Vacation Rentals by Owner

Incredible

Guest: mish (Guelph, ontario, canada)
Date of Stay: 03/18/12 Review Submitted: 04/25/12

We just spent 10days in Porttofino and we LOVED our stay! Truly the place to be.... Clean, well kept, we truly felt home. Katy was incredible and very helpful. Great location.

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

Great Vacation!!! Exactly as explained!

Guest: Geo W.
Date of Stay: 03/08/12 Review Submitted: 03/14/12

The house was exactly as described...The owner and the property manager were very easy to work with. We loved the place and will definitely be back again..HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! A-LIST PROPERTY!

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PERFECT PLACE

Guest: char m. (FL)
Date of Stay: 02/27/12 Review Submitted: 03/04/12

WOW..this property is wonderful..photo's are accurate(better in person)..very spacious..well-maintained..neat and very clean..a/c is cold..beds are comfortable..high quality linens and towels..master bedroom is fabulous-huge walk-in closet-master bathroom is gorgeous,soaking tub and huge glass shower..great kitchen..fully equipped..everything in working order..easy to live in home. The fenced private outdoor space is great to barbeque, to swim, to sun, to have an evening drink in the jacuzzi....sooo relaxing!! This safe location is close to the beach, restaurants, grocery store, shopping, gas stations, banks...all within walking distance. Aruba's is a must for lunch, dinner, drinks..Kilwin's for ice cream and chocolate(the BEST). DelacaSeas is a small cafe right down the street-delicious food for breakfast and lunch---on Friday evening they host a reservations only 5 course gourmet dinner...BYOB...great experience Katy, the property manager, is adorable and a sweetheart, always available..she is a delight to work with..made the rental process easy.......THANK YOU Katy We will definitely return and highly recommend this property to all...ENJOY!!

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

Beautiful home, convenient to everything!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/04/12 Review Submitted: 03/27/12

This lovely home was perfect. It is super clean, and had every convenience. We were three couples, and we each had a bedroom on the upper level of this townhome. The master bedroom suite had a huge bathroom with two double sinks, a large tub, and a large walk-in shower. It also had a large walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms were a good size with queen beds and shared a jack and jill bathroom. There is also a washer and dryer on the upper level. Downstairs was a large updated kitchen, breakfast counter, kitchen set, then dining room and living room. Sliders opened to the outdoor covered patio with comfortable furniture and a small pool/jacuzzi. The only downsides were the jacuzzi really didn't get hot, and the TVs were not updated in the living room and upstairs bedroom. There was a flat screen in the master. You can walk to everything. Just a couple of blocks brings you to all the restaurants, shops and the beach. About 7 blocks in the other direction brings you to Publix and some small shops. This home was an absolute joy and we would highly recommend it.

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Great Time at the Portofino Townhome

Guest: Cameron (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 01/09/12 Review Submitted: 01/24/12

My family and I stayed at the Portofino Townhome 1/9/12 to 1/16/12, and we had a great experience. The listing description was very accurate - I would even say that the propery exceeded my expectations. The property was very clean, and very well maintained. I especially enjoyed the small pool in the back yard - very nice for a quick dip. The area was great - very short walk to the beach, and nice restaraunts and stores nearby. During the weekend that we spent there, a couple of the nearby restaraunts closed down the streets and had live music, which was very. Katy, who manages the property, was great.....she was very prompt in answering any questions that I had regarding the property. The check in and check out process went very smoothly. I would highly recommend this propery to anyone looking for a relaxing and clean place to stay.

