Exquisite Navarre Home on Sound, Great Amenities! Nov/Dec/Jan Dates Avl

• Family Vacation

  Family Vacation

  • Guest Georgette D.
  • Date of stay 06/22/13
  • Review Submitted 06/30/13
  We just returned yesterday after a week in this beautiful home. All our kids and grandkids under one roof was priceless. Everything, and I mean everything, you need is here. We have rented many places and the kitchen here was stocked with any utensil you could think of. An extra refrigerator downstairs was great for all the drinks. In fact we only left twice, grocery shopping and out to eat at McGuire's Pub in Destin (which is awesome). The kids enjoyed Navarre and Destin beaches and souvenir shopping. The families that were staying in the home next door were great and the kids often swam together. The pictures of the home do not do it justice, it is even better or had a water volleyball game. We only had two questions and they were answered within hours with no problems at all. The owners were great to work with. There were four separate families and we all had out own space and the balconies overlooking the water were breathless. We would highly recommend this home for a great family vacation!

  Owner response: Georgette, Thank you for your complimentary review and for sharing your experience. It is gratifying to know when guests have a great time at the property! We hope to see you again in the future! Elizabeth

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Family vacation

  Family vacation

  • Guest CNT613 (Owensboro Kentucky)
  • Date of stay 10/06/12
  • Review Submitted 10/16/12
  The home was perfect for our needs with a family of 13. Enough room for everyone to find their own space. The pool and hot tub were clean and in good working order. The home owners were always just an e-mail away and returned answers to any questions or concerns we may have had. The accomodations were as described in the description of the property. Beutiful setting and view of the water. Kids old and young enjoyed the kayaking and fishing. We brought so many things that we could have left at home like beach chairs, beach toys, fishing equipment, pool toys, pack and play, just to mention a few. All in all we would recommend this property to anyone and have already done so. As soon as we recover from a week with 4 grandchildred we will probably do it again in the future.

  Recommended for: Families with young children.

  Owner response: Todd and Connie, Thanks for your generous review - we're glad you stayed with us and hope you can come back again!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Beautiful Views and Spacious Home with Great Potential for Excellence!

  Beautiful Views and Spacious Home with Great Potential for Excellence!

  • Guest Paula (Houston, Texas)
  • Date of stay 03/10/12
  • Review Submitted 06/14/12
  This home is very inviting, has lovely views and provided a spacious house for our party of 8. Overall, our time at Seahorse was a solid four star good experience. We have stayed before in VRBO's that were not typical rentals but second homes to the owners. It is our hope our review which we have thoughtfully considered for months will be taken as constructive. The photos and the listing description are accurate with the exception of statement "everything you could expect in a tropical resort - only more exclusive". Guests are provided a detailed five page 32 item document of policies and procedures and are asked to act as caretaker with trash pickup, propane refills if empty, among other things. Some items seemed absurd to put into print. Obviously, the owners have had issues with many items that are detailed in the document and reinforced in emails, rental agreement, etc. We all agreed it must be terribly hard for the owners to rent their second home they lovingly built from the ground up to upwards of 18 people at a time in a 3300sft home. The owner was responsive and the house is maintained in a good not excellent fashion. On our stay, the property was clean with the exception of the kitchen area (oven, cupboard under the sink, pantry and applicances). We cleaned up the area and notified the owner that discussing these issues with her cleaning crew would be helpful for future guests. The owner asked us on our vacation to wait at the home for a dishwasher repairman. We thought this was presumptious to ask of vacationing families and she gave us procedures on how to operate the dishwasher in a different way. In addition, the owner was understanding when our 15 year old laid down one evening on his bed and the bed frame of an attractive iron bed broke. We were pleased the owner did not hold us repsonsible for something that looked like it had been fixed in the past. The Stereo/TV System has detailed instructions that are quite confusing that had two grown men in fits our entire stay. This is something that should be simplified ASAP. This property has EXCELLENT potential if an on-site managment firm is employed to take care of things to create that "tropical resort only more exclusive" ambiance that the out of state owners want to provide guests.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers.

