Vacation Rentals by Owner

Delightful Stay

Guest: Dave (Lancaster, PA)
Date of Stay: 05/03/12 Review Submitted: 05/10/12

WE were very pleased with the oceanfront location and the nice accommodations. The owner was very thoughtful in insuring that we had a pleasant stay.

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Wonderful Kiawah Get-away

Guest: Atlanta (Decatur, GA)
Date of Stay: 03/10/12 Review Submitted: 03/18/12

This was the first time my husband and I visited Kiawah and we could not have asked for a better vacation. Our third-floor villa was light, airy, and comfortable, with great views of the ocean and trees. The villa was filled with flowers and fun local artwork, as well as information about local attractions, restaurant menus, and a great selection of books and DVD's. We kept our windows open and our villa was filled with the sounds of the ocean as well as lovely bird songs. We ate breakfast on the balcony, in the middle of a "forest" while looking out at the ocean. The ocean was visible from several rooms in the villa, including the bedroom with our comfy king-size bed, although the sunrise was not visible from that vantage point during our stay in March. The bathroom was spacious and well-lighted, with a large, wonderful shower. Access to the beach was very easy, with a boardwalk right outside the villa. We had some incredible views of star-filled skies, and saw a nearly full orange moon rise right over the ocean. We walked along the beach at sunrise and sat in beach chairs (provided by the owner) to watch the sunset. We biked along the beach from one end of the island to the other, from a beautiful golf course (The Ocean Course) to a place where the river flows into the ocean and provided us with an amazing opportunity to watch three dolphins swimming leisurely up and down the river. Renting bikes could not have been easier. After a short walk to Night Heron Park, we rented our bikes from the nature center for three days. The center provided helmets and bike locks at no extra charge, and picked up the bikes from our villa on the day of our departure. We biked all around the island on well-maintained bike paths, seeing marshes, stately oak trees, lots of birds, and several alligators. Biking on the beach was also very easy, with many handicap accessible boardwalks which provided easy access to the beach without having to navigate steps. We sampled several good restaurants on and off the island, but we also enjoyed our breakfasts on the balcony and our picnics on the beach. All in all, this was an incredibly relaxing and fun vacation in a very beautiful setting. The owner, a local photographer, even left us a gift of a lovely photo she had taken of the island. I would definitely recommend Kiawah Island and this wonderful villa to others.

Owner response:Thank you so much for your very complimentary and descriptive review. I am glad you had such a wonderful time. I was happy to have such positive feedback, too, on the shower and the king sized bed, as both are new as of just a few weeks ago. Just a few comments if you return -- 1) you do not need to go out to rent a bike. There is the name of a bike company on the condo refrigerator. They will deliver and pick up. If one wants to reserve bikes in advance of arriving on Kiawah, that can be done as well; 2) where you saw the dolphins swimming is called Cap'n Sam's Spit. If you go there at the lowest point of low tide, you can often see them strand feeding, a behavior supposedly unique to the dolphins of this area. I can provide further information on how to see this phenomenon. Thanks again!

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

First visit to Kiawah

Guest: Vicki (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 03/25/11 Review Submitted: 04/02/11

Beautiful condo. Loved sitting in condo and on balcony and watching the ocean. Amazing view. Many nice extras. Like fresh bouquet of flowers and chocolates on our pillows. Would highly recommend Susan's condo.

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway.

Property 182617 Windswept Condo Kiawah Island

Guest: George and Cam (Atlanta, Ga)
Date of Stay: 08/20/10 Review Submitted: 09/06/10

This was our second summer visit to Susan's condo.Wonderful views ot the ocean from the bedroom, living room alcove and balcony. Susan's personal touches of fresh flowers, chocolates and island photographs from her studio welcomed us each visit. Her daily rental availability allows us to schedule an extended week-end rather than a Sat-Sat rental. Great golf, bicycling, and beach walking on one of the moat beautiful islands we've visited. A highlight is sitting in the beach chairs with feet in the surf at sunset with a cold beer.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway

Great relaxing getaway!