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

Absolutely Wonderful Christams Vacation!! Dec 2011

Guest: Veronica (Montreal)
Date of Stay: 12/17/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

My family was looking for a 3 bedroom vacation rental in Lauderdale By the Sea at Christmas and we found the absolutely perfect place with this townhouse! I knew what it looked like from the pictures and from GoogleEarth but as each of the other family members walked in they all said "Wow- this is great!" It truly felt like a home even for the short time we were there. The ground floor was comfortable and we actually had Christmas breakfast outside in the garden basking in the sunshine! The bedrooms are very comfortable and the master suite gave my husband and me whatever privacy we wanted. I wish my bathroom at home was as nice as is the master bathroom here. Having the washer/dryer was a godsend for washing towels. The beach is a very short and very pleasnat walk away. My son really enjoyed the 5 minute walk to the restaurant on the beach where he would go for a quick lunch and my daughter still dreams of BurgerFi (2 mins away) which really does make the best burgers in the world. Katy, the manager, was a treat to work with and responded immediately to the only tiny concern we had during our stay. If we are lucky again to have another family reunion I will DEFINITELY try to rent this place. My only concern with writing this review is that too many people will know of this place and beat me to it! If thay do, they will truly enjoy themselves!! Thanks Robert and Katy.

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Another Great Vacation at Roberto's Beautiful Villa

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 06/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/06/11

Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your villa. The short walk to the beach and convenience to everything is great as well as the pool to relax after the beach. Will definitely be hearing from us again next year. Wish we could stay longer.

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Amazing Stay!!!

Guest: Paul (Milwaukee, WI)
Date of Stay: 06/02/11 Review Submitted: 06/09/11

Upon first entering this house, everyone's reaction was oo's and ahh's: the interior was gorgeous. Very spacious, light, and open. Everything was kept very neat and clean. There is lots of closet space, as well as multiple bathrooms including a jaccuzzi!! The pool and patio outside added to the relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. We enjoyed swimming and grilling with lots of privacy. We also enjoyed the close proximity to the beaches and downtown area. Rosemarie was very kind and helpful in assisting our needs.We HIGHLY reccommend this as a nice retreat for anyone.

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

Exactly what's written on the cover

Guest: Ken (Littleborough England)
Date of Stay: 05/24/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

Just returned from our second stay in two years at these villas.they yet again did not disappoint they are as stated by all reviews i have read I cannot think of anything to complain about thanks for the late checkout Robert it helped us great deal with late flight times, looking forward too stay number three.Once again thanks Robert and Rosemarie your property manager.Oh just to mention I stayed with my partner our 25 years old daughter, and My 75 years old mother.A great time was had by all!

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

Bellissimo by the Sea

Guest: Rose (Vail, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 05/19/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

It’s been a long and exhausting day and you have used up all your resources and reserves, you pull up to this executive beautiful villa and walk inside and discover that all the open sunny, lovely, charming delightfully appealing,clean,welcoming space is all yours. Your bags drop to the floor……There is no place like home! No more stress, it melted away !! This is exactly how my family felt when we walked in the front door. Your good mojo is everywhere! We have all cooks in the family and we all fit perfectly, the space was plentiful all throughout, the pool area was comfortable, relaxed and stylish. We needed no vehicle, there was so much to do with out one,300 meters to the ocean and live entertainment and fishing on that magnificent pier is the short list. The older kids rented a car to visit Miami and South Beach, to mix it up a bit. Your location is perfecto! We played in the ocean everyday and got plenty of exercise and rest as well. Thank you so much for the care you put into the property, it shows and we felt it. We will be back……only next time for a much longer stay! Mille Grazie, Rose & Patrick and Family

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

Home abroad!

Guest: Annika (Finland)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 05/13/11

We visited beautiful Lauderdale by the Sea in April and had never rented a house via homeaway before. Everything went smoothly with the rental and the townhouse was just like Robert had told us and what we could see in the pictures. In fact, it was even better. Very clean, homelike and spacious. I travelled with my husband, his parents and my mom, and there was plenty of room for everyone. Pool area was very nice and the house is about 300 metres from the sea. Robert, his wife and the manager were all very helpful. The Lauderdale by the Sea area is very beautiful, safe and quiet. (Except one night, when we had bad luck, because there were some all-night-partying students in the next house but next day they were gone). From Robert´s other townhouse, we could not hear a thing. We had some problems with the deposit, because I got a check from Robert and we don´t use them in Finland, but Robert sent me the money later. All in all, we were very pleased with everything and highly recommend this house for everybody, especially for those (Europeans) who are renting the first time. Nothing to be worried about with this rental! We had great experience and hopefully we can come back someday!