  Owner response: Thank you for your thoughtful comments. We appreciate hearing from guests, and often we rely on them to let us know what works and what doesn't so we can correct things if necessary. We agree the statement on our listing, "everything you could expect in a tropical resort - only more exclusive" may not be the best description, and we have rewritten it on the site. Exclusivity perhaps implies that the property has a staff to attend to a guests' needs, which is not the case. Instead it is an upscale home in a beautiful setting, but guests are asked to treat it with respect and hopefully as they would their own home. This includes wheeling the trash to the curb, replacing propane if needed (guests are reimbursed), and following basic check-out instructions. The information document the guest is referring to includes instructions for how to operate such items as the spa and electronics, as well as days of trash pickup, housekeeping information, where supplies are kept, etc. It is no different than many other vacation rental properties which include a notebook of info about the home. We find it is best to spell everything out so guests can refer to the information rather than feel they have to call us. We did think we had a dishwasher problem and in trying to be proactive we notified the guest before she checked in and asked if she would be at the home at a certain time for a repairman. It ended up the repair needed was minor and the dishwasher operated fine without it. We are able to work around that if a guest is not there or does not want to be bothered. We agree the TV/stereo was complicated, and have taken steps to make it easier. There's a balance between providing amenities such as flat-screen TVs, DVDs, outdoor speaker system and surround sound and making everything easy for anyone to operate. We have owned several vacation properties and have used management companies twice but found that we are able to manage it better. In fact, we have received comments from guests who stayed in our property under a company and then when we managed it ourselves and felt the experience was better without the company. An on-site firm would not be practical at these properties as we do not have a guest house for a manager, and most likely it would make guests feel uncomfortable. We are hands-on with our guests, as well as our cleaners, landscapers, pool service, pest control, HVAC, etc. We also make many visits to the property throughout the year.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Delightful stay, beautiful home, knock-out views

  Delightful stay, beautiful home, knock-out views

  • Guest KC (Easton, MD)
  • Date of stay 10/20/11
  • Review Submitted 11/03/11
  We rented this perfect get-away to accommodate a large group of friends and family for a long weekend while we celebrated our son's "winging" in the Pensacola area. The house is designed with ample space both inside and out for social time and also provides privacy and comfort in its well-planned layout of bedrooms and baths. We had 12 in our party and everyone was delighted with the beautiful views over the sound, the pool and hot tub, kayak, shady lawn areas and well-appointed porches. The furniture and decor are of excellent quality. This house is gem by the sea.

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

• Family Vacation

  Family Vacation

  • Guest The Travelers (Richmond, KY, USA)
  • Date of stay 08/13/11
  • Review Submitted 09/19/11
  Thank you so much for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home. We had 12 family members vacationing there and had ample room for everyone. We loved the pool and also the privacy of the beach with a fishing pier in our back yard! The view from the back porch was awesome! The house was beautifully decorated, very clean and had every amenity we could possibly want. We had good communication with the owner and she was very helpful to answer any questions we had and to recommend places to visit and eat. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to make their vacation a memorable one.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Family Vacation

  Family Vacation

  • Guest Kasey B.
  • Date of stay 08/06/11
  • Review Submitted 08/16/11
  We spent a week in August at the Seahorse retreat with our family of 17, grandparents, parents, teenagers, kids and one infant. We had a wonderful time. The sound was perfect for the little ones to play in the sand and not worry about under-tow or big waves. It was also perfect for Kayaking (we brought two of our own kayaks, but the home had two in the garage) and we did spot a few dolphin. The pool and spa were nice and the big kids enjoyed sleeping in the "tower". This was a lovely home and plenty of room for all of us. We brought our bay boat and had it docked there the entire time. Destin, Ft. Walton, and Navarre are only a few minutes up the road if you prefer the Gulf waters. We did not notice the highway noise at all, but thought the artillary sounds from the Air Force base in the evenings was neat. The Spaid's were very attentive and had new pots and pans delivered while we were there. We had some trouble with the internet access but if that is the least of your worries on vacation, then you are doing pretty well! We would definately recommend this to vacationing families.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 5/5

• loved it!

  loved it!

