Vacation Rentals by Owner

Guest: Dominic from Wales
Date of Stay: 05/02/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

Hi Sarah, We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Thanks again for the use of your home, which we treated with the same respect as our own. The house is really lovely and is a credit to you. We were most impressed with the quality of everything and our granddaughters loved the pool. We will be recommending your home to friends looking to visit Florida next year.

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Guest: Stephen
Date of Stay: 03/16/11 Review Submitted: 05/16/11

Hi Sarah, We enjoyed our stay greatly! Your house is absolutely beautiful, and perfectly located for most of the attractions! We hope we left everything in good order. We would love to stay there again next time we are in Orlando.

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Guest: Keith
Date of Stay: 02/07/11 Review Submitted: 02/22/11

Sarah Just returned home, having spent a week at St. Simon's Island for a change of pace from Orlando. We had a great time in Orlando, facilitated in no small part by the opportunity to use your home for our stay. It worked very well for the grandchildren each having their own space (though once establishing their territory, the youngest two decided to sleep together). The dog and I enjoyed our early morning hikes around the neighbourhood (your house to the Street of Dreams is 1 1/2 miles) dodging the sprinkler systems. We had a 5-day Disney and 14 Day Universal/Sea World/Wet and Wild pass, so were on the go every day of their stay except for two days when rain made it impossible to enjoy any venue. Parks were crowded compared to our expectations, it seemed as though all of Brazil has discovered Disney and Orlando! The little guys had a good time and the adults did too, enjoying as well the variety of restaurants right at the end of the street. Good stuff! And I was going to write anyway just to tell you the house worked well for our purposes. In reading the various rules and injunctions that greeted us when we arrived, Carole and I began to think how hard it must be to be having other people in the your space, and more to the point to wonder what on earth previous renters have gotten up to. Well we were pretty careful (in part because the house is so nice when you get there) and even left you better than we found you to the tune of several light bulbs and new batteries in a couple of the remotes! Small I know, but glad to do it. Thanks Keith

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Guest: mick giblin
Date of Stay: 07/31/09 Review Submitted: 07/30/09

Hi Sarah, We would just like to say that we had a wonderful holiday. We are all extremly tired now after the flight back. The villa was wonderful. We hope to return in two years time. With regards Mick Giblin

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Guest: Angie Murphy
Date of Stay: 03/13/09 Review Submitted: 03/12/09

Hi! I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed staying in your villa. It ended up being a great place for our family. My grandson loved the "Pooh" bedroom--he actually didn't have a problem sleeping away from his own bed! The location was perfect for my two older daughters who had "hopper passes" to disney and were going back to the parks daily The availability of all the baby items was greatly appreciated, and the security fence around the pool was very reassuring. We definitely will recommend your home to our friends and hope that we will be starting a yearly tradition. Thanks again. Angie Murphy

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Guest: Wandisa Campos
Date of Stay: 01/30/09 Review Submitted: 01/29/09

Dear Sarah, my family and I loved your vila. We had wonderful vacations. We took care of your vila as if it were our own. Several friends ask me about my experience of renting a house in florida. I answer that was very good and I indicate your vila for all. It was very good to have this contact with you. Thank you very much for everything. When you want to come to Brasil you will be my guests. Kind regards, Wandisa.

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Guest: Yuval Shaia
Date of Stay: 11/09/08 Review Submitted: 11/08/08

Sarah and MarkSorry for my late response. It took (very) long time since we arrived back to our homeland, to settle down and then to find the time to start and summarize our great trip to USA. Yes, we enjoyed your house very much.I think that “very much” is understatement to what we really felt… it exceed our most wonderful dreams and it was far beyond our expectation.It looks like that the house was furnished with lots of love, very good taste, very nice design, very good understanding in how home (and not just a house) should look like, a deep thinking about all possible needs. Actually we were so much astounded from it that we took some ideas and deployed it into hour new home that we are currently building (back here in Israel).The kids sure love the house J so many games…There was one day that we took off (because we were so tired from all the parks) and the kids were so happy to stay at home, play with all its facilities makes us feel like it is one more Disney-world attraction park. There are no doubts that I will recommend my friends on your house. I’d like to take this opportunity as we just passed the Jewish New Year day to wish you and to your family great year, both in your personal life and also to your business. Thanks very much from all the team.Yuval, Gila, Danit, Itay & Ofir ShaiaAndDebby, Uzy, Eldan, Eden Kitai ByeYuval

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Guest: Steve Folk
Date of Stay: 07/24/08 Review Submitted: 07/23/08

I recently rented Sarah's home in Kissimmee. We had no problems with the home. It was exactly as presented on the website. All of my dealings with Sarah have been efficient and easy. If you are considering this home, I would recommend it. Please feel free to contact me if you have other questions. Thanks, Steve Folk

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Guest: Cyntia Portis
Date of Stay: 07/24/08 Review Submitted: 07/23/08

We had a MAGNIFICENT time! Your home was great and the kids hated to leave. We will definitely recommend you. The girls came in tied for 7th in the nation! We love our girls and think they are the greatest but we surely didn't think they would make it that far! We are so proud. Thanks again and we may try to get to Orlando again soon because we didn't get to do Sea World or Universal, and we will surely try to stay at the Florida Pearl again! The location was great, we were able to come home between the games to rest and eat! Thanks again!