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

Lauderdale by the Sea Vaction Stay April 10 - 16 2011

Guest: Jamie and Cindi (Greenwood, Indiana, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/22/11

Robert and his Wife are super great people and I enjoyed visiting with them when we got a chance. We throughly enjoyed meeting them in person and staying at their incredible Townhouse. Robert and his Wife stopped by several times to water plants and visit the area themselves. That shows me they care about the property and are actively maintaining it as necessary. We had a great time visiting with them during their visits. The property is ideally located as it is so close to the ocean and all the attractions at the Lauderdale by the Sea area. It was so easy to leave the rental car in the driveway and simply walk to all your choices of restaurants, pubs, shopping, fishing pier and awesome beach. The Townhome was very, very clean. It is very large as it was my Wife and I only but we really loved it. You could easily fit more couples. The pictures are very accurate and the property was meticulously maintained. We had and awesome time enjoying the back yard pool. I also enjoyed spending time watching the local wildlife chasing each other around the pool. We had a great selection of lizzards (Geco's) to watch running about the pool and in the lush tropical plants. One lizzard was particullarly large, maybe 6 to 8 inches in length, he seemed to run the place. He spent alot of time chasing smaller lizzards away from his personal resort..... I can't blame him as it is soooo nice.!!!! We often had a hard time deciding if we should go to the beach, go shopping, ride bikes, visit A1A in Fort Lauderdale.......? The location is so good that we could easily do many of those things in one day. We also used a local bike rental service named M-Cruz Rentals. They delivered bikes to us at the Townhome and picked them up so those of you that want to ride while there, it can be done easily. I would highly recommend this property to anyone. My wife and I visit the area frequently and we will definately be talking to Robert about renting for our next stay. I don't see a need to stay anywhere else. The only bad thing is when you have to leave..... Robert, Thanks again for having such a great property to stay at...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We'll see you next time.

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

david p michigan

Guest: david p (Lansing mi)
Date of Stay: 03/31/11 Review Submitted: 04/16/11

After 28 years of Spring Breaks we have found a place that was very comfortable and meet our needs for a perfect vacation. This place was perfect for the beach group (wife and daughter) and the golfers (son and son in law) We were a short walking distance to beach and stores as well as located to some very nice golf courses. Robert and his wife were very friendly and helpful. They had put together a welcome notebook that let us know everything we needed to know about the area. The townhouse was very clean and very spacious with a nice little pool in back to relax after golf and beach. we spent 10 glorious days this year and hope to spend 2 full weeks next year.

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

LBTS's Secret Gem

Guest: kenn (wethersfield, ct)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/27/11

This was an exceptionally clean and spacious rental.The owner lives nearby and was very accomodating and freindly. The location was excellant...just a short walk to the beautiful beach,great restaurants and lively bars. Some nights we cooked in,( the kitchen was large, beautiful and well equipped. Also the large gas grill came in handy for a quick lunch.The private pool with its jacuzzi area was refreshing and welcoming. Our family has been renting in LBTS for many years,and definately would love to return to this townhome next year!

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

Paradise at Portofino

Guest: FIG (Middle Village, NY)
Date of Stay: 03/07/11 Review Submitted: 04/16/11

This is one of the nicest properties we have ever rented. The first few days were a bit too cool and windy for the beach, but perfect for the beautiful backyard pool. Robert is extremely attentive and helpful; when I expressed concern that the gas tank for the BBQ might possibly run out, and my Floridian cousins were coming for a BBQ, he quickly brought over a spare just in case (we didn't need it, but it was nice to know it was there). He was kind enough to lend us a beach umbrella, in addition to the sand chairs which were there. Lauderdale by the Sea is a wonderful, walkable vacation area, filled w/ great restaurants, but thankfully devoid of those horrible high-rise buildings which plague other parts of Florida. There was a slight delay in getting back my security deposit, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this property.

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

Perfect vacation rental!

Guest: Pat (Shelby Twp, MI)
Date of Stay: 01/01/11 Review Submitted: 01/20/11

We stayed at this property in January 2011. The location was perfect. A couple blocks to the beach, a block from restaurants and shops, 15 minute drive to the heart of Ft Lauderdale beach. The house was spotless and was exactly like the pictures. Robert was a wonderful host and very helpful. I would highly recommend this property!

