Luxurious Italian Palace 'Villa Del Lago' Sleeps 20 on Lake

• Family Reunion '12

  Family Reunion '12

  • Guest SD (NJ)
  • Date of stay 03/01/12
  • Review Submitted 03/20/12
  We just concluded a fantastic experience at Villa Del Lago, where we held our first family reunion in years, and can say with all sincerity that the property and its amenities exceeded the expectations of all 14 of our guests. We were immediately awed by the property upon opening the gates and driving down the winding driveway, past the acres of well manicured grounds, to what can only be described as a palace like house, next to a beautiful guest home. The main house is incredibly well maintained and seemed to have a never ending run of bedrooms and bathrooms to easily accommodate all of our family members comfortably, with some of the rooms being that much more impressive than the others (the master bedroom, bathroom, and balcony are straight out of an episode of Cribs). The outside grounds had such an abundance of space which provided our very active family the opportunity to set up several backyard games, including a full wiffle ball field and separate volleyball and badminton courts, with plenty of room to spare for a separate football game to break out (we probably could've held a complete full camp with all of the room there was on this property). The pool area was also beautiful and although the first day we arrived to several leaves in the pool, the owner promptly called the poolman and we came back from an afternoon excursion to what was an impeccably clean pool. The house also offers two docks that jet out into an incredibly serene private lake, with views that cannot be compared. Additionally, the owner of the property was very easy to deal with and incredibly accommodating, which further added to our experience. Overall, we had an absolutely wonderful experience and would recommend Villa Del Lago to anyone of our friends and family that are looking for an amazing place for a small family outing, or a slightly larger group event.

  Recommended for: Girls getaway, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers.

  Manager response: Dear Skender: Thank you for your kind words and we are so happy your family got to enjoy this wonder estate. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/10

• Simply Percect

  Simply Percect

  • Guest Anne (Arroyo Grande,CA. USA)
  • Date of stay 11/21/13
  • Review Submitted 01/22/14
  We stayed at this beautiful villa for a week for a family reunion and it was perfect for our group of 20. All ages from 6 months to 71 enjoyed their time here! We were met at the property by a lovely young woman who filled us in on everything we would need during the week. My sons loved the boathouse and dock and spent a good deal of time relaxing and fishing. All of the grandkids were delighted at catching fish. The beautiful pool was a big hit with all of the families and a perfect place to all be together. We made a thanksgiving feast and the kitchen was perfect for our needs. Lots of room and beautiful as well. The master bedroom and bathroom were a resort on to themselves. The master jacuzzi tub has beautiful views of the lake and sunsets were beautiful to enjoy while soaking! A week with 20 people can be trying but honestly we had so much room to spread out that no one felt anything but happy and relaxed. I think we sat on every balcony and took it all in!! We used the guest house as well and it was perfect for the families that stayed there. Our family made memories to last a lifetime here and we can't wait to go back again and make more :) My Grandkids were asking at the airport on the way home, when do we get to come back?! Capt Al took good care of us and was very easy to deal with. Thank you again for letting us rent your beautiful villa. Until next time....

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

  Manager response: Dear Anne: Thank you for that beautiful review of Villa Del Lago. It does appear that your family had a great Thanksgiving get together. I have had a lot of reviews about how the children love to fish off the boat house porch. This is one of the few real boat houses left from the 1940's on the lake as you cannot build them anymore. Being hundreds of feet out into the lake lets you fish without having a boat. The largest Bass ever caught in Florida was on Lake Keystone. We are very happy you and your family got to enjoy this beautiful estate. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• 50th wedding anniversary

  50th wedding anniversary

  • Guest Bob (Edmonton, Alberta Canada)
  • Date of stay 07/10/13
  • Review Submitted 08/20/13
  When discussing how to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary it was finally decided to go on a family holiday. Many places were looked into, all inclusives etc. Our eldest son located Villa Del Lago on VRBO and after spending 10 days there we are very thankful for his research. There are 9 adults and 7 children in our immediate family and we were easily accommodated on the property, in the "castle" and the guest house. The main house is older but because of this it has great character. Asking my grandchildren about Villa Del Lago I received many different answers. The yard Huge, big trees, nice plants, a jungle. The pool Fun, fun, fun, big, deep, and had a fridge for drinks and popsicles. The castle The color, It was so big I kept getting lost. The kitchen wanted to make me eat pizza. I liked Grandma and Grampa's shower. The main floor bathroom under the curved staircase was either really neat or scary. The jungle room was really keen. My dad liked the couch the best. The great kitchen and barbecue allowed for our personal chef's (mom & dads) to create some unforgettable meals. The lake The little house on the pier where we went fishing. The guest house Was everything you could ask for. Disney World and Universal Studios is a fair drive, however with day lounging around the pool and the Villa in between trips our energy was soon restored. Busch Gardens and the quaint towns and lovely beaches on the Gulf were very close and made for great afternoon outings, as we found it difficult to get out of the pool and get going before noon. For me nothing was greater than getting up in the morning, going to the master bath and watch the sun rise over the peaceful Keystone Lake. This holiday which was going to be great anyway, was turned into a dream thanks to Villa Del Lago.

