Vacation Rentals by Owner

Perfect Vacation

Guest: dan M. (Northbrook, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 02/01/12 Review Submitted: 04/22/12

This was our third year at Castle Reef in Don's condo. It has all the amenities. His condo is in beautiful condition. The view from the balcony is perfect - pool, beach and ocean. There are many excellent restaurants in the area and it is convenient to shopping and numerous activities. We're looking forward to our return stay in 2013.We have recommended our condo at Castle Reef to a number of people.

Recommended for:

Snowbird Escape

Guest: Philip W.
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 02/17/12

Don's condo was everything as advertised. It was quiet, comfortable, and nicely furnished. Access to the beach was easy, with my wife and I enjoying numerous walks at sunrise. The view of the ocean from the condo balcony was a great way to end a day. What was especially nice was Don's phone calls to make sure the condo was prepared for us and that everything was going well. We had a very enjoyable time.

Recommended for:

Great condo

Guest: Erin (Deland)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/08/12

I stayed here with my family in September 2011. We had great time. The condo is located very close to the pool and beach access. We have small children and the condo was clean, fully stocked with necessities and we overall had a great stay. The owner was very friendly and very fast return of deposit. Great vacation and definitely will rent again !

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

From Kentucky to Florida

Guest: Curtis S. (Louisville, Kentucky)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 08/02/11

The time in New Smyrna was amazing and the condo/complex were above expectations. The pool along with the beach views and the perfect weather all week made for an enjoyable, as well as spect- acular vacation. The condo unit was fully equipped with all the amentities of home. Extras included a beach side umbrella, board games for entertain- ment and many other extras that made the stay worthwhile. Also, the complex was across from supermarket inside a strip-mall, many restaurants and other shopping venues that made New Smyrna an easy choice for visiting again/again!!!! Orlando/Daytona are an easy drive on I-95 for Disney and NASCAR fans, as well as Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, all of which are less than two hours drive time. This is a must stay for the vacationer to New Smyrna, Florida! A very family friendly area with miles of beach to walk, run, sun & shell seek! Thank you to the wonderful owner(s) of the unit whom do make the "coming home" to Florida a pleasant memory to behold until the next visit to the Sunshine State very, very soon!

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.

Nice place!

Guest: Karen (Titusville, Florida)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/12/11

We have been staying at Castle Reef every summer for over 20 years and I have to say this is one of the nicer units there. Bed is comfortable and it is a king size. Many of the units have queen size beds. So this was a nice plus. Couches were clean and comfortable. Only drawback I saw in this unit was the lack of silverware. We had a family dinner and had to borrow some silverware from another unit. Plenty of coffee cups, plates etc. Everything we needed!! Thanks and we will be back next summer. Karen & Chuck

Owner response:Thanks for your comments. Many family reunions take place in the complex with members of larger groups getting together and renting multiple units at the same time. This one bedroom apartment is well stocked for up to four people.

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

Castle Reef Vacation Getaway

Guest: Chip (Connellsville, Pa)
Date of Stay: 05/19/11 Review Submitted: 05/27/11

Don, your condo was awesome. Very tastefully decorated, extremely clean and fully stocked. Many times, we rent a condo only to find the kitchen and beach supplies to be virtually non existent. Yours was quite the opposite.....the beach chairs, umbrella and cooler came in very handy and were much appreciated. The view from the balcony is awesome and the pool area and beach are very close and easy to get to. We usually visit NSB 2-3 times per year as we have relatives in the area and always stay beachside. Your condo was one of the best we have ever rented.We will check your calendar for future visits. Great hospitality. Thanks!

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

Perfect vacation

Guest: Gail (Cherry Valley Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 04/27/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

We stayed in Don's wonderful condo at the end of April. What a great stay we had. The condo is very nice, clean and well kept. Nothing was worn or in disrepair. The floor plan was great. Sliders from the living room and the bedroom went out to the lanai. Beautiful views. I had no problem getting wireless on my laptop from outside and most of the time from inside.There was a very effecient washer and dryer right across the corridor. $1.50 to wash or dry and they both worked very well. The grounds were beautiful. The maintenance guy was out early every day cleaning the huge salt water pool. He also picked up any trash and straighten all the outdoor furniture. Very nice pool setup. Shuffleboard was a great diversion since we don't play it at home. The beach is beautiful. Nice soft sand but firm enough for a good walk. A large food store across the street. Liquor store, local bar, restaurants are also across the street. Laundry mat where I bought a box of detergent for my one load to do at the condo. Little Italy pizza was great (right across the street). Very friendly there. They also have a regular Italian menu. New Smyrna is not a party town. It's good for families and those that don't need bars and babes. The closest beach bar Chases on the Beach (about a mile or less walk) was good for a drink or two or...They have a pool! It gets crowded with young ones. We golfed 5 days at different courses. The most we paid was $27 at the LPGA International Course in Daytona, Pristine! Use golfnow.com for discount prices. I could go on and on. I've been all over Florida and I think I have found the place I would not mind retiring to and until I retire I will be back! Thanks Don!