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Great location

Guest: Chris (Toronto, ON)
Date of Stay: 12/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/15/10

Nice and clean large fully stocked home, great location with a quick walk to the beach, lots of restaurants and a grocery store.

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

You will LOVE this beautiful townhome!! Perfect!

Guest: Girls Getaway (Fredonia, NY)
Date of Stay: 11/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/22/10

We stayed 3 nights in this townhome for a girls weekend away. It is just lovely and every room is sparkling clean. It is a short 3 minute walk to the beach. Along the way you will pass some fabulous restaurants as well as a delicious ice cream & candy shop. This 3 block area has everything you will need for a wonderful vacation!! We parked our car in the driveway on Thursday when we arrived, and did not get back in our car until Sunday when we had to drive to the airport. We had delicious dinners & great fun in this little town. It was a pleasure to meet Robert. He was kind and helpful. He takes great care of this villa and everything was in good working order. The pool area is so tranquil and tropical. We ate lunch outside each day & enjoyed the sunshine on the patio. There is a grill and beach chairs, umbrella & toys. The layout is great, the rooms are spacious, and there are plenty of bathrooms. Every room is decorated nicely, and everything is clean, clean, clean!! We would love to visit Lauderdale by the Sea again, and we would definitely stay in Robert's townhome again. You will not be disappointed!!

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

Delightful and charming

Guest: happy Buckeye (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 01/13/11

This location provided a perfect stay for the family and our long awaited vacation. We found the proximity to the beach, stores, and restaurants to be a plus. We won't even rent a car next time; we didn't use it. Our eighteen month old granddaughter especially loved the park, which was right across the street. The spacious bedrooms gave us all privacy, and the living area provided plenty of space for games and family time. After a long day at the beach , it was nice to return home and cool off in our lovely little pool. The fully stocked kitchen allowed us to eat many meals at home, when the myriad of restaurants weren't pulling us out to dinner. Everything was clean, comfortable, and extremely well maintained. We are planning on returning next year...and for many years to come. Robert provides a lovely venue for many happy memories.

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

WARNINGS FOR THIS RENTAL

Guest: Disgusted renter (Tennessee)
Date of Stay: 09/18/10 Review Submitted: 10/12/10

We recently stayed a week at this property and it was handled very unprofessionally. First as soon as we checked in his management company called and asked for additional money for the 5th person in our party. A charge that we weren't aware of, is not mentioned on his site, and is not in his contract. So that was our first impression. Then we discovered that many items in the home didn't work: the jacuzzi tub, the fountain in the pool, the heat for the pool, there were lizards on the walls, etc. We have pictures even. And to top it all off when he sent our deposit back he shorted us money and said we broke 2 lounge chairs because we were "pretty good size". We never sat in a single lounge chair at his townhouse (only used the metal patio table chairs) and I am 5-9" and weigh 145lbs....so handled very unprofessional. Be warned to stay here.

Owner response:When a Contract is signed, it needs to be followed through, if any changes occur, I need to be aware. In this situation, Contract was signed for 4 guests at a discounted rate. When guests checked-in, Manager noticed 5 guests. Contract was not followed through. So Manager notified me and I thought appropriate to charge $100 additional for the whole week for the extra guest. Ms ( ) refused to pay. When guests checked out, Ms. ( ) sent an email saying: "Thank you for letting us use your home. It was beautiful and we had a great time !" along with address to mail deposit. When deposit was returned, Ms. ( ) was notified we would deduct $100 for extra guest, two “pretty good size” lounge chairs were found damaged but we didn’t mention because it wasn’t necessary, we were already deducting $100 for extra person. Only then did Ms. ( ), not agreeing about $100, started claiming fountain, heater did not work and lizards on the wall. In the summer, the temperature reaches 90 deg.+, we shut off solar heat because the pool will get too hot and the heater is mainly used for winter. Written rule to ask manager to turn on the fountain for the pool and Florida has many lizards, something I unfortunately cannot control.

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Fantastic Vacation!!!