  • Guest BC (Atlanta)
  • Date of stay 05/02/11
  • Review Submitted 07/14/11
  Our family reunion...this was the perfect place for my family to unwind and reconnect. The best part was how clean the house was and I loved the flavor of the upscale beach decor! The house was large enough to sleep all of our guests and we had room to spread out and not feel on top of each other. The pool was very unique with an infinity edge and a separate hot tub. The owners were very accommodating to our needs and shared with us their favorite places to sight see and dine in the area. I would definitely come back again and next time, we will stay a little longer!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• May 2011

  May 2011

  • Guest pricegirls (Texas)
  • Date of stay 05/14/11
  • Review Submitted 06/04/11
  House and location were great and as described EXCEPT televisions in both master bedrooms did not work the whole week we were there. Crab pot was rusted out with no rope. Sheets and towels were gross and kitchenware was flimsy and sparse.

  Recommended for: Families with young children.

  Owner response: We always try to go above and beyond to make sure all our guests enjoy the home and amenities, and this group appeared to be pleased the numerous times we communicated with them during their visit. Thus, we were surprised and disappointed to learn through this review that they didn't enjoy a five-star experience. Before guests check-in, we ask them to let us know if anything is amiss so we can address it. Our guests did notify us of trouble they were having with two televisions, one older and one a fairly new flat-panel television. That same day, after being unable to fix the problem, we purchased two new flat-screen TVs. However, we were reassured that the non-working TVs were not an issue because there are several other televisions in the home. They explained that they were on vacation and not really watching television anyway. The new TVs were supposed to arrive in two days, but the online retailer did not deliver them as quickly as promised. Sometimes we call in repair people to correct an issue that ends up being user education. For example, these guests notified us that our oven was not working properly. We called a GE technician who came out the next day only to tell us that nothing was wrong with the oven; the guest was simply not used to cooking on an electric range (for our part, we incurred a $79 service charge). In regards to the comment about "gross" linens, this is a bit of an over exaggeration. It would suggest that our linens were unclean. We have a professional cleaning crew who cleans the home and washes the linens before every visit. When we find linens that have become worn, we replace them. To date, we have not had other guests make the same comment. However, we would have been happy to change them out for her if we had been made aware of the concern. As for "sparse" kitchenware, we supply perfectly good utensils and dinnerware for 16-18 people, plus some high-end appliances for those who like to cook, such as a heavy-duty KitchenAid mixer, food processor, and blender. The crab trap is not an amenity we provide or advertise but has been left by another guest. It is at the end of the dock and has its home in the salty sea water, which does make things rusty. A nearby Walmart sells $2 crab traps for the casual crabbing adventure. We're glad they did enjoy everything else about the home and area!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/7

• Perfect Family Getaway

  Perfect Family Getaway

  • Guest Amy (Arlington, Texas, USA)
  • Date of stay 07/31/10
  • Review Submitted 03/23/11
  We stayed here last August for a week and had the time of our lives. We had 5 children of various ages, and 6 adults. We had PLENTY of space for everyone. We enjoyed kayaking right out the back door and even saw dolphins swim near us in the sound. We had a great time in Navarre and in Ft. Walton Beach. The water park was a blast and everyone must make the trip to Seaside (the city used in the Truman Show movie) and buy cupcakes out of the airstream trailor. They were amazing. The house was beautiful, well maintained, clean, roomy, and a perfect place to have quality time with your peeps!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Could not have been a more perfect retreat for us and three other families!

  Could not have been a more perfect retreat for us and three other families!

  • Guest WyoFamily (Montgomery, al)
  • Date of stay 09/03/10
  • Review Submitted 09/15/10
  We stayed here in early September and it was all we had hoped for and more. The location was excellent- close to grocery stores, etc. The beach area was great, but it also had beautiful foliage and trees unlike some of the more barren areas of Navarre. The little (and often big) boys spent hours fishing off of the dock while the little girls had the run of the beach and pool areas. The water at Seahorse Retreat (Santa Rosa Sound) was clean and beautiful. The house is very large- all four families felt like they had their own space and privacy. The Spaid family was wonderful to work with and I hope we have the opportunity to stay in their home again sometime!

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, families with teenagers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

Additional information about rental rates

Fourth of July week: June 28-July 5: $5599/wk, weekly only

$800 refundable security/damage deposit; 25 yr age requirement to rent; No pets, no smoking. Half of rental due at booking; remainder & deposit due 30 days prior to check-in. If paid by credit card, there is a 2.7% processing charge; 3.7% for international.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.

IMPORTANT: Please call us at number listed above to confirm rental.

Fees:

• Cleaning: $275 + tax
• Refundable Damage Deposit: $800
• Tax Rate 6%