Holiday season guest

Guest: Pam (Florida)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 01/10/12

Just had to take a moment to write and let the world know what an enjoyable experience I, and my friends, enjoyed at this charming home in Jacksonville Beach FL. The house was very comfortable, clean, and the bedrooms were spacious and quite accommodating. Beds were comfortable, and there were plenty of linens and blankets as needed. The "fun" is on the back side of this home. The pool is magnificent! My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed cooking outside on the grill, enjoying our light jazz from the Bose sound system, and dining " al fresco" each day! We felt as though we had our own private resort pool all to ourselves! Plenty of chairs, tables and lounges for all. The television is great in the main living room, and there were options for movies, or music, or whatever mood we found ourselves in. The house is clean and neat and convenient to almost anything that could be of interest to a visitor. For those inclined to eat out one evening, I would recommend the restaurant 11th South just up the street a mile or two. Delicious! The beach is only a quick hop away - just a couple of blocks. The kitchen is fully stocked with cookware and dishes and was quite user-friendly. The air conditioning system is superior. We were shocked to have needed it in early November!! I would recommend anyone to this property. It was a relaxing and comfortable setting with just the right element of fun built right in. Got a great tan, and would definitely return in the future for another visit!

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

Fun in Jacksonville

Guest: DG (Downingtown, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/14/11 Review Submitted: 08/06/11

I found this location last minute on VRBO and the owners were very accomodating to help reserve the place as well as in spending time to provide guidance to the area to assure we had a great stay. This is a fun house with plenty of room, a really nice TV room, beautiful pool in the back and a great location. The pool is a great place to relax outside of going to the beach. Beach is fun for doing some swimming/surfing as well as for some evening surf fishing, which is walking distance from the house. I also recommend going into town as their is some great music, restaurants and bars in JAX. Personally liked Pete's as a local hangout for some pool, foosball, pingpong, etc. This house had everything we needed, especially with the pool and the great location. For those who golf, TPC Sawgrass is nearby as well. I highly recommend this place for a fun family trip or to hang, relax and get some exercise with friends. Glad we found it!

Owner response:DG & Family, It was an absolute pleasure speaking with you and your wonderful family. We enjoyed sharing our favorite haunts and the best of what the "salt life" has to offer. We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay and look forward to hosting your family again in the near future. Thank you for choosing our beach house for your vacation. Thanks for taking the time to post your review. Wishing you all the best!

Recommended for:

Rent with Caution!!!!!!!!!!!

Guest: BW (Alabama)
Date of Stay: 06/05/11 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

Use extreme caution when renting this place!! It is truely a beautiful home. My party and I were charged for damages we did not cause, the alarm system kept us up most of one night, and the owner has one of the most complicated lease agreements in VRBO history. We use VRBO several times a year and this was the worst experience so far. I am sure the owner will have some retort but YOU have been warned!!!!

Owner response:“It is a shame that this occurred - we REFUNDED $500 of a $750 security deposit. $250 was withheld to cover the damage and make repairs. Unfortunately, I cannot allow this renter to return. We made every effort to work toward an amicable solution to the physical property damage, and the renter still posted a negative review. It’s difficult to believe a minority of folks are like this. If you rent from me, rest assured your security deposit is not for my taking…it is only there in the off chance that some incidental damage were to occur. See the rest of my reviews, and you’ll see that I have many happy customers, both new and repeat. Thanks for looking at my listing, and I look forward to hearing from you. You’ll be thrilled when you choose my property.”;

Recommended for:

Awesome beach home

Guest: Renee (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 03/31/11 Review Submitted: 05/22/11

Love the Great room..plenty of space for everyone...The pool area outside is Awesome..feels resort like..Well equipped kitchen...Nice bedrooms with closet space. Near lots of restaurants.. fine dinning and family...My family enjoyed the beautiful beaches as well as a festival only 1 mi away. What a fun place. The property was very well maintained and clean. We will be staying here in the future. Perfect for families and adult weekends. We really enjoyed the towncenter in Atlantic Beach/Neptune Beach..Guys liked golf at TPC in Sawgrass.

