Vacation Rentals by Owner

Honeymoon Home

Guest: Ben W.
Date of Stay: 10/09/11 Review Submitted: 10/26/11

We were so excited when we arrived at the house for our honeymoon. Neither of us had ever been to Florida, and at the end of our wonderful week, neither of us wanted to leave! The rooms were so spacious and inviting! The beautiful colors on the inside of the home simply reflected the beauty of the view from the windows. The house practically sparkled, just like the water you could see from the porch! Every morning we made coffee with the wonderful one-cup machine, cooked breakfast, and went for a walk on the beach. We found tons of tiny shells, kicked in the waves, and even found pieces of sand dollars. The beach was always quiet, never very many people, and most were walking just as we were. We wanted to tour a bit, but soon discovered we had arrived in the off-season, so a couple of restaurants and museums were closed when we went (call ahead!). This did not deter us though! We saw Fort De Soto (and bought souveniers), walked down a pier and saw hundreds of sardines swimming with egrets (or cranes?) flying overhead, ate amazing pizza at Mike's in Largo, and thoroughly enjoyed our much-needed vacation! One of our favorite days was Wednesday. We stayed at "home," went for many walks, sat in the waves in search of shells, spent hours making a great sandcastle (and a moat), took a nap on the wonderful Sleep Number bed, and splashed in the waves at sunset (all of which were amazing). We really did not need or want to ever leave our honeymoon home! This was a great experience that anyone could enjoy, best place we could have possibly had our honeymoon (and hopefully some vacations to come!).

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

Luxury Home away from Home

Guest: kelly j.
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

The pictures do not do this home justice. The home is beautiful and the view is even better. We felt right at home, but like we were on a luxury vacation at the same time. This house is right across the canal and the sun rise is amazing, and the beach is the backyard, which has even better sunsets. This house is close enough, but far enough away from the tourist spots. We had to drive to parasail but it was 15 minutes at most in the car. The little city of Indian Shores is so wonderful. People are great and so nice, the scenary is gorgeous. My husband and I want to retire here! From the house, we were within walking distance from cute little shops, restaurants, live music, etc. My husband and I needed a romantic getaway and this was ideal. We ate out at some restuarants and the food was AMAZING everywhere we went. We also decided to eat in and and cook a couple of nights too. I was concerned we may not have a full kitchen, but we had everything we needed from seasoning to pots and pans. The house was clean, beautifully decorated, and had everything you would need from board games to top of the line entertainment center, to a huge, amazing tub! It was so easy to find everything! After staying here all I can say is Private beach is the ONLY way to go. The entire back of the house is sliding glass doors and all you see the beach, the water, and the sky, (which is the most amazing thing to wake up to in the morning). Thirty steps from the patio, you're on the beach. It's quiet, peaceful, and anything but crowded. I had the best nights of sleep in this house in a beautifully decorated Master bedroom and woke up to the perfect view of white sand and crystal blue ocean. I can't wait to come back. I would absolutely recommend this house to everybody I know.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Way Beyond Expectation!

Guest: RBR (Dallas)
Date of Stay: 07/22/11 Review Submitted: 08/08/11

Everything your own home has and more at a personal beach. We so enjoyed, even “owned,” a slice of God’s nature—clear water, dolphin sighting, and pelicans gliding over an entire week of unhurried living in a beautiful, modern, convenient and well-maintained home. Brilliant sunsets lasted longer from the balcony. Be sure to read the guest book early in your stay for lots of ideas of activities and restaurants from previous guests. We hardly started up our car, but when we did we enjoyed going up to Dunedin and down to St. Pete to enjoy the vacation feel. We are waiting to return.

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A surprise getaway

Guest: Barney and Susan I.
Date of Stay: 07/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

WE were gifted lovely surprise after our son's wedding in January. We could choose a week to stay at this lovely home. WE decided to pick the week of our 29th anniversary. We arrived late and finding the home was a bit tricky to weary travelers unfamiliar with Indian Shores. When we made it into the house we were pleasantly surprised by this beautiful cottage by the sea. It's cottage, contemporary decor and crisp blues and whites were a welcome sight. WE loved the space. The first morning there my husband was ready to walk on the beach. I was content to lounge in the beautiful home and look at the beach. WE decided to mosy into town for a late breakfast. The path along the road led us to look at a couple of restaurants on the main road. Rather than breakfast, we grabbed a pizza at Slyce and chose to take it back to the house. WE spent a whole day just relaxing in the house. The property was clean and cool. We had a problem with the air conditioner and the management was quick to send someone to fix it. We have not relaxed like this in our 29 years of marriage. WE spent a lot of time on the beach but definitely found ourselves at some of the local restaurants. Our favorite was Guppys on the Beach. We enjoyed our brunch at Crabby Bills because it was atmosphere. The food was okay. Sylce had a great pizza menu and was a favorite. WE had that 3 times. :) We also enjoyed driving over to Clearwater to see the sunset and enjoy the beach there as well. We were sad to say goodbye to this lovely home. It was more than we expected even though we had seen the pictures. We have recommended it to family and friends.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Beautiful home - just steps from the beach!