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Guest: Christy Kroeger
Date of Stay: 07/24/08 Review Submitted: 07/23/08

Our family was very impressed with your house. The house was just as described and shown in the photos. Being in the Indian Creek subdivision was so close to Disney. The location couldn't be beat. The spa/kiddie pool was a favorite for the little ones and adults alike. The house was very clean. We had ten people in our party an it didn't seem crowded at all. We have stayed in other houses in Orlando and we would stay in yours again. You made the whole experience enjoyable from beginning to end. Thank you for allowing me to be a reference for you.

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Guest: Alicia Jones
Date of Stay: 02/03/08 Review Submitted: 02/02/08

Hey Sarah- I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our stay at your house in Orlando. It is obvious that you all take pride in making it a family friendly place to stay which is wonderful. While we were there we noticed a few things that your management company may want to look at. I thought you might want to be aware since you obviously care very much about people enjoying their stay. 2 light bulbs in kitchen are burned out the fan in the bathroom that is shared by the two kids bedrooms does not work I was also wondering the process of recieving my security deposit back? Thanks, Alicia Jones

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Guest: Lynda and Ian Bell
Date of Stay: 03/20/07 Review Submitted: 03/19/07

Hi Sarah, Thank you so much for such a lovely stay. We really really enjoyed the Florida Pearl. As we mentioned in your guest book, the house exceeded our expectations and we will be recommending your home to all of my friends and family. We got your message about the security deposit. Shred away! Sincerely, Lynda and Ian Bell

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Guest: Bridget Book
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 02/28/07

Sarah, Sorry for the late reply. We were in Tampa for another week and a half with the in-laws. We had a lovely time at your home and the kids loved the game room and the pool. It's a great time of year to go to Disney too--no lines perfect weather--though the Floridians in the family found it cool! We'd definitely recommend The Florida Pearl to friends and family. Much fond aloha, Bridget Book Please go ahead and shred the deposit cheque.

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Guest: Rachel Smith
Date of Stay: 10/01/06 Review Submitted: 09/30/06

We got home safe and sound and had an absolutely wonderful time, your villa was perfect for our two families and we were sorry to come home!. We also took up your recommendation of the Italian Restaurant on our last night and had a lovely meal. I also want to thank you for the provision you left out on our arrival, we all felt that it was a very nice touch. We will of course recommend you to our friends and family and would all love to return in the future. Thank you for helping make our first Disney trip a lovely experience. Rachael

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Guest: Laura Clements
Date of Stay: 09/15/06 Review Submitted: 09/14/06

The villa was absolutely lovely, we couldn't of asked for somewhere better to stay. We had a fantastic holiday, really really enjoyed it. And if we ever go back would defiantly give you a call. Thank you once again for lending us your home.

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Guest: Kimberly and Adam Rice
Date of Stay: 06/06/06 Review Submitted: 06/05/06

Hello this Kimberly Rice. We recently stayed in your home on June 4 to June 11th. I wanted to say that my family and I had a wonderful time in your home. It is a beautiful home. I hope we did everything right when we left. My daughter who is 4 did not want to leave the house because she loved the pooh room and the pool. We had a couple a visitors at the pool. A frog who got inside and a turtle determine to get inside. I loved how I was so comfortable in this house as I was in my own home. I hope to be able to use this home again. Thanks!

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Guest: Peggy Laporte
Date of Stay: 03/19/06 Review Submitted: 03/18/06

I rented the Florida Pearl, a home located in the Indian Creek community in Kissimmee, Florida from Mark and Sarah Bennett from 3/19/06 – 3/24/06. The pictures available on-line, while accurate, did not prepare us for the spaciousness and comfort of the real thing. The house was spotlessly clean. The décor was simple yet elegant. The community in which the house is situated was quiet and well maintained. Stores and restaurants were within walking distance. As promised, we were minutes from Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and other attractions. Practically our every need had been anticipated and provided for before we arrived. Sarah was exceptionally kind and went above and beyond to be helpful. Knowing that Kelly was available if we had any problems was an added bonus.This was one of the best vacations my family and I have taken, in part because we had a home to return to at the end of a long day instead of a sterile motel room. I have already recommended this home to many friends and relatives. I’m hoping to vacation there again in the future. Sincerely,Peggy LaporteBrockton, MAUSA

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Guest: Sheri Wells
Date of Stay: 03/10/06 Review Submitted: 03/09/06

We Stayed at the Florida Pearl, March 10-13th, 2006. The house was very clean and well maintained. We couldn't have asked for a nicer place. We've stayed at other properties in the same area and they weren't as nice. We will definitely stay here again. Thanks so much for sharing your house with us. Sheri Wells, Elizabethtown,Kentucky, USA

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Guest: Lisa and Jim Jacobson
Date of Stay: 12/03/05 Review Submitted: 12/02/05

