Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great holiday in a wonderful home

Guest: olli (Germany)
Date of Stay: 05/05/12 Review Submitted: 05/22/12

We spent 10 days in this very beautiful house. Jen and Joe were great hosts. When we had a problem with the WiFi Joe was there in an instant and fixed it. The housenis situated ideally and it indeed is only a small block to the Gulf. Better still, you can se it and enjoy the sunsets from the upstairs patio. Those patios are furnished very nice as well. We really did not want to leave. The island was as beautiful as we hoped. Beaches, restaurants shops - we loved it.

Owner response:This was a lovely couple who came all the way from Germany to enjoy our pristine beach!

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

Bradenton Beach Luxury Rental

Guest: Wil (Ocean City, NJ)
Date of Stay: 04/01/12 Review Submitted: 05/06/12

We had a fabulous time staying again in beautiful Anna Maria Island. The house is impeccable and is truly a first class rental. The house is tastefully furnished. You can watch tne sunset from two lovely porches. The kitchen contains every possible amenity. The master suite is luxurious. The beach is across the street. If you are lucky, the friendly ownrrs might even ask you over for dinner! I love it tnere and want to return next year.

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

Perfect Spring Break Location

Guest: Travel Fan (N Muskegon, MI)
Date of Stay: 03/31/12 Review Submitted: 04/08/12

I would like to start out by thanking Joe and Jen for providing us the opportunity to rent such a beautiful island home in a fantastic location. The photos on the website do not do it justice. Home is immaculate with great, comfy furnishings. Everything is provided to make your stay hassle free, including anything you will need for the beach. Speaking of the Gulf, you are within steps (one short block) from the fine white sand beaches and clear warm waters. A great vacation was had by all.

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

jersey150girl@hotmail.com

Guest: Clairemarie (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/07/12 Review Submitted: 05/11/12

My husband and I have enjoyed 3 winters at this property. The listing descriptions are accurate and the photos are also. The property was clean and ready for us upon arrival. It is maintained well. The owners are nothing less than helpful in answering any questions or concerns you may have and if somethng is missing or broken they take care of it immediately. We would highly recommend this property to a friend or relative. People that have visited us while we are there have always remarked how lovely it is and that you can see the Gulf and sunsets every evening. We would recommend the restaurants in the area as we have eaten at most of them. There are gyms on the island for those desiring to keep fit, bicycle paths, and walking on the beach. Sarasota is about 20 minutes away and offers theatre, museums and shopping for those not quite beach days. The outlets are about 30 minutes away and you can shop until you drop there. The island also has a Trolley which operates every day and is free. So you can leave your car in the covered garage and walk or take the Trolley. To us it is paradise and has been for 3 years and hopefully many more.

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

New's Years week 2012 at Anna Maria Island Beach Home

Guest: Roberta (South Dakota)
Date of Stay: 12/31/11 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

Our family arrived at the property on December 31st late. We had made arrrangements with the owners as far as getting into the home. Everything was as they told me when I spoke to Joe on the phone. The owners are very helpful and live next door so if we would have needed anything, they told us to give them a call. Our family consisted of my husband, our daughter, her husband & 8 month old granddaughter, our son & his wife and our youngest son, his wife & their 6 month old son. We had a great time and loved the beach area! It was perfect weather on January 1 to spend on the beach! The sunsets were gorgeous from the balcony off the master bedroom! We took the trolly several times to various locations on Anna Maria Island. We went to several restaurants and tried several new foods we had not eaten before. We had a great experience and would highly recommend this home to anyone. Thanks for a wonderful week!

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

Best Secret On the Island

Guest: Robert and Zeina (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 11/27/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

My wife and I almost hate to give out this great location but we had the best stay thus far on AMI. We travel monthly for business to Florida and stayed at Joe's unit for about a month. During our stay Joe and his wife went above and beyond to make sure our stay was comfortable. The unit is extremely clean, modernly updated with flat screens and lovely furnitutre. And for the techy coupled like us very accommodating and fast Internet. Being right across from the beach is a plus and what a view you have from the master balcony on a sunny Sarurday morning drinking coffee of the ocean. The flor plan is very spacious, we felt just like we were at home. I can't stress enough how great the owners are which makes a bug difference to us when we rent. We highly recommend and Joe will make sure not I disappoint. Thanks for a great stay and we look forward to another stay soon! Best regards, The Uliarri's

