Vacation Rentals by Owner

MacDougalls from Nova Scotia Canada

Guest: ken (nova scotia)
Date of Stay: 04/07/12 Review Submitted: 04/24/12

Just returned from 2 glorious weeks in Florida-weather was great and our accomodations were above our expectations.Very clean , tastefully decorated and very spacious.Laura was wonderful --very helpful and available at any time. This house was in an ideal location---close to restaurants,shopping and a gorgeous beach There were 6 people in our party and there was plenty of room for everyone. We plan on returning next year and would highly recommend this home to anyone.

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

What a beautiful view!!

Guest: Lisa (Monroe)
Date of Stay: 04/07/12 Review Submitted: 04/14/12

Our family just returned from staying at this outstanding townhouse! First of all the convenience of staying in a townhouse was wonderful. We have always stayed at busy condos with lots of people coming and going and always waiting for an elevator to our floor. The convenience of having your own two car garage and privacy was incredible. The description is very accurate, clean and well maintained. Laura has decorated this townhouse beautifully! The kids enjoyed playing ping pong too!! Laura was very helpful in answering questions we had as well as being available for anything we needed. The view of Boca Ciega Bay was breathtaking! We have already contacted Laura to book for next year!

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

OWNERS HAVE LEFT A BAD TASTE

Guest: Kathie S. (London, England)
Date of Stay: 02/08/12 Review Submitted: 03/11/12

We loved the townhouse, sadly the owners have let us down. We arrived from the UK straight from the airport at about 8.30pm at night, with 2 young children and could not find the owners but spoke with other people staying in houses - they were very frustrated with the owners trying to get hold of them to do things etc. Finally found the owners in the property next door but they said they had forgotton about us!! Charming, so had to wait for her to run around checking everything! Finally climbed into bed and it collapsed - it was a huge bed with the divan and mattress placed on top, when my husband removed the divan and mattress he found they were resting on just 3 wooden planks!!! We have been chasing Laura for our deposit since we got home but she is ignoring our emails and PAYPAL invoices (sent 2 now). Would have returned but wont now and wont be recommending. Very sad and bad show!

Owner response:Changes to arrival and departure dates should be forwarded to me via email. We have seven properties advertised as vacation properties making it necessary to make changes via email. When I know when you're arriving, I am on site to welcome you and give you keys to your Townhouse. Please report problems as soon as they happen so that I can resolve them quickly to enhance your vacation in the Townhouse. I can readily assist you with your specific needs because I live nearby. Laura Puchowicz

Recommended for:Families with young children

Great Quality Townhouse

Guest: pt (nh)
Date of Stay: 01/20/12 Review Submitted: 01/31/12

This was wonderful stay for us. Nice quality building, on the inter-coastal on an inlet, just across the street from the ocean. If the inter-coastal had wind the ocean did not. Good option, and beautiful. Laura was wonderful to work with. Dining in the area is terrific. Redington Shores & Beach area is nice because it is not built up like Clearwater to the North & St.Petersburg to the south. Will go again! Only negative was the chatty / language of the fishermen who were hanging out on their boats on the docks 1 block down, but that would be anywhere.

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.

Disappointed

Guest: SM (Tampa, FL)
Date of Stay: 01/15/12 Review Submitted: 02/29/12

My family and I stayed here for a few nights. I have not received my deposit refund and it has been 6 weeks since we stayed here. I have made numerous calls and emails to the owner and I get a promise to send my refund right away and I still have not received it. It is been a very frustrating experience and I would not recommend dealing with this owner.The beds are very uncomfortable and the kitchen needs to be stocked better with supplies. It is unfortunate because the townhouse is beautiful and the view is great, but it is not worth the aggravation.

Owner response:We strive so hard to offer a very clean and well maintained three story Townhouse to our guests. Guest of above review and her family vacationed in thisTownhouse twice within a year and each time left the Townhouse very trashy. When her security deposit was declined this time she responed with a review that is not in line with all the other reviews that our Townhouses recieved . Please consider all of our reviews when selecting your future vacation home.

Recommended for:

Great stay at a perfect location

Guest: anne (the villages, fl)
Date of Stay: 10/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

We were a group of six ladies traveling to the St. Pete/Bradenton area to play golf. We enjoyed the stay at Laura's beautiful condo. It was just as described, very clean and the hostess was very attentive. The hot weather broke just before our trip began. We spent a lot of time on the back deck looking out over the bay - gorgeous! The walk to the beach was about 3 minutes and the beach is beautiful. We will return.

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

Townhouse

Guest: Maybell (Tampa, Florida)
Date of Stay: 07/20/11 Review Submitted: 07/31/11

Our stay was so wonderful, we hated to leave! From the moment we walked up the stairs and looked out the bay-view balcony to see the dolphins swimming in the bay, we were so pleased! Laura was so helpful and accomidating. We enjoyed so much time at the beach and great evenings with family in the beautiful and comfortable townhouse. The only negative thing I can add is that our vacation had to end! We have already begun to make more plans to have a return visit as soon as our work schedules permit! Even our dog didn't want to go home. Thank you so much Laura!