Guest: Shawn and Sarah (Lake Placid, NY)
Date of Stay: 04/10/10 Review Submitted: 04/30/10

This was the first time my family had ever rented a home for a vacation. We were so pleasantly surprised with how easy Robert made the transaction and how wonderful the rental was. It was immaculately clean and very well maintained. Everything listed on the description was available for our use, right down to the sand chairs for the beach and sand toys for our kids. There is a grocery store right down the street and restaurants and shops are all within walking distance. We had four adults and two small children in the house and it was plenty big for us all. The master bedroom is huge and beautiful and having three bathrooms was awesome! The owner takes pride in his place and even stopped to check to make sure we had everything we needed. He and his wife were very friendly and helpful. They obviously want to make sure their visitors have a pleasant vacation. The pool and back eating area is gorgeous. My 2 and 5 year olds had the most wonderful time swimming and eating at the outdoor table. If we have the opportunity to visit Lauderdale by the sea again we would definitely rent this property again. It was everything we had hoped for and more! Thank you Robert--we had an amazing time!

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

Guest: Jan CG (Bloomington, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 03/21/10 Review Submitted: 03/21/10

Our family has taken many spring break vacations to many places, but our recent stay at Portofino in Lauderdale by the Sea was the most glorious vacation rental of all! This beautifully furnished and decorated two-story villa is designed with a perfect vacation in mind. The space is much larger than the pictures can portray and the entire villa was immaculate. The fully equipped kitchen made family meal preparation so easy and the outdoor gas grill created barbeque options, as well. The master suite is simply huge with a spectacular master bath, a full walk in dressing room and a very spacious bedroom. Down the hall are the other two bedrooms with the Jack and Jill bathrooms, which creates a wonderful separation between the two upstairs living areas. Our 19 year- old daughter and her two girl friends shared the bedrooms with connected bath which meant we had lots of peace and quiet to enjoy the evening ocean breezes while they stayed up later watching TV and movies downstairs. The outside was beautifully landscaped and the pool and patio area created a splendid place to read or take a nice dip after the beach. It truly was the very best of both worlds, blending the beach activities with a wonderful, quiet and spacious place to come home to each day. Also, the village of Lauderdale by the Sea is perfect for strolling with numerous restaurants and fun shops within a block or two of Portofino. Robert, the owner and very attentive host, was extremely helpful even before we arrived by providing us with rental car advice and other travel assistance. Because he lives just blocks away, Robert is very available and attentive to his guests. In addition to finding the most wonderful place to stay in Florida, we also now have made a new friend. Robert creates the perfect blend of warm hospitality and fabulous accommodations. We will return many times!

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Guest: Nancy Rueve (Cincinnati, Ohio 45247)
Date of Stay: 03/16/10 Review Submitted: 03/16/10

Robert we throughly enjoyed your Portofino Townhome you rented to us for the week of Feb 27th to March 6th.I was impressed that the townhome was within walking distance to restaurants,grocery stores and of course the beach. The condo had all the conveniences of home, very clean, spacious and well equipped with everything you need except beach towels for a relaxing vacation. We look forward to staying with you again when we come to Ft. Lauderdale because the condo was great! Nancy

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Portofino is sheer vacation perfection!

Guest: Jan CG (Bloomington, Indiana)
Date of Stay: 03/12/10 Review Submitted: 03/21/10