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

Five weeks of R&R

Guest: dan M. (Northbrook, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 03/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

Our vacation in this lovely condo couldn't have been nicer. The condo is nicely furnished and in beautiful condition. The floor plan is lovely. There is a breakfast bar connecting the kitchen to the dining/living room,which we enjoyed very much. There is a beautiful view of the pool and ocean from the living room as well as bedroom and balcony. Sliding glass doors in the living room and bedroom give you access to the balcony. Excellent restaurants and good shopping are close by. We were there from 3/1/11 to 4/7/11 We can't wait to return in 2012.

Owner response:Thank you to all my guests that appreciate the beauty of New Smyrna beach. Just wanted to point out that for those guests who see an occasional small dog being walked on the property, the condo rules allow only owners to have a pet in their unit. Thanks..(Striving to make your stay a very enjoyable experience).

Recommended for:Age 55+, pet owners.

Feb.2011

Guest: Marie and Gary (Daggett,MI)
Date of Stay: 02/01/11 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

My husband and stayed in this unit the month of Feb. 2011. What a wonderful place to get away from the cold for a while. The condo was very clean and nicely decorated. My favorite part was listening to the waves at night and sitting on the balcony in the morning saying my prayers. What a wonderful view God created for us to enjoy! We would definitely come here again. Also, Don was very prompt returning our deposit. Thanks Don!

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Great stay

Guest: Diana and Ian (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 02/05/11

This was our first visit to New Smyrna Beach, and this condo. We had a great stay for a full month. The location is excellent. We enjoyed a daily walk on a beautiful, pristine and traffic free beach. As well the condo was close to nature, attractions, restaurants, and stores. The town of New Smyrna is very nice. The condo was clean, well maintained, and well equipped. The owner was very easy to work with, and most responsive to our needs. Very friendly people, and overall a great stay.

Recommended for:Age 55+

Great Time

Guest: Jimmy & Debbie (McDonough, GA)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 07/06/10

This was the first time staying at this condo and our first visit to New Smyrna Beach. We had a great time. The room was wonderful. Clean and lots of sunlight. Great view of pool and ocean. Grocery store directly across the street. Very convenient. Everyone was so friendly. Condo had everything we needed, every beach chairs and umbrella. We would definitely recommend and look forward to staying there again.

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

Guest: Diana s. (Parker, Co.)
Date of Stay: 08/17/09 Review Submitted: 08/17/09

We spent an amazing 11 days in New Smyrna beach. The Condo was wonderful. It is steps from a beautiful beach and lovely pool. We also enjoyed playing shuffleboard several times. My 12 year old and I had a great time playing in the water and finding shells. The condo's location is convenient to to stores and restaurants. We also drove into Orlando several days and spent time at Daytona and Cocoa beach as well. We never drove more than 1 1/2 hours to anywhere we wanted to go. Don was very easy to work with and our deposit was returned very promptly!

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Family vacation

Guest: Pta Siskin (Chattanooga, TN, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/08/09 Review Submitted: 08/25/09

family had a great time. great location & very clean beach. convenient to Daytona, Orlando, & Cape Canaveral which opens up more possibilities which were difficult to fit into just one week.

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

Guest: nesskay (Winter Park, FL)
Date of Stay: 08/03/09 Review Submitted: 08/03/09

My six year old grandson and I spent a wonderful week at this great condo. It was exactly as shown in the pictures and more. The beach is just down a few steps from the large, clean pool and three shuffleboard courts. There is also a "kiddy" pool for younger children.The condo was nicely decorated, very clean, and well stocked. I can’t think of anything we didn’t have available to us. The location was also a plus. Just across the street is a grocery store, restaurants and other shops. It was so nice to be able to walk, safely, to the store and pick up everything a six year old wanted!The condo will easily sleep four, comfortably. The bar makes serving simple meals and snacks easy, and the table has plenty of space for complete meals for everyone.The beach is beautiful. Cars are not permitted to drive in front of the condo. There is a lifeguard who was very kind in answering my grandson’s questions about sharks and swimmers. The owner was excellent to work with. He made sure that our stay was what we expected. We plan to book it again.