Guest: Holly S.
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

We (family of four including 15 year old twin daughters) just returned from spending a week at this fabulous home on the beach and can't wait to go back! The home is beautifully decorated and having all the conveniences of our own home made it easy to enjoy the indoors as well as the outdoors. A couple of our favorite things: listening to the waves crash as you doze off to sleep at night - then waking up to them in the morning...watching dolphins frolic in the ocean right in front of the house each morning and each afternoon...discovering new and unusual bird species up close and personal, as they were completely unafraid of humans...beautiful sunsets & clean beach. We loved being on the quiet, less populated end of the beach knowing we had the option of experiencing the activities and sights the other areas provided if we chose to do so (Clearwater has parasailing, numerous restaurants, nightlife, etc.). Locals were very nice and friendly; area is easy to become familiar with. We enjoyed several restaurants in Indian Shores and ordered delicious pizza in 2 nights. Also visited Sarasota and Universal Studios (easy day trips) though we would have been content to spend all of our time at the beach! Husband golfed 5 of the 7 mornings we were there and played some of the best courses in the U.S. Would definitely recommend this property to other families or couples looking for a beautiful, relaxing beach vacation - our daughters are ready to make this an annual trip!

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

Beautiful Home

Guest: Believers (Richardson, Texas)
Date of Stay: 04/23/11 Review Submitted: 07/03/11

We were extremely excited to visit this beachfront home over an extended weekend, but the experience of this home was far more positive than we could have expected or anticipated. The pictures online and the reviews on this site give a good feel but don't do justice to how well-appointed, clean and comfortable the home is from top to bottom. The master bedroom is a home unto itself with its huge Sleep Number bed and linens that rival 5 star hotels; state-of-the art entertainment system (with a duplicate entertainment system downstairs); seating and desk area; and the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows with sliding doors leading to a balcony that is nearly literally right ON the beach. The bathrooms are large with modern fixtures - and a particularly great shower in the upstairs bath. Washer and dryer in the utility room, adjacent to the full two car garage. The kitchen has absolutely everything you could possibly need, including a blender which we were happy to use, and we loved the cup-at-a-time coffee maker. We enjoyed the balcony and patio so much in this home, because we could experience all of the wonderful sights, sounds and smells of the beach and surf from the privacy of our temporary home. The sands of the beach are literally one step off the first floor patio. If you want to sit out on the water or go for a walk along the beach, just take a few steps away from the patio and you are in the surf. We wound up cooking several meals in the kitchen and enjoying them on the patio or balcony and it was an experience just like a beach front restaurant. Aside from the allure of the beach and the wonderful amenities in the home, there are lots of restaurants within a couple of miles and if you care to venture just a little further, Clearwater beach, St. Pete., and Tampa are all very short drives from this location. If you are looking for an extremely relaxing beach get away with all the comforts of home (and then some), this is the place for you.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

A vacation worth experiencing again and again!

Guest: Kristen and Tim (Ennis, Texas)
Date of Stay: 11/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

Words cannot express what we felt as we walked through the door and first experienced this house. We both hurried from room to room like kids, yelling to each other across the house what we had just discovered. The pictures give a good glimpse into the various features of the house, but then you experience so much more by taking it all in with your own eyes. Every feature is top of the line, which means that you definitely continue enjoying your day when you return to the house at the end of a long day of activities. You don’t have to miss your favorite shows, with DirecTV connected to the wide screen TVs. You can enjoy it from your Sleep Number bed, which is the perfect ending to a day of exploring the Florida coast or lounging at the beach a few steps away from the house. You can only truly understand the view that this place offers by standing on the balcony yourself. The beach is pristine and if it weren't for a few people walking along the beach here and there, you'd think the beach was entirely yours! We spent hours enjoying the beach and looking for the magnificent array of shells the tides bring in each morning. Then we would fall asleep to the soothing sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Everything you could imagine wanting on a vacation is within a short drive from this house. You will find that a week doesn’t offer enough time to truly take in all that there is to do here. But that’s a positive because it means you will be forced to come back and experience it all again! :-) OUR FAVORITE MEMORY: - Tim frantically running (and jumping) away from a large crab in the shallow water, which was just as frantically trying to get away from him! - Dolphins coming within feet of us, playing around and under us, while we were half a mile from the shores on a wave runner! - Watching the breathtaking sunsets every night! You would not believe the colors that the sun reflects off the Gulf! - Finding brilliant seashells with every step we took along the beach. - Daily adding to the sand sculpture we started our first day. - Watching pelicans diving into the water to catch fish while the sun sets. - Preparing for the next day’s activities by resting ourselves in the most amazing house on the Gulf! OUR WORST MEMORY: - Leaving...but we were finally able to leave once we promised each other that we would plan our next trip back as soon as we got home!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Spoiler Warning....You won't want to leave!!!