Owner response:Glad your family enjoyed their stay! Since your visit we've added a 42" TV in the adjacent playroom/office so the kids can watch a DVD or play Wii while the great room is in use. We have also purchased a new microwave / convection oven combo for the kitchen. Our property manager, Denise, prepares our home for each guest’s arrival, meets your party with the keys, provides an orientation of our home, and is available should you wish to discuss your stay, get recommendations, or require assistance of any kind. You can enjoy a variety of festivals year round all are just minutes from the beach house! The Town Center is a beach front area that offers an eclectic mix of upscale and casual restaurants and bars for every age and interest! This is a night time experience not to be missed! Best of all you can ride the beach trolly for $1 and leave the car at the house.

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

NOT as advertised in listing description

Guest: Claduf (St-Andre d'Argenteuilm Quebec, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/14/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

3 BR and 2 BATH and NOT 4 BR and 3 bath home as advertised since the upstairs area (the new master bedrooms and bathroom) is reserved for the owners. We found out when we checked in. Listinfg boasts 3300+ sq. ft. Not true when you take away owners' quarters. Also, refrigerator and cupboards full of groceries leaving little room for our own. The BOSE surround sound system not functiuonal and the same with the DVD. Bathrooms and formal dining room not up to par re cleanliness. Except for the entertainment/great room which is really very nice, the rest of the downstairs area, especially the bathrooms and kitchen are very dated and in need of a total renovation. We stayed there for 10 days in early March of this year.

Owner response:We are fwding the orig. email sent to us to VRBO for removal. In the meantime, we thought it better to address it rather than ignore it. The reviewer contacted me two and one half months after their 10 day stay threatening to post a negative review unless I offered him a "refund or some form of compensation." At the time of the agent's orientation and during their entire stay they had not expressed any form of dissatisfaction nor any inadequacy of any kind to myself or our agent. Our home is a 5BR 4 Bath home. Our MBR is used as a Landlord's closet. We make available 4BR, 3B and advertise/post pictures of the entire interior of the home and the only BR not available to guests is the MBR. We discussed this in advance and sent approx. 40+ additional pictures of the entire home (interior and exterior). We provide professional housecleaning and agent services. Our home is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for each guest's arrival. We also advertise that we are pet friendly (see paw on listing) although you would not know we had a pet unless you spotted a leash or pet magnet on the fridge. The overwhelming majority or 99% of our guests do not travel with pets as such our home is exceptionally clean. Our refrigerator and kitchen cupboards may at times contain condiments or dry goods such as soup or spaghetti sauce that we make available to our guests. Most guests appreciate having spices, or condiments readily available should they decide to cook. However, these items take up about 5% of the available space in a freshly cleaned refrigerator and cupboards. All of the electronics are fully functional. If you do not know how to operate a DVD player connected to surround system with cable television please ask the agent or give me a call. While this guest contacted me asking how to connect his own laptop to the internet via a wireless connection he declined to mention he didn't know how to operate the surround system. As you can see in the picture, the bathrooms are not modern but they are not in need of total renovation and are clean. Everything is exactly as depicted in the pictures on VRBO and the 39+ photos we send in response to your inquerey. If anything is not to your satisfaction as represented - we are more than happy to make it right. Please let either myself or agent know immediately. This reviewer broke into our locked MBR & took a cookbook from our kitchen. We are puzzled by this reviewer"s audacity & malicious review.

Recommended for:Pet owners.

Fantastic value & great location in JAX Beach!

Guest: Bigpicks (Virginia Beach, VA)
Date of Stay: 04/25/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

Have stayed at this place 4 times, and it's now my location of choice when I visit JAX Beach. Great layout, spacious rooms & fantastic pool! The kitchen has been updated with a new range/oven since my last visit, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again this year. The kitchen was the main place in the house I felt could use an update. Otherwise, I can't imagine needing anything else from a vacation rental property...close to restaurants/bars, only a couple of blocks from the oceanfront, and again, FANTASTIC POOL AREA! Rent this one whether it's your first visit or one of many to JAX Beach.

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