Guest: sunflowersbythesea (Belgium)
Date of Stay: 04/16/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

This was my first time renting on Kiawah and it was so great to have a 'home' on the island. Susan's condo is centrally located on the island within easy access to the beach, Sanctuary Hotel, Night Heron Park and its nature conservatory. Market and shops within a 5 min drive. We really appreciated the added touch of fresh flowers, chocolates on our pillows and plush towels and sheets. I would definitely recommend this rental for two - possibly three if with an infant. If I had to choose the best part? It was indeed falling asleep to the waves and waking up to a view of the beach. Thank you so much Susan!

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: greene2 (Paris France)
Date of Stay: 11/08/09 Review Submitted: 11/08/09

It was our second time at Susan's place and everything was as wonderful as the first time. We were wondering what the weather would be like in October in Kiawah and it was just perfect. It was not humid but warm and sunny. We could swim, walk, lay on the beach.The island was very beautiful with pink sweetgrass everywhere. Susan's apartment was as spotless as the first time and she was very helpful again. And...we were amazed at the light in the apartment: because it's facing the ocean, you can just enjoy watching the sky from sunrise to sunset.

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Guest: greene1 (paris, France)
Date of Stay: 05/12/09 Review Submitted: 05/12/09

My husband and I just spent ten days in Kiawah Island and we just loved it. Susan’s apartment was even better than what we had expected : tons of light, very quiet, great view on the ocean (what a pleasure to wake up in the morning watching the waves and the sky !), a small balcony (big enough to sit and work on our laptops), just two minutes away from the beach…Nothing was missing when we arrived : the whole place was spotless, a bunch of flowers was there on the table with a nice note from her. She provided all that you could possibly need (from beach towels and beach chairs to a good selection of DVDs and books, a great nature guide book and leaflets, a first aid kit, extra blankets and towels, complete kitchen facilities and great knives – veeeeeeery important when you like cooking!!!-and even an anti-mosquitoes lotion -which we only needed a few times- an antisplash shower radio-CD player, etc…). We also are fond of her very comfortable armchairs in the living room and the very comfortable bed.Again the location was perfect for us. We could walk to the beach in two minutes, watch the pelicans from the balcony, ride our bikes on the beach or cycle to the East Beach Village in five minutes (where we could buy newspapers, have coffee and muffins watching the alligator gliding in the lagoon right by the terrace !)… We also had a great lunch by the pool of the luxurious Sanctuary Hotel, (only a 15 minute walk – 5 minute bike ride). We already know we’ll be back. We had such a terrific time !

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april vacation enjoyed

Guest: rhodeislanders (exeter ri)
Date of Stay: 04/11/09 Review Submitted: 05/03/09

We had a great time staying here. The condo was clean and comfortable. The ocean views were lovely, and we kept our bedroom window open at night just to enjoy hearing the surf. The beach is gorgeous, and we enjoyed renting bikes and riding along it, as well as throught the neighborhoods of Kiawah. We had one rainy day and were happy to find a nice selection of dvd's and books to enjoy. The place was truly relaxing and had every amenity one might desire. We found the restaurants, especially those at the "sanctuary" to be too stuffy, formal and uninhabited. We ended up having our dinners in Charleston, Folly beach, and the condo, which was a bit of a disappointment, since we had to travel to find meals that were both enjoyable and comfortable. The "freshfield's" market place was fantastic. They had great gourmet meals to go, and also organic foods, wines, beers, and lots more. Also there are nice shops there. We found the shops in the Kiawah compounds to be very limited and uninviting. Overall, it was a lovely place to relax and have none of the normal irritations of a vacation spot (no crowds, no bright lights, no wild bars or loud people) It was truly peaceful and relaxing! we were there on a kid-free vacation, but if you were to go there with small kids, you could enjoy some real nice family time, the beach and the bikes.... With teens or tweens... I think they'd be bored.

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

Guest: Mark 9 (Amesbury,MA)
Date of Stay: 02/19/09 Review Submitted: 02/19/09

Great spot, great condo and very cooperative owner. Had a great time enjoying the ocean and the entire Kiawah experience from this very nicely appointed condo. Perfect!

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Disappointing

Guest: Visitor from New England (New England)
Date of Stay: 09/03/08 Review Submitted: 10/11/08

Unfortunately we arrived a few days before "Hannah". After closely following the weather for 3 days we decided to leave a day early as the storm (borderline hurricane) was due to hit and we were concerned about making our flight back home the next day. The condo owner offered us a free night in the future but as for negotiation on the last night, the owner said she would get back to us. When we left the condo we tried to do some touring on the way out. All tourist sights were closed with signs on the doors indicating closure was due to the storm. As we drove through Charleston, we were detoured around flooded streets. Schools were also cancelled. We attempted to contact the owner twice after returning home and have never received the courtesy of a reply.