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

  Manager response: Dear Guests: Thank you for your kind words. I am very happy your children and family got to enjoy this incredible estate for your 50th anniversary. Your children and grandchildren especially got to experience something very special other than the prepackaged vacation places. Congradulations on 50 years of marriage. You obviously are doing something right. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/4

• Family Reunion Celebration

  Family Reunion Celebration

  • Guest Swiss Family Robinosn
  • Date of stay 06/08/13
  • Review Submitted 07/05/13
  We rented this home on the lake for 10 days as we had family coming in from the UK and all over the states. There were 16 of us in all ranging in age from 11 to almost 80. The grounds are beautiful and the lake view is gorgeous. The fishing dock was a big hit with some of the guys and a few fish were caught. A lot of time spent at the pool which is great as it has both sun and a shaded area too. There is a lot to do around the area. We did Universal Studio's and a baseball game, amongst other things. The home is great for large families with kids and we never felt uncomfortable, and not restricted with silly rules and regulations like some homes we have rented in the past. If there were any problems or questions they were addressed promptly. The only thing missing for us was not being able to get a boat for a day or two to get on the lake. That would have been a great addition. All in all we had a fabulous time and lots of fond memories. This house is unique and a lot of fun. It worked for our family to be able to get together and the outside porches are a great place to hang out. We would return for sure and we would recommend to others. Thanks to Dr Felker and his staff. PS my brother really enjoyed getting to see a video shoot too! The guys were cool.

  Recommended for: Families with young children, age 55+, people with disabilities, families with teenagers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/4

• family getaway weekend

  family getaway weekend

  • Guest cosette j. (sunrise)
  • Date of stay 05/17/13
  • Review Submitted 05/30/13
  My family and I feel in love with the mansion, once u learn where everytin is and how it work you got it made,,the home is not just beautiful outside, but the moment u step into the house u have an aww and a wow moment,,,We ..play sack racing and volley with the famiy it was a great experience...it look like a home set for a king and queen and yet we got to enjoy it,,,very clean inside and out, if i had one complain it would be a little more light other than that we had an amazing time, I would recommend this lovely property to friend at work and church, attracttion near was a place call Celebration Station we had lots of fun there with the kids, owner was very helpful from beginnin to the end....

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

  Manager response: Dear Cossette: We are glad to hear your family got to enjoy the estate and it sounds like you had a great family reunion. We appreciate positive reviews when our guest have a great time. Appreciate your kind comments. Dr.Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• Perfect - very very HAPPY - especially my bride

  Perfect - very very HAPPY - especially my bride

  • Guest welshies (cardiff, uk)
  • Date of stay 04/06/13
  • Review Submitted 05/10/13
  We booked this villa 9 months in advance as we were getting married on anclote island nr Newport Richey and the reception was held at the Sandpearl hotel in Clearwater.and from the start the owner was brilliant with us. Emails answered promptly and and could not be more helpful. My wife and I had the master bedroom with the fab balcony and every morning we could sit out and watch the sunrise over the lake :-) We had a further 10 guests who shared the ample accomodation and even with our 3 children the villa was large enough for us all to enjoy our own space. The villa itself is well situated for Clearwater where there is a gorgeous beach and all the fun you wish to have if you desire and Busch gardens is only a short drive away if you fancy the theme parks. We personally only left the villa for 3 days- one to get married, one to see Winter the dolphin in clearwater and one to visit Busch gardens, the rest of our time was spent relaxing in the large pool and spa, enjoying the huge gardens within the villa and playing on the villa's Boat on the lake. We had the most wonderful time and given the fact this was our wedding vacation the Villa did not disappoint, it was everything we hoped it would be and more. The kitchen easily cooked for all guests while the bbq fridge and the pool fridge certainly helped with the cooling of beer. The other wedding guest visitors we had to the villa for our BBQ the day after we married were all stunned at just how gorgeous the villa looked and without doubt the owner, his villa, the lake, the gardens and the location made the last week of our 4 week wedding trip a total success. Thank you very much - we hope to return one day !