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

Fabulous Family Vacation

Guest: Nicole (PA)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 09/14/11

Our family of 4 - Mom, Dad and 2 kids under 10 - had a wonderful time at this beautiful beach home in August 2011. The home is spotless, decorated beautifully and has a fully equipped kitchen with every amenity needed. The views of the beach and Gulf were breathtaking from the home's master suite. Plenty of beach chairs, beach toys, beach cart and umbrella all neatly stacked in the spacious garage -.and ready for use- no need to bring anything to this home but your swimsuit!! The owner's were on site and very helpful to ensure all of our needs were met and to help out with questions we had about this beautiful island. I can only say the the home is more stunning in person than in the photo's - you will not be disappointed!!!

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

Summer 2011

Guest: Jennifer R. (Louisville, KY)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/29/11

We truely enjoyed our stay in this home and to Anna Maria Island. The beach was very accessible & filled with other families. Restaurants in the area are good, and a trip to Busch Gardens only took 1 hour. Good location for R&R and a little amusement park fun!

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

Home Away From Home

Guest: Travelers' from SC (Fort Mill, SC)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 06/23/11

First of all let me say that the pictures online do not do this place justice. The home is absolutely beautiful inside and out, but at the same time feels like a home away from home. Our group was two families with small children (8,6, and 18 months). I believe that this was one of the best vacations that we have ever taken. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and was not wanting to leave on the day of check out. Anna Maria Island itself is a beautiful destination, and staying here at this house made the stay even better. The house is 2 minutes from the beach, which compared to our normal vacation destinations is not crowded at all. The owners' who live next door are very warm and hospitable. It was great getting to know Jennifer and hate that we weren't able to meet Joe as he had to be away unexpectedly. I can only hope that we are able to do this again in the future and stay at the same place. Definitely worth it!

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

Even better than it looks on the website.

Guest: Bob (Altamonte Springs, FL, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/21/11

This house does not look like a "rental". It looks like what it was built as, someone's dream house. Clean, roomy, comfortable, very well equipped kitchen, with everything you need for the beach including an umbrella, chairs, toys things to float on, and a cooler. Short stroll to lovely, quiet beach. Near great restaurants and short drive to Sarasota, St. Armands Circle, and an outlet mall. Best of all, the very helpful owners live right next door. Jen and Joe are there to answer any questions you may have and make you feel at home, only better. We will definately be back.

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

The best experience we have had in many years!

Guest: Ray (White, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 02/09/11

By Raymond Varner (White, Georgia) This was our first trip to Anna Maria Island for a winter away from home. This was our first stay at this vacation home and found it to be the best experience we have had in many years. Our group consisted of four senior citizens. We had outstanding accommodations, much better than you would find at any of the Hilton Motels/Hotels. We were very close to the beach with two warm and friendly hosts who gave us tips on where to go and where to eat. Vacations at a place like this with the hosts we had are one of a kind. We strongly recommend you try it. We will recommend it to our friends and family and on our next vacation you can be sure we will visit this place again.

Recommended for:Age 55+

Wonderful home away from home

Guest: gigi (Shediac, N.B., Canada)
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/22/10

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay this past November. Great gulf views from the top balcony especially. Convenient and spacious parking at the back. High-end interior (kitchen, bathrooms, showers, furniture, you name it). Just a skip and a hop to a great beach and wonderful sunsets. Saw flying fish and dolphins playing a short distance from the shore. The owners, who live next door, are very friendly, helpful and accomodating. We highly recommend. The Shediac couple.

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

I want to stay forever!!

Guest: Vicki (Lexington, KY)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/12/10

My daughter got married on Bradenton Beach so I wanted the perfect place to stay for myself and my family. This was the "perfect place." Beautifully decorated, amazing views and the nicest owners made for the best week. The weather and beaches were perfect as was the wedding. I wanted to stay forever. I WILL be back..

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

A perfect home.