Our family has enjoyed many spring break vacations headed south to Florida - both coasts - and Mexico in the past. However, this villa in Lauderdale by the Sea fit our needs so perfectly! We traveled this year with our 19 year-old daughter and two of her best girlfriends. So we wanted something safe, but within walking distance to the beach, restaurants and fun shops for the girls. Portofino was the most glorious place to stay! The inside is much more spacious than the photos can show and everything was clean to perfection. The master suite was huge and lovely with a full walk in dressing room in addition to a spectacular bath and huge bedroom. The girls had two bedrooms and the Jack and Jill bathroom setup down the hall with a door between our suite and theirs. At night we could savor the ocean breezes in our bedroom and not hear their late-night television or movies - it was quiet and so relaxing! The kitchen is simply beautiful and ready for family meal preparation. Although with so many restaurants within walking distance, it was a tough choice to eat in. We did use the beautiful outdoor gas grill, which appeared to be brand new. And the upstairs washer and dryer made keeping up with wet or dirty clothes a breeze! The covered patio and back yard were beautifully landscaped, as was the entire villa. The small, but very clean pool was perfect for a dip after the beach. Robert, the owner and gracious host, was simply amazing! Before we even arrived he assisted in giving advice on rental cars, scheduling, and answered so many of my questions before we traveled. He lives just blocks away and is extremely attentive to his guests. We could not have asked for more gracious hospitality. I feel that he is not only a wonderful vacation villa owner, he is now a friend. As someone who has rented many vacation rentals, I can not recommend Portofino highly enough! It is a perfect blend of location, design and beauty, cleanliness, and truly warm hospitality. Enjoy peace of mind by reserving a vacation with Robert!

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

A Very Good Choice for Us

Guest: pd-crc-a (Fairfield, CT)
Date of Stay: 03/06/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

We found the Portofino House to be an ideal vacation rental for our family; it was pristine clean, modern with spacious rooms and closets, and had an excellent overall living area/room layout. We used one of the two dining tables for an exclusive "computer desk" as we often had four people on the internet at once catching up on emails and business projects. The location was ideal - located on a side street to the main avenue we were a short walk to the beach, A1A, shops restaurants, and the supermarket. For small children a playground across the street was a special amenity. It was quiet at night, and especially during the shoulder seasons when the FL weather is perfect, it was great to be able to open the windows for a lovely breeze. Most of all we appreciated the cozy, private, tropical patio setting in the back - great for breakfast or lunch outside and perfect for our 2 year-old granddaughter who loved playing near the plunge pool/jacuzzi. The owner, Robert, was immediatley responsive to any request and demonstrated genuine concern to ensure ultimate comfort and satisfaction for his guests.

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

Great vacation rental property

Guest: Margo & Gail (Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/28/10 Review Submitted: 03/25/10

We vacationed with another couple from Feb 28 - Mar 7, 2010. The house was exactly as promised in the website. Very spacious, clean and comfortable. All the conveniences of home. Robert was very helpful. We arrived early, but were able to drop our luggage off, and check in as soon as the house was cleaned. The location is excellent. Close to the town centre, restaurants etc. Publix was down the street (within walking distance), for groceries, the liquor store, and pharmacy. The beach is a couple of short blocks away, and it looked beautiful. The week we visited, the weather was quite cool, so we did not get to the beach, but the backyard is very sheltered, so we were able to enjoy some relaxing in the sun. We would definitely recommend this property.... we had a great vacation!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car

Beautiful Rental

Guest: mcaudi (mid west)
Date of Stay: 02/07/10 Review Submitted: 02/22/10

I rented this beautiful home for my family to get away for a week and it was amazing. The beach,shopping,bars and dinning are just a short walk down the street. This is by far the cleanest and most accommodating rental property I have ever rented in Ft. lauderdale. the neighborhood is quiet and charming, and there is a park with a playground for children close by. The pool area is beautiful and it has plenty of furniture, a grill and a bar area. I will definately rent this property in the future. The owner provided great and timely customer service.

Recommended for:Families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Perfect rental home

Guest: Amanda Hausherr (Switzerland)
Date of Stay: 09/28/09 Review Submitted: 10/27/09

We stayed 3 weeks in October,2009 and enjoyed it very much.The house is bigger as it looks on the pictures and the rooms are spacious. Everything was clean.The management was very helpful,it responded promptly to our needs. The location is perfect,just 5 minutes walk to the beach and to nice restaurants. We plan to come back again.

