used for family Christmas

Guest: Florida native family (Central Florida)
Date of Stay: 12/16/11 Review Submitted: 12/20/11

Over all, we enjoyed the stay and there were many nice things about the house. The location was great: near activities yet quiet, the boardwalk to the beach and decks overlooking the beach were very enjoyable, the large windows in the living/dining areas added to the atmosphere, the large dining table with an extra table were great both for meals and for socializing. The rooms were smaller and the house older than expected from the photos. We would not classify it as “luxury”, but it was certainly comfortable. We did, however, have some complaints. The information on the website was deficient in descriptions of the bedrooms & baths so that we couldn’t make plans ahead of arrival. The “Things to bring” list was in the house, rather than being provided prior to arrival. The house actually sleeps 14-16, (not 18) but one bed is a fold out couch in the living room. Two of the baths are in “master suites”, therefore not readily available to others. Because of this arrangement, eight people upstairs must use the same bath. The house was “surface” clean, but was somewhat deficient in deep cleaning. ( ie: We found trash under beds and the windows were so dirty as to obstruct the beautiful view.) The neighborhood power went off during our stay and there was no alternate lighting (or other emergency supplies and information) available. The throw rugs had no “non-skid” backing, making them hazardous. There were a number of maintenance issues: several closet, bedroom, and exterior doors were dysfunctional; there was a rotten area on the upstairs deck; tub drains, garbage disposal, one microwave, and a toilet all needed attention. A functional can opener would have been nice. We were disappointed that the fireplace was closed for use. We had bought logs to brings, so that was an added expense. Even with these problems, we would consider renting the place again.G

Owner response:The home has a max of 17 add that is with pullout sofa and use of futon for 1 person . This in the detail of the listing. I would ask that all guests call re any cleaning or minor maintenance issues . Many of these problems could have been addresses by staff during the stay however , staff was not contacted during stay . The fireplace has never been operable and violates insurance policy . That is also true of candles etc . Unfortunately , The power will go off at the beach we have had a few northeastors in the past month . Blown sand on decks and windows are common problems particularly in the winter months. Again , please contact i believe many of these issues could have been resolved with little inconveince even to such a large group

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, girls getaway.

Nice!

Guest: Brenda (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/05/11

My husband's extended family have been doing beach trips for 20 years now and we have been all over Florida and South Carolina. Out of all of the houses we have rented, this is one of the nicest. It is newer than most rentals and is really big. We had 5 families that stayed and there was plenty of room for everyone. We especially liked the porch and the huge indoor dining table that could fit most everyone at dinner. The other thing I liked about it was that the town of St. Augustine was only about 5 -10 minutes away so it was close enough for those who wanted some adventure during the day, but far enough from the roads to still be quiet. We also found the bedrooms to be quiet which is nice. Usually it is hard to sleep with so many noisey family members in the same house, but the set up of this house made it seem like the bedrooms were far away from the common areas and the tvs. The pool looked nice although I never got in (spent most of the time at the beach). The beach was nice and pristine and the city does a good job of keeping it clean. As stated in another review, the fridge is normal size which is small for 18 people, so coolers are a must. The washer and dryer were nice as were all of the furnishings in the house. I would highly recommend this house and I hope we go there again.

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

perfect large family beachfront home

Guest: WEST H.
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/07/11

WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. THE HOUSE WAS LARGE, CLEAN, AND EVERYONE HAD PLENTY OF SPACE TO SPREAD OUT. WE HAD 8 PEOPLE AND DIDN'T EVEN USE 2 OF THE BEDROOMS. THE BEACH IS WONDERFUL WITH YOUR SEMIPRIVATE WALKOVER. THE HOUSE IS LOCATED CLOSE TO EVERYTHING.....WE ENJOYED IT ENOUGH TO TRY AND HAVE A FAMILY REUNION NEXT YEAR THERE IF WE CAN WORK IT OUT. I WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THIS HOUSE TO SOMEONE WITH A LARGE FAMILY. IF THERE IS A NEGATIVE, THEY ARE MINOR, A FEW LIGHT BULBS WERE OUT...OTHERWISE WE FOUND EVERYTHING IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. AS FAR AS RESTAURANTS, CAN'T GO WRONG WITH CAPS, KINGFISH GRILL,A1A, AND GYPSY CAB. FRESH SEAFOOD CAN BE BOUGHT RIGHT OVER THE BRIDGE AT CAMARCHEE MARINA......VERY FRESH... ENJOY !

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

St. Augustine Beach Getaway!

Guest: Carrie (Tallahassee, FL, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/23/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

The locations was perfect-right on a not so busy beach. We had 13 of us (3 families) stay for 4 nights. This house was perfect for all of us. The beach was cocina-tiny shells, so I recommend bringing beach shoes. The fridge wasn't huge, so we also brought extra coolers. There was cable, AC, washer/dryer, microwave... My only complaint was that there weren't enough hooks in the bathrooms and we had to go out to buy toilet paper after using the 1 provided roll. Also, the hot tub had no water in it. We also brought along more hangers and clock radios. They are building a Publix across the street, which will be perfect. There is also a Sonny's BQ sort of nearby, that made dinner very easy. All in all, this place fit our families very well and we'd love to come back anytime and stay in this house.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children.

