Building sand castles at 40 -- Memorial Day Week 2011

Guest: Susana (Tampa)
Date of Stay: 05/28/11 Review Submitted: 06/03/11

I am local to the Tampa area and wanted a relaxing and pleasant location to celebrate my 40th with close friends. This condo proved to be that and more. The place is exquisite. Clean, modern, comfortable, and the proximity to the beach was more than I could desire. All I had to do was think of wanting something and BAM! the condo already had it. I wanted to treat the inner child and build a sand castle - condo had toys, a big colorful umbrella out in the sand - yep, condo had it. Plenty of space to unpack and feel at home vs a hotel - ding ding ding - that too. Just something that didn't look stuck in the 80s with Golden Girls furniture written all over it. This was just the place for perfection. The balcony helped us spot dolphin both early morning and evening, enjoyed amazing sunsets and, even on the 'worst' day/eve - sit in awe and watch the rain and lightning. It could not have been more incredible. The large kitchen allowed for entertaining and plenty of chefs cleaning up the daily catch. The contemporary decor and up-to-date electronics (flat screen in both living rm and master bdr, wireless, dvr, etc) met our techie needs. This WILL be my repeat rental for vacations to come. What a great place.

Owner response:Thank you for your kind words. We try very hard to have a place where our guests will feel comfortable and pampered - it's great to see that our efforts had the right effect. We'd love to have you come back!

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

A Perfect Condo in Paradise

Guest: JMTalks (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 02/19/11

I have stayed in this unit three times, a couple times with a friend, and once with my pre-teen boys. The owner and property management company work hard to make our vacations to Indian Rocks Beach picture perfect. The unit itself appears professionally decorated. The tile is new, the paint looks new, and everything was sparkling clean. Beds are very comfortable, with good sheets, blankets and pillows. Each bedroom and the family room have very nice TV's too. The kitchen has great appliances, as well as granite countertops. Plenty of dishes, pans and accessories make it easy to cook meals and eat while watching the sun set in the evening. Everything in the unit was well maintained. All these wonderful touches create a very inviting place to relax and play. The owner adds some personal touches as well; a basket with interesting and current books, DVD player with a nice selection of movies, menus from local restaurants, etc. This unit is in a nice, quiet condo building. The pool is smallish, but was plenty for our kids. The pool and the hot tub water was always crystal clean. The pool deck is enclosed in a locked fence, so only people from the condo can get in. Even when the condo building is fully booked with famiies, we found it a quiet place to stay. The OUTSTANDING feature of this rental unit is the out-of-this-world beach. Whether you watch the ocean from your third floor unit, or stay out there for hours playing in the surf and the sand, the beach cannot be beat! When the tide is out, there is a VERY wide beach. When the tide is in, the beach still has plenty of space for sand castles and long walks. We've watched fishermen, swimmers, shell collectors kite boarders, skim boarders, volleyball, small and large ships, surfers, body surfers, and more. When we do feel like leaving the beach, we usually walk to our destination. Within a 10 minute stroll we go to restaurants, the CVS drugstore, the intercocastal, the surfshop. And no review of this unit would be complete without mentioning Three Palms Property Management. They check you in and out and give you all the local info you'd want. But what's best is how quickly they respond to problems. The previous renter had slightly damaged a blind, which made it possible for others to see in. They cheerfully fixed the blind within an hour. I've heard others comment on their can-do attitude too. What's not to love? We'll be going again. Thanks.

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

Couldn't ask for anything better!

Guest: Karen S. (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 09/27/10 Review Submitted: 10/24/10

All I can say is WOW! Condo is tastefully decorated, yet still feels casual enough for a relaxing beach getaway. Spent a lot of time on the balcony with it's comfortably furniture. Every day brought peaceful sunrises and awesome sunsets. The hardest decision every day was whether to relax at the pool or make the 50 yard (?) walk to the soft sandy beach. Owners have a great selection of books in case you forgot one. The beautiful, well equipped kitchen made it easy to stay in a few nights. I really didn't mind cooking with that view! The property is very well maintained and clean. Pool and hot tub were always sparkling! Under building parking is a great feature. Great central IRB location. Easy walk to many restaurants. JD's has a great patio bar with live music (and family dining atmosphere inside) and of course there's always Crabby Bills! There are too many things to do in the greater Clearwater-St. Pete-Tampa area for me to mention here. I come here mainly for the relaxing beaches and this place made it difficult for me to want to leave (other than for LONG walks on the beach)! My favorite diversions would be Fort DeSoto and Caladesi Island. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is also a favorite; admission is free and it is amazing to see what they can accomplish. I highly recommend this condo and hope to return soon!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.