Great vacation house

Guest: Niv
Date of Stay: 12/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

Great vacation house! We loved the heated pool, spa and the game room. This house have that is needed for a fun vacation. We had two families in the house and had enough room for all. The booking and deposit refund were painless as the owner communication is excellent, Hazel was very detailed and clear with her emails. The only reason for not giving 5 stars are the king beds squeaks, both families had the same issue.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Home from Home

Guest: Sandra S.
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

This is the second time we, as a family have stayed at this Florida Villa, the last time being 2008 and is still a very comfortable. clean and well maintained peroperty. We liked the fact that this villa was on a "Gated Estate" and the property had it's own burglar alarm. The heated Pool was a hit with both the younger and older members of my family, especially the Spa! The pool area has the security fencing around it and also the doors leading to the pool were alarmed so knew our younger family members (aged 3 years 9 months and 8 months) were perfectly safe and secure. This Villa is within easy reach of all the main attractions also local shops, supermarkets and restaurants. I would like to return to this Villa in the near future and would definately recommend it to others.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children.

holiday

Guest: Siobhan I. (Wilts)
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/24/11

Nice, clean house, similar in style to other houses we have stayed in on the same estate. Fairly close to the main attractions, but far enough away to relax away from the hustle and bustle. Only have two criticisms, the pool is quite small if you had full occupancy and the bed in the master bedroom is very creaky and could do with the mattress being replaced, don't know what the other beds were like as there was only two of us. we would stay in the house again.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, families with young children.

Enjoyed our stay

Guest: Canadian (St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada)
Date of Stay: 05/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/04/11

The Calabay Home was a good choice. We really enjoyed our stay. The amenities worked for us and the few glitches we had were dealt with in a very timely manner. One complaint I do have is the beds. They need to be replaced. Other than that, we found the location worked well for us, with only about a 20 minute drive from all the parks. The area felt safe and everything was provided.

Owner response:Although this review does not say why the beds need replacing, the Visitor’s Book at the villa says that they squeak because they are substandard - they certainly are not substandard and are only 5 years old but have not had 5 years use. We have just returned (June 24th) from our villa and while we agree that they have started to squeak we have been told that this is due to the wooden frames drying out in the Florida heat. I don't know if other homeowners who bought from Hudsons (the supplier) are experiencing the same comments but we shall certainly contact them to see what they have to say. We do appreciate the guests informing us about this and are pleased they enjoyed their stay.

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

Very Nice !

Guest: Dale and Mary (Indianapolis In USA)
Date of Stay: 03/25/11 Review Submitted: 04/11/11

Loved everything about this home.

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

Spring Training Travels

Guest: Big Dog (Coastal North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 03/20/11 Review Submitted: 03/29/11

My friends and I, ( 4 of us in all ) rented the property recently to serve as our home base for the Grapefruit League spring training season. It was so convenient and made commutes to the Braves, Yankees, Astros, Phillies, Orioles, Tigers and other ballparksreal short & easy. The home was more than we thought, we really enjoyed cooking big breakfasts each morning and then grilling out during the evening after ballgames. A great TV for watching the NCAA basketball was sweet, not to mention the game room with pool and foosball tables. The home is in great shape, in a great neighborhood, and has everything you need! It certainly is a value compared to high end hotels, and will higly recommend to anyone.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Felt like it was our second home

Guest: Jamie (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/11/11 Review Submitted: 03/21/11

We recently had the pleasure of spending a week at this beautiful villa. The directions provided were very detailed and we had no trouble finding our way right to the doorstep. The villa was very neat and tidy and exceptionally clean not to mention the little extra touches that made us feel as though the home was just waiting for our arrival! The pool and spa were excellent and operated as they should and we thoroughly enjoyed every day spent in the pool. This was our fourth time staying in a rental while on vacation in this area and this villa tops our list. We had just nicely arrived when we received a call from Hazel and Tom to make sure we had arrived safely and everything was all right-how incredible is that?! Tom and Hazel answered all the questions that we had and went out of their way to be as helpful as they possibly could. We felt that this was going to be a great stay and had no worries about our accomodations which is a lovely feeling. There are lots of things to see and do within this area-we had teenagers along with us as well as an 8 year old so we took in a Blue Jays game in Lakeland, went to Seaworld and the Kennedy Space Center. We also took in the outlet mall about 30 minutes away which really made the teens happy! Lots of grocery stores, retail stores as well as pharmacies and restaurants. We enjoyed using our beautiful kitchen and cooking our meals so we didn't "do" the restaurant scene but would've had no trouble finding a suitable one. The kids also enjoyed the games room and played many games of pool. We were pleasantly surprised at all the items that were provided in order to make a stay at this villa even more worry free. We would definitely recommend this property to anyone-it does accomodate 2 families nicely but is not so large that a couple or family would feel lost in it. We just can't say enough good things about it-we will have very fond memories of this trip and being in touch with Tom and Hazel has just been an added bonus.

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

Perfect home made for a perfect holiday!!

Guest: Brian & Liz (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/01/11 Review Submitted: 03/21/11

We spent the month of February 2011 at this wonderful home. Time went by quickly and on the last day we did not want to leave. This home made you feel immediately like you were home. Upon arrival at the home it is located in a beautiful development with upscale homes in a gated community. The home was spotless and the pool and patio were equally clean. The water in the pool just sparkled and time spent by the pool was very relaxing. Everywhere was well appointed and modern and the open concept of the home was a great feature. The management company were excellent and kept the grounds emaculate. The owners called on our arrival date and supplied helpful information about the area, the call was much appreciated. Manny's restaurant is close by the the food is excellent but, use the phone ahead feature before going. The home made for the best holiday ever!! We would not hesitate to rent this home next year. You will not be disappointed and the owners went above and beyond to meet our needs.

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

Regular visitors

Guest: UT parents (Liverpool UK)
Date of Stay: 02/28/11 Review Submitted: 03/11/11

Once again we enjoyed our annual visit to Tom & Hazel's house (5th year and counting) which remains an outstanding property with all home comforts and more. The property is very well located for both Orlando attractions and I-4 to Tampa. The new Legoland due to open in the Fall of 2011 is nearby. We highly recommend this property for all aspects...cleanliness, location, amenities, and the weather!!!!! Til next year! Thank you Hazel & Tom !

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Fantastic Vacation

Guest: Akos (Budapest, Hungary )
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/18/11

We had a really nice vacation in Florida. The house had everything we needed. The location is perfect. It is very quiet and peaceful. The owners are helpful and they are willing to do anything to comfort their guests. We recommend the house to anybody who is looking for a great house with correct owners.

Recommended for:Pet owners, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.