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

Wedding weekend

Guest: love travel (Southeast)
Date of Stay: 05/19/11 Review Submitted: 09/27/11

We rented one of the units as a place for "the girls" to stay on our wedding weekend. It was so much fun we are planning to go back next year!! The owners were on hand for anything we could possibly need and brought extra towels on a moments notice. The townhouse was up to date, clean, and very spacious. I can see where many couples groups would think the den bedroom would be a small frustration but it worked wonderfully for us. It quickly became the hangout area (there is a sofa as well) as it was adjacent to the kitchen and bed when needed at night. I do feel that everyone should know there are plenty of stairs. While it was no problem for us it could be an issue for some. Having the bay at one balcony and the ocean view at another only added to the appeal. Highly recommended.

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

Relaxation!

Guest: waddell (McDonough,Ga.)
Date of Stay: 04/20/11 Review Submitted: 04/07/12

We really enjoy the property. Very clean,super nice. Owner was very pleasant! I would stay anytime. Thanks for making us so comfortable. Looking forward to seeing you again.

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

Wonderful property, great location!

Guest: Karen (Hannibal, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 02/17/11 Review Submitted: 02/25/11

The townhouse far exceeded our expectations! We were thrilled with the location. We would highly recommend this property for your next west Florida getaway.

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

Had a great time - could use a few improvements

Guest: Sally (Boston, Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 12/31/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

We greatly enjoyed our stay here, but had some of the same problems as the previous reviewer. The couple who was staying in the den was very upset to learn that it was more like staying in the kitchen, but the area has its own little balcony and a full bathroom so it's not a bad place to stay as long as you know what to expect. I was also expecting queen beds in all bedrooms but two turned out to be full sized, not a huge deal but if I'd known ahead of time I would have tried to negotiate with my friends for the master bedroom. The biggest complaint we had was that the curtains in the bedrooms blocked almost none of the bright Florida sunshine, so pack your sleep mask if you don't like to wake up with the sun. The townhouse was in excellent condition and a great location; we loved watching the birds from the living room balcony. However, our unit felt like it was staged for the real estate market more than for vacation renters, with a lot of items that were more decorative than useful (hence curtains that block no light.) The kitchen was also lacking some essential items like a cutting board, and something like folding chairs to use on the balcony or dining room would have been a nice addition. The owners live in the neighboring condo and were always easy to get a hold of and quick to try and solve any issues that came up. I would definitely stay here if I ever find myself in the area again.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fabulous Find

Guest: SuzieQ (Rice Lake, WI)
Date of Stay: 11/25/10 Review Submitted: 11/29/10

We rented this condo for a family get together. For the most part it was exactly as presented here. It was very clean, well stocked and decorated with lovely, homey touches. We saw the dolphins each morning while sitting on the balcony enjoying our morning coffee. Laura was great to work with and was available if we needed anything. The property is close to many fine restaurants, acitivties, and points of interest. You just couldn't ask for anything better.

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

Highly Recommend this Home

Guest: Renee (Sterling Heights, MI)
Date of Stay: 06/25/10 Review Submitted: 07/24/11

We stayed at this Townhome for a quick weekend to attend a family wedding and were extremely satisfied with the accomodations and cleanliness of the home. Laura was very helpful in giving directions and recommending places to eat, etc. The home had plenty of room for our extended family to sleep, etc. and the view was spectacular from each side of the home - front view of the Gulf and rear view of the Bay! Only disappointment was not being able to extend our stay and totally enjoy all the Twonhome and the location had to offer! Would love to stay again - and plan to in the future! Highly recommended!!

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

Great Value on Spacious Townhome

Guest: SWFL Giants (Fort Myers, FL)
Date of Stay: 05/21/10 Review Submitted: 05/24/10

Our group included 3 couples and 4 singles, for a total of 10 people staying in the unit. The unit was in good condition overall, with the only oversights being a shortage of basic items such as salt/pepper, toilet paper, trash bags, paper towels, etc. The parking situation is a bit tricky if you have more than 2 vehicles in your party, as there will likely be other people staying in the same complex. They don't always park in a fashion that makes it possible to get in and out of your garage spaces. However, there are usually street spaces available too. For the price, this townhome exceeded expectations, and as noted in other reviews the location is absolutely spectacular. The public beach across the street is very quiet and good for relaxing. However, Caddy's on St. Pete Beach is only a 10 min drive down Gulf Blvd if you truly want to hit the beach party scene. The only odd thing about the neighborhood is that no alcohol sales are permitted past 12 midnight. If you want a drink after that, your only choice is to leave the area and go to Gators or another bar outside Redington. The Conch Republic is a wise choice for food, as is the convenience of CiCi's next door. The listing was accurate and photos were of the actual property. We can't think of any reason we would not consider renting the unit again in the future. The property also allowed one couple to bring their bassett hound. Highly recommended, and the owner was easy to work with and very accomodating. The only reason to avoid this unit would be if your group has bad knees/legs, or trouble climbing long flights of stairs. There are 3 flights of stairs between the car and your bedroom, with no elevators to assist.

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