such a fantastic location in relation to the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast and the wonderful lake and Golf Course behind the villa. The facilities were great, the management company look after the villa very well and everything was spotless for our arrival. We made use of the golf clubs that are left for guests use and it was easy to get tee times on the local courses. We also used the bikes and went for a long ride along the local bike trail. Our teenage son used the table tennis table was used at least daily and the Wii also provided a great deal of entertainment. We went swimming each day and the pool deck and facilities were excellent. The sun was on the pool deck from dawn to dusk. There was certainly plenty of wildlife around - we heard the alligators but didn't see any in the lake ( we did see one on the golf course though!). I also saw a mother racoon and her 4 babies walking by the edge of the pool deck when I was sitting out there late afternoon one day and then we also saw dolphins at the beach. The highlight though was at Stump Pass Beach when a couple of Manatees just swam right by us in the sea. We would certainly recommend your villa to anyone who is looking at staying on the Gulf Coast and hopefully we will be back.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

5* Accommodation!

Guest: Kate M. (Sittingbourne)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 02/16/12

Just popped in to book again for next year & realised I forgot to leave our comments here, sorry! We were knocked out at this amazing home! Fabulous pool, garden complete with wildlife, comfy lounge area, restful bedrooms, walk in closet (omg!), the waffle machine was a hit too! We had lots of fun playing with the Wii when we weren't out & about visiting the local area. Our son, now aged 10 can't wait to come back (nor can we!) Property maintenance was fabulous, communications with the owners - perfect. I have to admit, we have never visited the same place twice, so for me this is the best way to show our appreciation :) Roll on next year!

Recommended for:

gorgeous villa

Guest: marianne and leo (Oud-Turnhout, Europe, Belgium)
Date of Stay: 04/09/10 Review Submitted: 04/28/10

We had a lovely time in the villa. It had everything you could possibly dream of and even more. My husband especially liked the wii and I enjoyed sunbathing and swimming in the pool and watching the alligators in the lake. Because the kitchen was so well-equipped we cooked dinner ourselves most of the time although I can recommend the restaurant 'The fishery' where we had a lovely meal There are also many things you can do in the area Our visit to Gasparilla island (and riding a golf cart) was one of the highlights. We also rode the bikes quite a few times. Because of the volcano eruption our stay in Florida was extended one week, unfortunately not in the villa though.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Peaceful vacation

Guest: Chimo (Grimsby Ontario)
Date of Stay: 12/24/09 Review Submitted: 01/17/10

My husband and I went to visit Rotunda West at Christmas time. when we got to the home we were amazed how clean and beautiful it was. Anything and everything was available for us. There was even a small Christmas tree put up for us. The pool was great and we enjoyed it. The lake behind the home and the golf course made you feel you were on your own private island. This home is so centrally located that you can go anywhere north or south for a short distance and find something to do. Nigel and Caroline both make sure we were comfortable. I told them I could stay warm in the luxury beds and snuggle in the softness of the beds for a long time. We enjoyed the den for reading. I would reccomend this home to families and retired folks alike. You are in a home where comfort is the number one priority when you book this site.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Wonderful Vacation Home

Guest: Sunny Florida Lover (Stevensville, MD)
Date of Stay: 07/02/09 Review Submitted: 07/12/09

Thank you for sharing your beautiful home, we stayed 7 days and did not want to leave! The home had every amenity, the kitchen was well stocked with every gadget, plenty of utensils, dishes, etc. The home was very clean and bright, the bedrooms roomy and comfortable, the pictures do not do it justice. The onsite manager was very helpful, responsive and answered all our questions. We enjoyed the pool everyday, played ping-pong, and loved seeing the wildlife right outside our back door. The location was quiet and peaceful, but close to everything, including the beach, shopping, restaurants, etc., it was a wonderful place to relax and unwind. We will definitely rent this home again when we are back in the area. Thanks again!!! :)

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

Home Away From Home And More

Guest: Canadian Snowbirds (Beaverton, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/08/09

The villa was just as described, very clean and well-maintained. The pool area, the lake with its wildlife and the golf course greens were a definite plus adding to the serenity and privacy. The beaches were not far away and there was a variety of restaurants to choose from. The property manager provided top notch customer service. A very comfortable and satisfying experience and would definitely recommend this property.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

beautiful retreat

Guest: Lisa V. (Centreville, MD)
Date of Stay: 12/28/08 Review Submitted: 03/08/09

we had a wonderful time at this beautiful home. we stayed for 10 days and wished we could have stayed longer! the home was clean and well maintained. The caretaker could not have been more helpful, giving us several great places to visit while we were there. We have already recommended this property to several of our friends. It was very easy to find and very centrally located to some great beaches. The local english pub was great and all of the people were very friendly. we just can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our trip. It was money well spent. Thanks again for sharing your home!!!!

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