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

  Manager response: Sir Andrew: Thank you for your 5 Star Review and we are so happy your wedding vacation worked out exactly as you planned a year in advance. What more could a bride want, a handsome sofisticated Englishman, a wedding at the Luxurious Sandpearl Hotel overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, a private Cruise Ship down the Anclote River in Tarpons Springs, and a week at Villa Del Lago. The only thing missing was Katherine and Charles, too bad they couldn't make it. Perhaps on your anniversary. next year. Best of Luck to you both, Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/2

• See you soon Tampa

  See you soon Tampa

  • Guest hr4835 (markham)
  • Date of stay 01/13/13
  • Review Submitted 03/08/13
  If you are Visiting Tampa! We recently rented out this residence for a week long conference. The home owner was always available to answer any questions prior to our departure and even once we got to the house he made sure everything was ready and organized for us. Upon arrival we were extremely impressed with the size of the grounds themselves and even more blow away when they saw the interior of the home. The house allowed each of our guests to sleep comfortably, and provided bedding for any extra visitors which was very convenient. Home owner also provided the names and number of a wonderful cleaning service who provided same day service to ensure the house was kept in clean order. Great location as well. Thank you Tampa see you soon!

  Manager response: Dear Scott: Thank you for choosing Villa Del Lago to entertain your 5 business clients and thank you for your kind review of the property. The housekeepers also thank you for commenting on the excellent service they performed. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

• Amazing property!

  Amazing property!

  • Guest Debbie (Grand Rapids, MI)
  • Date of stay 01/15/13
  • Review Submitted 02/03/13
  We had an amazing time with some great friends for a team builiding get-away at this unique Estate! We found the accommodations clean and very much as shown in the pictures. The villa is set on a stunning beautiful 5 acre lakefront estate. Upon arrival the pool cleaners were taking care of the pool as stated on the property description card. We did have a question and Dr. Alan was available and accommodating. There was plenty of room and we had an absolutely incredible time! What an ideal place to spend time w/ family and friends. Thank you to Alan and his staff for making our stay most enjoyable. We'd love to come back!

  Recommended for: Romantic getaway, families with young children, age 55+.

  Manager response: Dear Guests: Thank you for your kind words and we are very happy you had a great time at this amazing property. Yes the pool cleaners do come twice a week. We want the pool to be pristine clean at all times for your enjoyment. And thank you for referring your friends to stay at Villa Del Lago. Alan

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

• False Advertisement - Renter Beware

  False Advertisement - Renter Beware

  • Guest Brandi C.
  • Date of stay 10/08/12
  • Review Submitted 11/30/12
  Much to our dismay, the property is pretty run down and not at all what the pictures depicted; hardly a Luxurious Italian Palace. For the most part, the scenery itself is beautiful, despite the area of yard that is used to openly store old household furniture and large outdoor items. Upon entering the house, it was difficult to breathe due to the overwhelming mold/mildew smell. We were told to turn on the AC and it would go away. This helped somewhat but only when the AC was actually running. We toured the house on our own and found it to be nothing like an Italian Palace, much less luxurious. The online pictures are deceiving with the angling of the camera it makes the rooms look much larger than they really are. The lighting in the house is pretty much non existent; not all the light switches worked and the ones that did were very dim. Not all the ceiling fans worked either. The wi-fi never worked the whole time we were there. The cable went out several times and we were not offered any assistance to get it fixed. The front door knob fell off three different times. Three tiles fell off the kitchen island. The gorgeous looking entrance with the beautiful staircase is also deceiving as it is made with styrofoam pilars and easily cracks/breaks. There were many rooms that were locked and inaccessible which is not a problem but would have been nice to know that this would be the case. The outside porches and balconies were filthy and unkempt. The guest house was also a big disappointment. The whole first floor is inaccessible but easily seen inside was obviously another dumping ground for old and used furniture and other household items that could no longer be used. The second floor of the guest house is just a run down over the garage apartment and not decorated in an Italian Palace fashion. The neighbor shoots his guns at all hours also which is not disclosed until you arrive. Aside from all this, my deposit was kept and I was not notified of any problems/damage caused from our stay. I had to contact owner who accused me of having my wedding/reception on the property. Only after I volunteered my wedding coordinator contract and dinner cruise receipts as proof that my wedding and reception were not on the property was I assured my deposit would be returned. Contract stated deposit to be returned within 14 days, I rec'd mine after 6 weeks and only because I called and fought for it.