Guest: Becky (DFW, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/01/10

This home is even more beautiful in person! The inside amenities were clean and of superb quality. Excellent layout for a family or even 2 couples, but you'll want to fight for the master. The master bedroom is enormous and exquisite--great bed, linens, and technology. The views out the back to the beach are amazing, from the balcony off the master, from the back patio, and from the floor to ceiling windows/sliding doors both upstairs and down. The front view of the inner coastal bay is beautiful as well. I can't get over the convenience to the gulf...just walk out the back and there you are. Beautiful white sand and surprisingly clear water. We felt as if we had a private beach--we started a sand castle the first day we were there, and were able to add to it each day of our vacation! The outside shower and foot wash on the patio were perfect to keep from tracking sand into the house. You have easy access to all the beaches and beach towns from Clearwater to St. Pete. The gal at the Indian Rocks Beach Welcome Center was very helpful recommending local restaurants, sightseeing suggestions, and even will help you find the best prices for any activities you want. Grocery stores, chain restaurants/fast food, movies and shopping are all accessible with a 10 minute drive. We went grocery shopping the first day we got there and prepared at least two meals at home each day with the top of the line appliances. If you want to leave the beach, Tampa is just a half hour away. We went to Busch Gardens and loved it...beautiful grounds, low crowd, and thrilling roller coasters. We also went to Disney; it’s about 1 hour and 45 min away. It's an easy drive, and well worth it to be able to wake up to the gulf the next morning. One final note to parents...I can't emphasize enough the ease of walking out the back door to go to the beach. I never want to do it another way. No packing big beach bags, no portapotties or nasty bathrooms, no problem going back and forth when you forget something. Only want to spend 30 min at the beach--no problem! Our kids are 9 and 13, and once we saw how private and close it is, we let them go play on the beach while we watched from the patio. This is definitely someplace we want to come back to!

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

John & Lori

Guest: John (Rochester, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/18/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/10

Great place. So nice never even went out to dinner. Every meal in. We'd go back ina heart beat. Check out our comments in the guest register at the house.

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

Guest: Rachel (Dallas, Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/06/09 Review Submitted: 07/06/09

This place was amazing. Right on the beach with incerdible views of the sunset over the water. The kids had a great time on the beach and the house was comfortable and met every need we had. We loved it! Kids are 16, 10 and 6 and they all had a great time so it is great for all ages. days of suna dn sand and nightly walks along the beach couldn't get any better!

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Guest: Requeim (Dallas Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/01/09 Review Submitted: 07/01/09

Right on the beach. Two story with windows on each story overlooking the ocean (which is your backyard). Kids loved it, wife loved it, I LOVED IT!! And as a bonus, Walt Disney is 61 minutes away. Very easy to get there and back in one day.

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Guest: S. C. (Bourbonnais, IL)
Date of Stay: 06/20/09 Review Submitted: 06/20/09

Loved the house and location! Master bedroom was HUGE and has fantastic views!! Liked the fact that we were close enough to Clearwater and to John's Pass...just wish we could've stayed another week!

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Guest: Tim and Angel (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 06/05/09 Review Submitted: 06/05/09

We came as newlyweds, and from the moment we walked through the door, we were amazed by the wonderful interior, homey environment, and romantic setting. *(As children of families who love beach vacations, this would be an amazing rental for families with young or grown children). Our favorite part of staying here has been the MASSIVE master bedroom with king-size bed, flatscreen TV, and balcony overlooking the ocean. This property basically has a private beach 20 feet from the house, but is a 10 min drive to an active nightlife in Clearwater. WE LOVED OUR STAY and would recommend this rental to anyone!!!

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Guest: Karen B.and family (Rhode Island)
Date of Stay: 05/02/09 Review Submitted: 05/02/09

I LOVE THIS HOUSE. ITS FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY. A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ON A BEAUTIFUL BEACH, LIFE IS GOOD.

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Guest: Front Door Fitness (Kansas City)
Date of Stay: 04/13/09 Review Submitted: 04/13/09

We LOVE this house! We researched hundreds on line before picking this one. Now when we come back to FL, the only looking we have to do is on the calendar of availability for this house. We have a 5 year old and a 2 year old and this house was perfect for our family. If I owned a house in FL, I would want it to be just like it. Whoever decorated the place has a special gift. We want to come back soon...just need to stop having babies! Our third is due in June...another boy! Truly, your house is the best home rental I've seen...worth every penny. Well done, Owners!

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