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Great place to stay

Guest: Mark and Sherri (Warrenton Mo)
Date of Stay: 05/16/09 Review Submitted: 06/04/09

My family and I stayed in this condo in May 09, traveling with two small children this condo offered all the comforts of home. The condo is very clean and has most everything you may need, shopping and dining were very close and many choices. The owner of this condo was very good to work with and refunded the deposit in a very short time. He was also kind enough to return an item that we left and sent it to us in the mail. I would recommend this condo to anyone looking for a nice place to stay in New Smyrna Beach, it was a good value for the money and the extra ammenties were very nice and convienent. Great swimming pool and childrens pool for small children and just steps from the beautiful beach. The laundry room for this unit is literally right outside the front door, being on the second floor made using the steps not a big deal, but when bringing in groceries or lugguage the elevator made it very easy. My family will definately stay here again on our next visit to NSB.

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

April, 2009 Review from Indiana (10 night stay)

Guest: Karen (Huntertown, IN)
Date of Stay: 04/17/09 Review Submitted: 04/27/09

This was our 3rd visit to New Smyrna Beach, and our first at this property. My husband and myself love this area because of the beautiful beaches and the small city charm. We absolutely loved staying at this property. What you see in the pictures is what you get. Absolutely wonderful! All of the furniture was newer and very comfortable. The place was clean and we wanted for nothing. There were a lot of nice little extra personal touches that made our stay great (simple things like night lights, nice dishes, beach chairs & towels, etc.); I think this is the first place we have EVER stayed at that had instructions on using the DVD player. The owner went the extra step to make our stay nice. Although, the unit is not ocean front, the view is still great. We really, really had a great time. We would definitely recommend it. Again... the pictures provided represent the unit perfectly! Karen & Bryan Huntertown, IN

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

New Smyrna Beach Condo

Guest: Tervl (Craigville, IN, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/30/09 Review Submitted: 04/28/09

A beautiful one bedroom condo that could comfortably sleep four. It is very tastefully decorated, very clean, and fully furnished. Two TV's and a DVD player are a nice amenity!I especially loved the view of the ocean from the balcony and the awesome sound of the waves at night. Access to the beach is just a short walk from the large, heated pool. I watched dolphins swim just beyond the break water! I walked the beach every day and found countless shells. A shopping center and grocery store are conveniently located across the street from the condo. Numerous restaurants are just a short drive away down A1A. The property is just as described and I would definitely book another vacation here!

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

A great place to relax!

Guest: MichaelC (Union Park, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/13/08 Review Submitted: 05/30/09

This cute condo on new symrna beach is a slice of heaven! I've stayed at many condos along the daytona and cocoa beach areas, and would not ever recommend them to anyone other than spring breakers. They are dirty, poorly lit, and in high crime areas. Alternatively, this condo at new symrna beach is a very clean and well kept unit. The owner is very good with communication and tries to make sure there are never any problems with the condo. I am a local who lives less than an hour from new symrna and it is the only beach I would feel comfortable letting my wife walk across the street to the store. New symrna is where the locals go to relax and get away from the college crowds and tourists. There is a walmart, kmart, publix, winn dixie, and many other stores within a five minutes drive. There are many local restaurants like manny's pizza(a must), chases, outback, and JB's. Dunes park is five minutes north of the condo at ponce inlet. This park is pet friendly, has an exercise boardwalk, and is a great place to fish or just sit while watching the sailboats go by. If you're lucky, you may get to see a shuttle or rocket launch! This condo is very affordable. There are other hotels and condos that are slightly cheaper, but I've been to most in the area and they really are horrible. There is nothing worse than waking up at two in the morning to get a glass of water and step on a cockroach. Then you flip the light on and find them everywhere scurrying back underneath the bed you and your spouse are sleeping on --this has happened to me more than once. As I said this condo is very clean and is the best value I have found. Don't chance your vacation on room that may not be what is claimed. This unit in new symrna beach is really as good as these reviewers say.

Owner response:Thank you for appreciating New Smyrna Beach for all the small town charm it has. It is very important for me to know my guests have had an enjoyable vacation and will return in the future. I am a long time and proud owner in this condominium complex, that along with fine management and upkeep of the building and grounds contributes to many happy vacations spent here.

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