Guest: Yvonne & John (Buckinghamshire, UK)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/20/10

We have stayed on Anna Maria Island and the surrounding area for many years, but, this property is the best. It feels like a home but is appointed like a palace. Everything you could wish for is here; spacious living areas, a few steps to the sandy beach and glorious views. Oh, and I should mention, two warm and friendly hosts who are delightful. We can't wait to return next year and experience the sunset from the balcony adjoining the master bedroom and the peaceful beach just steps from the front door once more.

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

Relaxing and Wonderful

Guest: Maria (Lithia, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

My family has been gong to Anna Maria Island for summer getaways for 10 years. This is the first time we stayed at this Beach Home and found it to be the best experience of any of the prior places we stayed at. This year our group consisted of 2 adults and 4 teenagers and we had plenty of room to spread out and not get into each others way. This place definately ranks at the top of my list!

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

Vacation at the beach

Guest: Jayne (Richmond, Virginiia)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/18/10

We stayed for two weeks in July with another couple. We had not been to this area of Florida previously. The owners were very helpful in recommending places to visit and restaurants to try. The house is equipped with everything in first class condition. The views from the upstairs balcony were incredible especially the sunrises and sunsets. There was plenty of room to have together time and alone time. The beaches were clean and not real crowded. The house was furnished with top quality furnishes that I would not have expected in this price range. It is obvious that the owners take great pride in offering a five star experience at a three star price tag. We would definitely rent this house again for future trips to the area! The description and photos were accurate.

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

Condo in Bradenton

Guest: couple from VA (in central Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 09/16/10

We stayed at this condo for two weeks in July. It is more beautiful than the photos show. The area is quiet and beautiful. Joe and Jen are wonderful landlords and we enjoyed evey minute we spent there. The condo includes anything you could possibly need except your food items. It is so close to all the shopping and restaurants you could possibly visit. The beach is clean and the ocean refreshing. I can only say that this would be the perfect place and worth more than Joe and Jen ask for rent. Oh, one more thing, you don't really need a car as the trolley is free and takes you all over the island.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

The absolute best vacation

Guest: Geoff (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/22/10 Review Submitted: 08/28/10

WHO WE ARE: Family of four - kids are 8 & 5 years old. We travel to tropical places as soon as the kids are out of school - Florida being one of our favourite places. REVIEW: Just steps from white sandy, unspoiled beach (never crowded). Despite the oil spill fears, the beach was perfect. The house is in pristine condition, looked brand new. High end appliances - a cook's kitchen (wife was thrilled) that was fully stocked (yes, they had every possible kitchen gadget), yet close to good restaurants (Sarasota). Even the washer/dryer looked new. Open concept living/dining/kitchen room has high ceilings - so always cool with/without A/C turned on. Living room furniture so comfy for afternoon naps. There are two dining rooms - one indoor, and my favorite - sitting outside at 7am checking my e-mails in the outdoor dining room. At night, the balcony off the master bedroom looks at the ocean - a perfect place to wind down after settling the kids. Other bedrooms are comfy with lots of closet space. The three granite filled bathrooms were convenient to use and clean - easy to rinse. Furniture was clearly of quality, but had a nice beachy, Jamaican plantation feel. It felt like our OWN home. Even has its own BBQ machine on balcony off kitchen. We thought we were in heaven! The location is close to high end (Lido Key) and low end (outlet mall, Walmart) shopping - perfect for both the missus and me. Fishing, beach, relaxation with a book or TV, in bed or in the jacuzzi bathtub - we had a blast. We spent two wonderful weeks in this house. The owners Jen and Joey (J/J), happen to be next door most of that time and were extremely helpful. In addition to their suggestions, there are written orientation kits in the home to help us organize our plans. Clearly they planned the rental as if it was their own house...Bravo to J/J. The island is not anywhere as touristy as other Florida areas, but convenient and close to everything. We went in late June, and the weather, though hot with the occasional afternoon shower and the odd 100% humidity, cooperated. This was one of the first vacations we have had where after several weeks, we still didn't miss our own home! There was no whining from the kids - they had fun, all until we had to leave! We've already booked our next vacation for 2011 - this time for FOUR weeks. Compared to our usual hotel/suite beach vacation or our prior vac. rentals, this is a gem ...but just be clear: don't you dare take our time slot when you book!

