Reviews for Brandon Vacation Rental - VRBO 253204ha - 3 BR Florida Central West House in FL, Idyllic Country Retreat with Pool, Gazebo

Beautiful property with an attentive owner

Guest richard p.
Date of stay 07/10/12
Review Submitted 07/25/12

Very charming and comfortable stay in an extremely beautiful setting. The pastures next to the home were green and lush and the horses were magnificient animals to see and share space with. My niece is a guitarist and when she played the horses would come to the fence as a polite and seemingly appreciative audience. Facilities were top notch, the property is located within VERY convenient distance to grocery and other shopping areas for supplies. The owner is very attentive and seems driven to provide a secure and pleasing stay. We highly recomend this property except when we plan to return!

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Picture Perfect Vacation

Guest Gail I.
Date of stay 03/01/12
Review Submitted 04/01/12

This place is magical! We were in the middle of a quiet little paradise with the city services all around. Short trips from this home base made it a perfect spot. There is a lot to do in the area or you can do absolutely nothing and just enjoy the setting and the wildlife that surrounds the area. We watched the baby owls mature while swimming in the pool. The house was comfortable, roomy and fun! The only thing that would make this place perfect would be a lanai and heat in the pool.

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

A country retreat

Guest Sharon P.
Date of stay 12/11/11
Review Submitted 01/08/12

We thoroughly enjoyed out stay at this property, Jan was most welcoming & the house was extremely spacious & comfortable. The location was a perfect country setting with local shops & restaurants within walking distance. We especially loved the outdoor area & the watching the horses every day. The kitchen was a great layout/size & the extra touches of supplies was a pleasant surprise that you don't normally see at a vacation rental. We can't wait to come back again for our next vacation.

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Paco

Guest Ana V.
Date of stay 06/26/11
Review Submitted 07/06/11

Staying at Country Retreat was a summer vacation paradise! It was a perfect get-away from home, and all of our family members (including our dog) enjoyed the week of rest. The peace and tranquility present was truly unique, enhanced by the beauty of the neighboring horses and gallant owls floating among the old oak trees. The house was well-equipped, very clean, and spacious. The owners, Jan and Fred, were the most kind and welcoming hosts and made our stay very pleasant. We were even greeted with freshly baked cookies. The surrounding community offered various activities. There were kayaking advetures along the Alafia River, a water spring to plunge in at the Lithia Pinecrest Park, horseback riding, and the awe-striking scenery of the acres of farms in town. Moreover, we were glorified by the never-ending trails for biking and running at the Alafia River State Park and the Balm-Boyette Scrub Preserve. These treasures of nature provided my daughter and I with over 25 miles of trails to run on, encompassed by bird chirping, bunny hopping, cows chomping, deer jumping, and even the risky gators lurking. My daughter later named these parks the "running mecca" of Florida. The outskirts of town were highlighted by Plant City's famous strawberry fields and the fresh produce at various farmers markets, as well as the historic Tampa Bay and its thrilling amusement parks. We can't wait to repeat this wonderful experience!

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

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What a wonderful Experience.

Guest Amy
Date of stay 05/27/11
Review Submitted 06/08/11

We had a wonderful experience. Our entire family was able to relax and enjoy some time away from home. Our children enjoyed the swimming pool. We had everything we needed. Thanks so much for the experience.

Recommended for: Families with young children

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Fantastic Home and Great Hosts!

Guest Joe
Date of stay 03/12/11
Review Submitted 03/21/11

Jan and Fred's beautiful country home was a perfect spot for our stay. Close to all amenities for shopping and dining, but also in the relaxed environment of the country. Great starting point for Orlando, Tampa, and St. Petersburg, and at the same time away from the condos or resort crowds. Pool not heated, but can live with that, as there was so much else to do during our stay. Our wonderful and friendly hosts also provided some yummy cookies which were greatly appreciated after our day of traveling there. Highly recommended, and if our 11 year old had to pick a place in Florida to stay again, it would be here.

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

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Lovely Family Retreat

Guest Darnell
Date of stay 01/20/11
Review Submitted 01/29/11

Quiet, roomy vacation home. Our family enjoyed feeding the horses and relaxing by the pool. Playing games in the spacious dining room and cooking in the beautiful kitchen and the outdoor BBQ. Enjoyed walks down the quiet country road to the corner grocery store. Listening to the Owls in this area as it is an Owl Santuary, along with the Hawks and other bird life. Attractions like Busch Gardens are a short drive away, and Plant City Strawberry fields and treats are readlly available...... hum, hum Brandon traffic is always busy drive carefully! A beautiful restful vacation for the family.

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

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

Family Reunion Fun in Florida

Guest John & Becky
Date of stay 11/18/10
Review Submitted 12/12/10

We were blessed to attend a family reunion with family from several states during Thanksgiving week. This vacation home ended up being the favorite place for everyone to hang out as it had something for all ages - from toddlers to the Great Grandparents. We found the online description & photos to be an honest representation. The accomodations were comfortable, the owners were kind and helpful, and the home was welcoming and cozy - large enough for two families to share, but allowing for privacy too. Plus a big roomy kitchen! All the peacefulness of a country environment with the convenience of the city nearby. We couldn't have been happier with how well it worked out for us and we'll definitely plan to return here!