Owner response:New England planned a vacation at my villa from Sept. 3 until Sept. 6, but they left Sept. 5. I always require that a rental contract be read and signed prior to arrival. What NE's review fails to state is that they were demanding that their early departure entitled them to a rental reimbursement even though the contract they signed only provides for rental reimbursements when a mandatory evacuation is ordered by local authorities due to a weather emergency. No mandatory evacuation was ever ordered, and with good reason. It was reported prior to NE's departure that the hurricane would not be hitting the area, although we would be getting possibly heavy rain, i.e., a fairly typical storm event here which might lead the average renter to simply curl up with a book for a few hours. Although some entities chose to take extra precautions, what NE saw downtown were not streets flooded because of the onset of a “borderline hurricane.” Charleston has the unfortunate combination of being at sea level with an antiquated sewer system. As a result, it floods downtown frequently when it rains at high tide because the sewers back up, with no big storm required. NE was downtown on Fri., Sept. 5 in the rain around high tide and saw the usual back up. When the tide receded so would have the waters. In the end, not only did Hurricane Hannah not hit us, but the rain was of no real significance. And Sat., Sept. 6th -- when NE was supposed to have checked out of my villa yet could have remained on the island for the rest of the day -- was one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen on Kiawah. Mrs. NE did call to tell me they were leaving early. I told her that there was absolutely no need to leave and reminded her that, under the circumstances, there would be no monies due her. She kept arguing for a refund. Even though I was under no obligation to do anything for NE at all, I offered them a free night at a later date. Money was what she wanted, however, and seemed to think this matter could be subject to a protracted negotiation. However, the time to negotiate was before they signed the contract, not after spending a few days in the property. Mrs. NE acknowledged in an email that “I know our exit does not meet the terms of our contract,” yet she persisted in wanting a reimbursement to which they were not entitled. In light of these facts, I saw no point in further discussing the matter with NE. They simply did not like the legitimate answer I had already given.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/17/08

My wife and I returned to Kiawah for our 25 year anniversary and we were so lucky to find this lovely 1 bedroom unit on the ocean. The views are fantastic and the owner is very accomodating. The unit is clean and very well maintained and has everything you need for a comfortable stay. I would recommend this unit to anyone wanting a quiet, peaceful getaway. Thanks to the owner and to vrbo in finding this property.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/12/08

We had a wonderful time at this Windswept property. Everything that was promised was delivered along with some nice amenities that made us feel welcome. The view from the bedroom is breathtaking and so nice to wake up to every morning. The location is prime and a quick walk or bike ride to the park and market(and of course the beaach is steps away). I highly recommend this condo and we're already taalking about booking again.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/10/08

This condo was the perfect getaway for the two of us. The location and views were ideal and we really appreciate the hospitality of the owner, which included fresh flowers and chocolate left on our pillows. We also appreciate the parting gift....a calendar with photographs of the island taken by the artist/owner!

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Wonderful place

Guest: A & B (Knoxville)
Date of Stay: 06/14/08 Review Submitted: 06/26/08

This place lives up to the owner's description--- light, airy, relaxing. The view is splendid. The property is clean and pleasant. The condo's layout allows great cross-breezes when it's not too hot to open the windows. Also, the owner is exceptionally helpful-- we highly recommend this property.

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

Great Condo/Beautiful Beach

Guest: KML (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 05/18/08 Review Submitted: 05/27/08

We rented for three nights in May 2008 as a last minute getaway. It was great! The owner was extremely accomodating due to our last minute rental and was still able to provide us with great area/restaurant information as well as some local spots. It was our first visit to Kiawah. Windswept, an older property, was well maintained and an easy walk to the beach. The condo is well appointed, clean and comfortable with terrific views and sounds of the ocean. The bathroom featured two separate vanities. Everything you need for a a long vacation or a quick getaway is all there! Having an owner go above and beyond was an unexpected treat and made our first trip to Kiawah memorable.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.