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

neglected

Guest: wiiliam (ireland)
Date of Stay: 08/22/09 Review Submitted: 10/05/09

The property location, furnishings and cleanliness was very good apart from patio/pool area which looked neglected.But the real problem was the ants, They where everywhere.(no exaggeration ).In the living room, kitchen, work tops where you prepare food,in the bedroom and on and in the beds.This all happened on our first night,the next morning we planned to leave, very upsetting particularly to the two girls. After talking to management/owner they convinced me to move next door to their other semi detached townhouse and promised that there where no ants.I inspected the house and it seem ok. Later that night we noticed ants in the bedroom above the garage. I notice the ants coming through a electrical socket and cracks in the plaster into the room.I bought powder and spray from supermarket and sealed what I could.This was one of the girls bedrooms, she ended up sleeping on the sofa downstairs.In the morning I inspected outside and noticed two busy channels of ants into the garage.Visitors have no access to garage as its locked. This is definitley one of ways the ants are gaining access into the inner walls.Third day we decided to stay as with the spraying/sealing etc... they stopped comming into the bedroom and we only seen a few downstairs in the toilet by the garage.But the next day we started to notice a smaller ant, in the wardrobe and on the clothes also in the bedroom on the beds also in the toilets.They where alot smaller and hard to see ,we got rid of what we could see and said nothing to the girls ,and stuck it out for the remainder of our stay. Robert the owner was difficult and made out that we where overacting and not use to nature of the climate.Sleeping in the same bed with ants is unacceptable and robert needed to be convinced by his management company over the phone (He was in Italy) that there was an infestation.Again I liked the location and the accommodation and would return but I would need a impartial guarantee that the property was clear of ants.Hence I would not recommended this property

Owner response:We deeply regret the issue of ants that William and his family experienced at the attached townhouses. Days before Williams arrival, our area had experienced several heavy rainfalls, which caused the ants up and out of the ground. This is an ongoing issue for homeowners in Florida and not neglect of the property. We responded to Williams concerns in a timely manner. Also, William never mentioned anything to Robert, the owner, or the site manager about the pool, patio or the weeds in the flower bed areas being unsatisfactory, so question why he considered it neglected in his letter received on September 2, 2009. Also, the stay must have been somewhat satisfactory because William said that he would consider coming back in the future. We pride ourselves on vacationers who want a home experience that is not only comfortable, clean and convenient, but satisfying in all aspects. We responded as quickly as possible and regret this experience that William and his family had.

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Guest: Holly38 (orlando fl)
Date of Stay: 07/22/09 Review Submitted: 07/22/09

House was exactly as descibed. This house had plenty of space and all of the ammenities you need. The house is close to the beach and also had a park for the kids across the street. The owners were very easy to deal with and very accomodating.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/30/09 Review Submitted: 04/30/09

We were pleasantly surprised that the townhome more than lived up to the photos. It is conveniently located near everything and an oasis when you return from the beach. My son loved having the pool in back to dip into in the afternoon. It was everything you could want from a vacation rental and more. We will definitely be returning again.

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First experience rental

Guest: Bruce Storm (Waterford NY)
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/06/09

Overall the property was very modern and convenient to our experiencing Ft. Lauderdale for the first time. My disappointment in the property was the advertising of features that were not available to us during our stay. Advertised was a jacuzzi which had been shut off from our use. Secondly the master bath whirlpool tub was disconnected so that it could not be used. I felt both were features of the advertised property to attract guest into renting. Many of the light bulbs within the facility were burned out and had not been replaced, limiting the use of light throughout the property. There was one single drinking glass within the kitchen and limited plates for preparing a meal. Sometimes it is the details that make a difference in whether a party will return to rent again. All of these items will be questioned prior to renting a second home within the Ft. Lauderdale area.