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

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

Country Retreat Stay - Very enjoyable

Guest Steve, Patty & Family
Date of stay 07/27/10
Review Submitted 08/05/10

We really enjoyed our stay at the Country Retreat in Valrico. Plenty of room for all 7 of us, and we still had an open bed! It's far away from the city life (bring carrots for the horses), but close enough to grocery stores/shopping for a quick outting. Nice pool and big backyard, next time we'll bring the dog. Great vacation home for any family...and affordable. It's very clean and feels like home when you walk in the door...could have been from the cookies baking in the oven when we arrived! :<) Thanks Jan and Fred!

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.

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Cottage and house review

Guest Mike and Nancy
Date of stay 07/17/10
Review Submitted 07/30/10

My husband and I and our family rented the cottage and the house for a week in July, 2010. Our family of 10 including 6 children ages from 15 to 7 had a great time. The kids loved the pool and both houses were very nice. We loved every minute of our time there and some of the kids wanted to stay aonther week. Would recommend these houses to anyone looking for a great place for a vacation. Both houses were very clean and the owners very helpful. The houses look just like the pictures. Thanks again for a wonderful stay.

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

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AWESOME FAMILY VACATION

Guest Janice B.
Date of stay 06/24/10
Review Submitted 07/06/10

Our family vacation was a complete success, mainly because the house, pool and owners were outstanding. We plan to vacation there many times in the future. Because we were able to get the large home, we were able to have our four grandchildren and one nephew stay there with my husband and myself. We never wanted to leave. The children had room to play inside and out and there was never an issue about the noise because we had this great private wonderland. Horses to feed and pet were one of the highlights for the kids. I would recommend this Home Away to anyone that loves the outdoors, privacy and room to play. The house itself was terrific for me, I loved the Victorian appeal, the large kitchen counter and cooking area made a quick job of preparing and serving meals.Our family says THANKS to the friendly owners and we hope to see you again very soon. Janice, Gil, Justin, Daryl, Dara, Sydney, Destiny, Cari, Jeffrey, Spencer and Wendi (our Pomeranian).

Recommended for: People with disabilities, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, pet owners.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

Excellent

Guest Astrid v.
Date of stay 12/16/09
Review Submitted 06/29/10

We stay for four weeks and we don´t heistate to do it twice...the owners are very kindly people and everytime helpful....the house was very nice looking and clean...we missedd the whole for weeks nothing...they arranged our breakfast for the next day when we came...we flight von Germany and it took a long time to go there...we never meet so friendly owners before and so nice location in Florida...we will come again next year....to relax it is the best place we have seen

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

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

very poor

Guest shannon
Date of stay 12/18/08
Review Submitted 06/23/10

be very careful of this one,check the fine print very carefully.we were very disappointed and left early.

Owner response: The guests, which included two lovely large dogs, arrived on Christmas Eve 2009 to find stockings hung from the mantle, a huge poinsietta at the front door and a freshly-baked pie. On Christmas Day, I went to the house to deliver extra linens and discovered (while standing at the door) that both dogs were comfortably arranged on the couch. I politely reminded the guests that the rental agreement they signed clearly states that pets are not allowed on the furniture. Our rental agreements are based on standard Homeaway agreements. There is no fine print whatsoever. All provisions are clearly expressed in large 12-point type. The pet provisions are listed as item #3 on the agreement. The guests stayed the full week they had booked. Not only did they not leave early, they stayed past the regular check-out time, which is detailed in the first sentence of the agreement. The guests did not express any "disappointment" during their stay, nor were they penalized in any way for breaching the agreement with dogs on furniture or late check-out. All in all, it seemed a cordial visit. Weeks later, however, I received a rabid email stating among other things: "When I go on vacation and pay for the use of a house, I expect the use of a full house ... if the rental is going to be tauted as a dog friendly rental, then the dogs should be allowed whereever, if you don't want them on the furniture, then don't allow pets." In other words, they happily signed the rental agreement with absolutely no intention of complying with its provisions. And the very fact that they were reminded of this agreement enraged them to the point that - more than six months later - they posted this cryptic, false and misleading review. So, to our future guests with pets: You won't find a more pet-friendly environment. Dogs are welcome to swim in the pool and have a large fenced area to roam. We even supply dog beds, if needed. For the comfort of our petless guests, we ask that animals refrain from using the people furniture; it is very expensive to have professionally cleaned. If this is considered unreasonable, if you must have a place where dogs occupy sofas, it would best to make other arrangements.

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Vacation Rentals by Owner

Idyllic Country Retreat with Pool, Gazebo [#253204ha] | View Property

Traveler Reviews (13)

Beautiful property with an attentive owner

Beautiful property with an attentive owner

Picture Perfect Vacation

Picture Perfect Vacation

A country retreat

A country retreat

Paco

Paco

What a wonderful Experience.

What a wonderful Experience.

Fantastic Home and Great Hosts!

Fantastic Home and Great Hosts!

Lovely Family Retreat

Lovely Family Retreat

Family Reunion Fun in Florida

Family Reunion Fun in Florida

Country Retreat Stay - Very enjoyable

Country Retreat Stay - Very enjoyable

Cottage and house review

Cottage and house review

AWESOME FAMILY VACATION

AWESOME FAMILY VACATION

Excellent

Excellent

very poor

very poor