  Manager response: Dear Brandi : Firstly let me congratulate you and your husband on your marriage, may you have may years of happiness. Second, what you put out into the Universe is a reflection of what is inside your Universe and should only be positive. While every guest for the past several years have truly enjoyed this magnificent estate with their families, yours in the only negative and false review. Your deposit was not initially returned because there was substantial evidence of a big party celebration, stakes in the ground, where there could have been a tent, and your contract was for rental for 8 Guests ( all documented by photographs and the emails between us ) The property simply cannot be rented for weddings due to prior code violations. Not because of your continual emails and phone calls, but because of my consideration for you, I did in fact return the deposit after six weeks. My thanks is that you wrote a false, negative review. To address your remarks, the following is submitted. The property cannot possibly be run down as the landscapers and pool service come twice per week. There is a full time housekeeper who stays at the Guest House, and there is a cleaning crew of 3 who come prior to each check in. The air conditioners are not set low when the house is empty, and comming from California you were not familiar the must smell until the air conditioners are turned down, as you did comment, the smell left as soon as the air conditioners were set. The photos are actual photos taken by me and the rooms are huge, with ceilings of a minimum of 12 feet to maximum of 34 feet high. There are instructions that tell the location of light switches, how to use the wi fi , and other general information. My personal closets and business office are locked. You did not ever call with any of these concerns. The internet service provided was called and there was a technical problem which was cleared up. Florida allows possession of firearms and shooting firearms is legal on property of 5 acres or more. I can only assumed your party made so much noise that the neighbors had enough. Again you did not call me or the police. It really appears that because you were so insistant on getting your deposit back, which you did, you decided to wright a false review to get even. Anyway, best of luck. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 9/12

• Estrella's Memmoriable Family Reunion

  Estrella's Memmoriable Family Reunion

  • Guest Big Tyme Entertainment (Atlanta Georgia USA)
  • Date of stay 07/23/12
  • Review Submitted 08/01/12
  The Villa was a great opportunity for our huge family to get together and enjoy a wonderful week together. This place is a great setting for any occassion. Our family had wonderful memmories here for years to come. When we arrived we did find the pool area and pool bathroom dirty from a previous function but the gentlemen assured us it would be taken care of the next day. Some of the furniture and appliances in the house and guest house needed some serious repairs. The main house family room's entertainment center was in a disarray of wires running everywhere. This did not bother any of us in my family but I was a little dissapointed. Overall, with a little repairs and TLC in this house I would deffinitely return. Alan, our family would like to thank you for a wonderful experience. I do hope everyone after us would take care of your home as much as we did. This is a beautiful home and we would like to return sometime in the future.

  Recommended for: Families with young children.

  Manager response: Dear Mark: We are happy your huge family got to enjoy a week together. We do apologize that the housekeeper did not get to the pool bath for your early check in as we did have a check out only 2 hours prior. The appliance are not new high tec, and are from when the house was built, but were the best of their time when the home was built, Viking, Subzero, Bose brands were popular then . The electronics and computer wireing was put in just a few years ago and not behind the walls as in new homes., but covers up nicely when the doors to the entertainment center are closed when not watching the brand new 55 inch High Definition flat screen TV with over 1000 channels. Thank you for takking such good care of the home, as sometimes we return and it is a complete mess. You have a very nice family and we are very happy you enjoyed this beautiful home. Dr. Felker

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/5

Additional information about rental rates

Rates may go higher closer to holidays. Catering fee is additional $250 and caterers must take trash with them.

Download rental contract from www.villadellagoflorida.com email or fax to 727 441 6051 Your reservation requires that you read and acknowledge the rental agreement. Any falsification of information will result in forfeit of deposit.

Best to call 813 417 1218 prior

Call with credit card deposit or mail check to reserve. Pay with check 60 days prior to arrival. Deposit checks are not refunded for cancellations or no shows.

Fees and Rental Conditions:

• Property Damage Protection: $89
• Taxes Not included