Don't waste your time

Guest: LisaK (Bloomfield, MI)
Date of Stay: 12/29/10 Review Submitted: 03/18/11

We rented the house for a family get away at Christmas time. What a major mistake! In TWO bedrooms, there were no working lights. One was due to a tripped breaker and the other because all the lights were burned out. In the master bath upstairs, 4 out of 9 lights were burned out. And someone cleaned this house and didn't notice?? The shower door in the master bath upstairs would not close and it leaked through to the dining room below, great breakfast view! I was told this was a known issue. The mold in the bath was furry enough to jump out and grab you, I was told it got like this every week. When she was done cleaning the mold, it was still disgusting! The septic started to over fill the first day - we were told the previous renter must have turned off the alarm for it - I doubt that. Because the septic was full, the master bath on the first floor would drain extremely slowly. There was dog poop in the front garden by where we parked the cars. I swept up dog food and dust bunnies when I swept the living room and kitchen. The dishwasher leaked - I was told this was a known issue. The website said that soaps were included, but there was enough dishwasher soap for one load, no laundry detergent, no garbage bags. There were supposed to be 5 empty trash cans, instead we found 1 empty one and couple of full ones. The house was generally dirty, and I was told that they deep-clean once a month and that we must have rented at the end of the cycle. For a premium price holiday rental, this house was in poor repair. I wish they had let me know how bad this was so that I could have made other arrangements. I have rented houses in the US and other countries, I have never been so extremely disappointed. I got the impression that the managment/owners didn't care either.

Owner response: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished The Guest paid no attention to the lease and check in procedures . Any Complaint was addressed within 24hrs Guest violated lease by over occupying the home beyond what was stated on lease Guest tampered with lights in violation of lease causing a short in the panel requiring an electrician to repair Leak from shower due as much from the operation of shower by guest Trash was picked up on the normal time of friday a day after arrival allowing all cans to be empty and available By over occupying property and failing to comply with the disposal requirements of toilet paper only in W/C's . Guest created a pump problem requiring to be pumped twice during there stay, a $400-500 cost The Guest followed no check-out procedures Owners do not take holding deposits lightly. This guest should have lost there deposit . It was returned , But Again No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Owners asked that prospective guests who read this review look at it in the context of the other reviews that provide a more accurate portrayal of the home, Thank You

Recommended for:

wonderful home!

Guest: fllover (Michigan)
Date of Stay: 02/27/10 Review Submitted: 03/09/10

we really enjoyed our week long stay here - we had 16 people in the house, including kids, and felt as though we had plenty of space. the house is in great shape and maintained well. just a few steps away from the beach! the pool was a bit smallish, especially to share between three homes, but maintained well. would recommend this home for your stay! the management company was very accomodating and easy to work with also. 10 minutes to the historical district of st. augustine with lots of great shopping, restaurants, attractions.

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

Great Vacation Home

Guest: vacation4four (Hillsboro,MO)
Date of Stay: 02/19/10 Review Submitted: 03/03/10

Great Home with awesome ocean views. Second floor master bedroom and bath is great. Home is in an excellent location and within biking distance to St. Augustine historic downtown. We will definitely be returning to this home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, adventure seekers, sightseeing, families with young children.

Beach House 6 BR

Guest: iwantitall (cumming, ga/usa)
Date of Stay: 07/19/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/09

We spent a week as a family in this house. It met all of our families needs and more. We had 10 adults (one over 86) and 4 children (all under 8).The house was clean and well maintained. We had no difficulty with the internet connection. The only complaint that I have is the room with the day beds the mattress's were very uncomfortable. I don't think kids would mind but unfortunately I had to sleep in one and as an adult is was awful. I ended up on the futon which wasn't much better but hey being at the beach was worth it. I would recommend this house to any large group especially large families. A great place to spend time together and yet have privacy when you need it.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children.

Great for multiple families!

Guest: Angela from NC (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 08/02/08 Review Submitted: 05/20/09

We rented this property for an extended family vacation. We had five families with individuals ranging in age from 7-77 years old. It accommodated our needs and we were very pleased. There was plenty of room for everyone. The property was clean and well maintained. We did have problems accessing wireless internet, which was a problem for those of us who needed to check email due to work. Plan on going off-site if you are in need of internet. We would definitely consider renting this property again in the future. St. Augustine is one of our favorite vacation locations, due to the historic nature of the area, great beaches, fabulous restaurants, good shopping, and non-commercialized look of downtown St. Augustine. Ripley's is a fun and interesting attraction for the kids and adults alike.

Owner response:We have a person on call that can trouble shot the wireless and lives close by , she checks the signal prior to arrival the enviroment with oceanfront homes can create problems future renters can be assured prompt service

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