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

Relaxing stay for my family

Guest: SybP (North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/13/10

I have been coming to the island for years and my husband and I got married on the island as well. We love Anna Maria Island and loved our vacation staying in this home for the first time this year! It's a beautiful and spacious home, great location, great sunset and ocean views, and a short walk to the beach! We hope to stay there again next year!

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

Absolutely delighted!

Guest: Paul and Jo (Chepstow, United Kingdom)
Date of Stay: 05/03/10 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

We stayed here for our honeymoon in May and we were absolutely delighted. The property is spacious, modern, clean and beautifully appointed. The balcony adjoining the luxurious master bedroom is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy the sunsets. The gorgeous white sandy beaches of Anna Maria Island are just a few yards from the front door. There are several nice restaurants within easy reach by car or via the free trolley bus. Joe and Jen made us feel very welcome and really took care to ensure that we enjoyed our stay. We had a really relaxing time and didn’t want to leave. We hope to return in the very near future, and will certainly recommend this property to our friends.

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

Living in Paradise

Guest: Clairemarie (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/20/10

My husband and I were fortunate enough to spend the month of March at this lovely beach home. Listing descriptions were accurate regarding location and amenities. The property was clean and well-maintained. The owners were very helpful answering any questions we had and giving information about the surrounding area. We had a good amount of company during our stay and everyone loved the home. There are quite a number of restaurants within walking distance and the grocery store is just a hop and a skip away. The beach was great and never crowded. We liked the open concept living and dining room. The bedrooms were relaxing and spacious once you tired of looking at the Gulf and the fabulous sunsets. We would highly recommend this property.

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

Guest: Joey & Suzanne Bumgardner (Mount Airy, North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 01/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/22/10

I don't know where to start. The house is amazing....new, clean, and state-of-the-art! The view from the master balcony is breath-taking. This was an absolute Awesome Vacation!!!! We hope to visit again soon!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/11/10 Review Submitted: 01/11/10

The condo is really and v.well maintained. The owners have taken a lot of trouble to keep the place absolutely clean. The kitchen has all the appliances and one can cook a full meal from scratch! We really enjoyed our stay at this place and beach is walking distance, v.clean and quiet(feels like a private beach with the whitest sand!). We would definitely go back to this place and also recommend it to our friends and family.

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Bradenton Beach

Guest: Wil (Ocean City, NJ)
Date of Stay: 01/01/10 Review Submitted: 09/19/10

Loved this place. Everything is first class. The kitchen is a chef's dream come true (not that I cook much!). The master suite is spacious and has a beautiful view of the gulf with a lovely porch that's perfect to read, have a glass of wine, and watch a beautiful sunset if you don't feel like going down to the beach. It has great marble bathrooms (3) and believe me, if you want a nice relaxing bath, the master bathroom has a spa tub where you can soak all your troubles away. There is also a porch off the living room that was very comfortable. It is very nicely furnished and very well maintained. All in all, a perfect 10. It is also in a very good location, close to everything, yet far enough away to be quiet. Highly recommended. Also, Joe and Jenn are very good and helpful owners. I miss them and their lovely home on Bradenton Beach and hope to get back in 2011.

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

Guest: S.Rodger (North Bay, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 03/30/09 Review Submitted: 03/30/09

Our family of five had the privilege of being the first to rent this beautifully appointed beach house over the March break. The owners attention to detail meant that absolutely nothing was missing.All of the appliances are brand new and the condo is immaculate.The ten foot high ceilings above, the travertine flooring underfoot and french doors opening to furnished balconies added to the feeling of elegant space. All of our days began and ended by relaxing on one of the four balconies. Palm trees frame the view of the turquoise-colored waters of the gulf. Miles of white sand beach are three minutes away from the front door. Umbrellas, chairs and towels are graciously provided by the owners. The beach is world-class and we spent many hours swimming, shelling, snorkeling, walking and playing there. On several occasions we saw wild dolphins playing in the waves.We easily arranged a very successful fishing expedition with a local captain and saw even more sea life on that excursion. Anna Maria Island is truly one of Florida's best kept secrets; the local folk are friendly and helpful and the holiday possibilities are endless. We can't wait to return and can't recommend this accommodation highly enough!

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