Vacation Rentals by Owner

Outdated Condo and Owner is Dishonest

Guest: Marty (Midwest)
Date of Stay: 05/07/11 Review Submitted: 05/23/11

Condo is in a grea spot on the beach, but it is in dire need of fixing and updating. Bathrooms are extremely old and in bad shape (mold, cracks, leaks). Several lights didn't work or did intermittently. Many screens are ripped with holes in them, and the one picture that shows you looking down the beach is from a condo closer to the beach (if they haven't been asked by VRBO to remove it yet)!! I asked for 1/2 my money back on this alone and was refused. Owner was responsive until I got to the condo and then I couldn't get her to call or email me back. I would never deal with this owner again or stay at this place.

Owner response:This review does not reflect the truth about what happened with this guest. The true issue that happened is that the guest neglected to tell us that he was bringing a pet with him. We are a pet friendly condo but do charge a non refundable pet fee. The pet fee is used to do a heavy cleaning of rugs, etc. to make sure our condo is clean for our other guests. I had sent a contract to him which we both signed that stated there would be 2 adults, 0 children and 0 pets. Before and during this guests stay I received and e-mailed back to him his many inquiries about the area and various restaurants and questions about the condo. At no time during his stay did he complain about anything wrong with the condo except a small hole in one of the screens on the lanai, to make sure he would not be blamed for it.(which was fixed immediately after guest left) When I told the guest that we could not refund his security deposit because he brought a pet and we would be using it towards the cleaning he became upset and wanted us to reconsider, when we didn't he began e-mailing me with these other untrue accusations about my property and now he wanted half of his rental fee returned to him along with his security depsosit. The statement about the unit needed fixing and updating that is just not true. The bathrooms have recently (this year) have been painted, new countertops, medicine cabinets, mirrors and toilets. There is no mold, cracks or leaks. As far as the lights are concerned, maybe a lightbulb blew and he didn't know how to change it. We keep extras in the unit. All our pictures are from the unit, there are 3 showing the view from different positions on the lanai and the other outside picture is a view from the beach looking at the complex. All the pictures speak for themselves that our unit is NOT in need of updating or repair. I feel I was more than accommodating before, during and after his stay answering all his e-mails in a very timely manner, even when his e-mails became threatening. I do not feel I have stolen his money as he has accused me of or been dishonest in any way regarding this guest. Bottom line is that this guest is unhappy because he did not disclose he was bringing a pet and we keep his security deposit as a pet fee. We have been renting our unit for a number of years, with many returning guests and have never had any issue before.

Recommended for:

Guest: Kathy & Barry
Date of Stay: 04/24/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

This location was great with the beach & shells. We will recomment it to anyone. Clean & comfortable. Kathy & Barry

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Guest: Jim & Rita
Date of Stay: 04/24/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

April in Sanibel is just beautiful.Thank you so very much. We had a wonderful time. Everything was just perfect. The beach & shells were so beautiful. We took a million pictures and a handful of shells. Jim & Rita

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Guest: Jen & Bob
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We loved your home-away- from home! Everything here shows your loving care and attention to detail. All the comforts of home are right here- This is truly an island paradise. Thank you for sharing your home with us. You thought of everything. We can honestly say everything we needed was right here. Your penthouse "treehouse" is heaven!! The sound of the waves takes away every bit of stress we brought with us! Again, Thank you Jen & Bob

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Guest: Beth & George
Date of Stay: 03/12/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

Thank you for sharing your lovely beach condo with us! This location is great - lots of biking, beach walks, and swimming. We all appreciated your cheeful, comfortable decorating. The IslandBeach Club has so many friendly, caring owners and we enjoyed meeting all the cute dogs as well. Thanks for a great week Beth & George

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Guest: Suzie & Russ
Date of Stay: 02/26/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

We were so lucky to find your lovely condo thus allowing us to stay an additional week in sunny Florida. Thank you for allowing pets in your home- Missy & Annie enjoyed the beach, grounds and everyone's attention. A truly friendly bunch of folks are here and helpful. Hope to connect with you and Island Beach Club again soon! Suzie & Russ

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Guest: Sylvia & Bruce
Date of Stay: 01/08/11 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

This was our second year here. We enjoyed our stay even more this year. We loved the new appliances and the new flat screen TV. I like the new bedspreads and windo treatments, too. The bathrooms look very fresh with the new paint. We look forward to our stay here next year! Sylvia & Bruce

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Property 260522, Sanibel Island, Florida

Guest: Patti (Texas City, Texas)
Date of Stay: 12/10/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