Owner response:We regret that Bruce had some issues during his stay at our townhouse. Most of his complaints would have been resolve right away if he bothered to call us. We received just one phone call from Bruce and it was about the pool and the wireless internet access code. We gave him the code during his call, and the pool issue was resolved the following day. The pool jacuzzi was off but was working, and we had a sign that says to call us for instruction if our guests wanted to use the jacuzzi. Bruce never made a call about the pool jacuzzi. The tub jacuzzi we admit was not working, and we have taken it off as a feature in the general description, but it still showed in the sub-description. We missed it, but we had taken it off completely since then. We have repaired the tub jacuzzi several times but unfortunately our guests keep on breaking it so we gave up repairing it. There were 4 lights that were not working when we checked the townhouse, and 3 of them were in the dining room chandelier. We suspect that the 3 got shorted when they were turned on since they are all on one side. The other was in the upstairs hallway, which is well lit even with the one bulb not working.We have since then completely replaced all of them. Again Bruce never called us about these busted lights. It took us 5 minutes to change all the bulbs. The complaint about one drinking glass and limited plates really perflexed us, so we took an inventory of the glasses and plates and these are what we found....... 8 drinking glasses, 6 high ball glasses, 8 wine glasses, 6 dessert glasses, 3 margarita glasses,12 shot glasses, 8 regular plates, 8 salad plates and 8 soup bowls. We also regret that we could not accommodate Bruce's request to cancel his reservation a week before his arrival when 3 of his friends backed out and he was left shouldering all the expenses. We offered to give him another week if we got another client to take over his reservation. Unfortunately, we did not get anyone. We even went to the extent of advertising it on Craigslist. I hope his bad experience with friends does cloud his impression of Lauderdale by the Sea. We pride ourselves in providing the cleanest and best accomodation in the area, and our cleaner and manager work as a team to accomplish this goal. Our efforts were rewarded by the 5 out of 5 stars reviews we got from each and everyone that had reviewed our townhouses.

Recommended for:Age 55+

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/16/09

We had a great time in Robert's townhome. It had all the amenities you would want on a luxury vacation and more. My son loved coming home to a private pool at the end of the day. The spacious bedrooms and living room provided more than enough room for our family of four. And it was located near everything in walking distance - beach, restaurants, shops. We will definitely be back.

Recommended for:

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/01/09

April 2008 visit What a wonderful place to spend your vacation. Everything was so clean and inviting. The outside pool patio/pool area was very private and perfect place to while away the day. The king size bed in the master bedroom was very comfortable. Easy walking distance to the beach and restaurants. Everything was first class. We are hoping to go back again next year. Rating 5/5.

Recommended for:

Florida vacation

Guest: Teview (Racine, Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 01/10/09 Review Submitted: 04/08/09

The description of property was accurate. The property was very clean -- so clean in fact my wife walked into the patio window thinking it was an open door. The owner was personable & pleasant to talk to -- very helpful. I would recommend this propety of a friend. We nver had a bad meal -- we grilled mostly.

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

A great spot with your grandchildren

Guest: William S. (New Rochelle, NY)
Date of Stay: 10/11/08 Review Submitted: 10/21/08

My wife and I met our son and daughter-in-law with their two children as they travelled from Texas to Europe. This spot was perfect for a beach vacation! The house is clean, bright and spacious. The upstairs has a "Jack and Jill" bathroom that worked perfectly for our son's family with children 5 and 7. We had the master suite with a little luxury and privacy, but were readily accessible to our grandchildren all the same. The little pool in the backyard is not for swimming laps, but great for cooling off with the little guys. The kitchen is fully equipped, and there are stores, restaurants and attractions nearby. The backyard is an oasis, with lush palms separating you from all the nearby structures. It's a five minute walk to the ocean, and the beach is nicely maintained. We would come back here again in a heartbeat!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Great place to stay with your family

Guest: Joanna N. (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Date of Stay: 09/13/08 Review Submitted: 10/28/08

This house is the oasis for everyone! We went there right after our wedding with our parents, so basically there were three families under one roof! Can't imagine that!? Three spacious bedrooms, huge livingroom, well-equipped kitchen, clean bathrooms provided w/towels, paper tissue etc. And of course that beautiful patio w/ pool. Everyone could find their sweet solitude, without being bothered by someone else. The beach is minutes away from home, so we didn't actually need a car to get there.There was a lot of walking and admiring. We loved visiting nearby souvenire shops and restaurants with good sea food and live music where we could dance. Honestly, this is a place where you can get rest.

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

April 2008 visit

Guest: Baker (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 04/19/08 Review Submitted: 05/01/08

What a wonderful place to spend your vacation. Every thing was so clean and inviting. The outside patio/pool area was very private and a perfect place to while away the day. The king size bed in the master bed room was very comfortable. Easy walking distance to the beach and restaurants. Every thing was first class. We are hoping to go back again next year.

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.