My family stayed at this condo in December 2010. We found it to be everything that the owner represented to us and much more. The Condo was very clean and we did NOT find one thing that needed repair. The accommodations were excellent and we were very very comfortable here. The listing description was very accurate with what we found upon arrival. The photos of the condo and surrounding area were exactly as it appears when you are at the property. I found the rental agreement to contain everything that we needed to know before we arrived. The owner was very knowledgable about the property and the surrounding area and was able to answer any questions we had. The view from the condo was beautiful especially the sunsets reflecting on the water. The beaches around the condo are clean as are the grounds that the condos set on. There are leterally 1,000,000's of shells to be picked up on the beaches. We rode bikes every day as it is very easy to get around Sanibel this way. We were able to stop & see many things that we would have missed if we were in a car. As far as nearby activities I would suggest canoeing with the manatees, going to Ft Myers to explore their many sights, taking a dinner cruise, visiting the island just to the northwest of Sanibel (you will have to walk there as no cars are allowed) and sightseeing around Sanibel. I would recommend this condo to my friends and hope that I will be able to go back in the near future.

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

Clean -Comfortable and absolutely lovely

Guest: Sanibel Stooper (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 11/19/10 Review Submitted: 05/26/11

I have been staying at this condo for many years on a weekly rental - the owner clearly takes care of this property and is concerned about every guest having a wonderful experience. The unit is very clean- comfortable and absolutely lovely. Sheets - towels - beds - carpets - floors - walls are well cared for. The vacations I have had on Sanibel have been some of the best vacations - the condo is family friendly and roomy. I have been very happy renting this unit for many years and will do so for many more. A great place to visit and you may even want to live here!

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

The ultimate vacation on beautiful Sanibel Island in a gorgeous condo!

Guest: Graham (Central Florida)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

Nothing could beat staying at this beautiful condo on Sanibel Island. I have made it my vacation spot for many years and always look forward to my visit. The condo is beautifully decorated and perfect in every way. It is always impeccably clean and beautifully decorated, like something you would see in a travel magazine. The owners are always available and very accomodating to all our needs. It is so conveniently located to everything, with the beautiful beach and the gorgeous pool right at your fingertips. The Island Beach Club is situated in a central location on the shoreline of the island with equal distance to the two large grocery stores on the island, as well as convenient to any restaurant, church or attraction you care to visit. I highly recommend staying here, and I guarantee you will be back year after year too!

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

Best Vacation Ever!!

Guest: Ca (Oviedo, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/11

My family loves to vacation on Sanibel Island. We always stay in this same gorgeous condo. Island Beach Club is centrally located on the island for easy access anywhere. The condo itself is bright and cheerfully decorated. It comes with everything you need for a comfortable stay including wireless internet. We can always count on this condo to be clean, updated and well kept. This place makes for a great vacation!!

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

This Island Beach Club condo is an absolute tropical paradise!!!

Guest: Bobbie ( Longwood, FL )
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 01/17/11

My family and I have vactioned on Sanibel Island many times over the years, and always stay at this gorgeous condo at the Island Beach Club. It is just steps from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico beach, where the swimming, sunning, walking, shelling and sunsets are fantastic. After dinner, toasting the most unbelievable sunsets on the beach is a nightly ritual. The large tropical heated pool right outside the door is beautiful, so relaxing and convenient. The condo itself is always spotless and beautifully decorated . The decor is absolutely stunning and blends in so well with the surroundings. There is a wall of floor to ceiling windows in the living room/dining room and a wall of sliding glass doors from two different areas going out to the screened lanai, which overlooks the swaying palms and the beach. The condo can sleep four to six people easily. There is a California king size bed in the beautiful master bedroom and a sofa, which opens to a double bed. The bedroom has sliding glass doors that open out to the lanai. There is a large walk-in closet with plenty of room, and a full size bathroom with tub and shower. The beautifully decorated guest bedroom features two twin beds and a double size closet and dresser with a large bathroom with walk-in shower. The condo is very roomy and open and very comfortable. The kitchen has all new appliances and a washer and dryer, which is so convenient to have right there. On our last trip there, we took a boat tour to two outer islands, and the tour bus picked us up right at the Island Beach Club and brought us back there at the end of the day, so it was very convenient. The owners of the condo are very nice, very cooperative and easy to work with. I would highly recommend a stay at this condo on your next trip to Sanibel Island. You will want to return again and again.

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.

Guest: Sylvia & Bruce
Date of Stay: 01/09/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/11

Hello Sylvia- We want to thank you for sharing your beautiful condo with us. We enjoyed our stay, and we look forward to next year. We have vacationed on Sanibel for a number of years and found that we were most comfortable here. Sylvia and Bruce

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