Good Morning Sarah, We, Jim and Lisa Jacobson, were guests in your home "Florida Pearl" in December of 2005. We shared the home with another family, Katie and Steve Schommer. We rented the home via the Vacation Rentals website. The pictures from the web site were actually a down grade from the reality of the house. We checked in on December 3rd, 2006. The house had been freshly painted, there was brand new living room furniture and all the bedding was in great condition. We received a welcome pack with food that was really helpful. Kelly was quite helpful, we had a few questions for her that she promptly took care of, she set up a Christmas tree for us and when we let her know the porch light was burnt out, she put some Christmas lights on the shrubs so we could have some light. We were able to check in early since our flight was early in the day and we were able to check out late. She was incredibly accommodating. The only down side we had, was the computer wasn't there (it was in for repairs) so we couldn't download our pictures as we had planned, but fortunately there was an internet cafe in the mall area just down the road. We loved the amenities of the house and Kelly was awesome. In addition, you were accommodating since the website we found your home on had a different price from what you were currently charging and you rented it to us for that. Our kids still talk about their house in Florida and want to know when we can go back. As I told you afterwards, everything was excellent, we had a great vacation and would return in a heartbeat. Lisa and Jim Jacobson

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Guest: Barbara and Terry Jackson
Date of Stay: 10/31/05 Review Submitted: 10/30/05

My husband and I stayed at Sarah and Marks villa in Florida in October/Nov 2005 and can honestly say that the home was exceptionally good quality.It was our 16th visit to the area and we accustomed to renting beautiful and luxurious homes but this one was very nice indeed. I found the property surfing the net and contacted Sarah by e mail at the same time as we enquired about other properties. She was so very kind and helpful that we decided to book with her. She was very trusting with us and gave us all the details we needed ahead of actually receiving our payments since the dates were very short. On arrival, Kelly came to us with a thoughtful welcome pack of goodies to save us shopping immediately after our journey...including a bottle of wine. We had plans to stay with relatives the second week which fell through only hours before we were due to leave Sarah's villa. Kelly came immediately to our rescue finding us alternative arrangements that were both pleasing and within our budget. We found the whole experience provided by both Sarah and Kelly to be so good that when we next travel to Florida, we would seek them out to use this accommodation. The place was immaculate with many new furnishings, lovely white robes for guest use and a beautifully kept...and warm!...pool. We planned to send Kelly a thankyou card and small gesture of appreciation but unfortunately lost contact details.She was a genuinely nice, trustworthy and trusting girl who bent over backwards to assist us in any way possible. Nothing was too much trouble for her. We happily offer to be referees in writing or in person for anyone who should require it. Please do not hesitate to contact me for more information or to verify the details given. Barbara and Terry Jackson

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Guest: Geraldine Malcolm
Date of Stay: 10/01/05 Review Submitted: 09/30/05

We stayed at your home in Florida, from 1st October- 15thOctober 2005. we had a large party ofpeople, and found your house to be large and spacious, as well as well furnished, we had four young children with us, and found that you had even made provisions for the baby, as well as the older ones playing in the garage, with all the lovely things that you have provided, for there pleasure. We found that the furnishings were of a very high quality, and everything was in excellent condition, you have supplied lots of exra things, that in my opinion, were above the normal. We really cannot find any reason not to go back to your home again, in fact we have a friend who rents out villas in the Kissamee area, and came to visit us while we were staying there, and she commented, on the high standard of your home.

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Guest: Marilyn Van Maren
Date of Stay: 10/31/04 Review Submitted: 10/30/04

To Whom It May Concern: In October 2004, my family, consisting of six adults and four young children, had the pleasure of spending a week in the vacation home owned by Sarah and Mark Bennett in Kissimmee, Florida. I learned of the Bennett's vacation home through the internet and had the opportunity to view still photos as well as a virtual tour of the house online. Trusting our vacation plans, and money, to strangers encountered through the internet had me worried initially; however, Sarah soon put my doubts to rest. She was very pleasant to deal with, and the entire booking process was handled efficiently and professionally. When we arrived at the house, we were pleased to find that it was exactly as we'd viewed it in pictures and video -- so much so, that we felt we knew the house and were immediately at home there. The house was clean, spacious and well-equipped with everything we needed for a comfortable stay, including dishes, linens and baby equipment for my young nephew. Having our own private pool and hot tub at our disposal was definitely a highlight of our trip, and the Indian Creek location, a mere five minutes to Disney, was superb. Kelly went out of her way to make us feel welcome, and it was good to know she was available if we needed her. We had a truly magical vacation and can hardly wait to return. I would recommend Sarah and Mark's vacation home to anyone. Sincerely, Marilyn Van Maren Ontario, Canada

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Guest: elaine Kelly
Date of Stay: 10/01/04 Review Submitted: 09/30/04

We are an Irish family who live in New york and we rented your house for the first week of October in 2004. We cannot say enough good about this house and yourselves and Kelly. The house was immaculate and had everything we needed to enjoy our stay to the fullest. Our group ranged in age from a one year old to a 65 year old and everybody enjoyed their stay. The welcome pack was a lovely surprise. We had asked could we check in early on our arrival day and check out late on our departure day because of our flights and this was no problem. When we arrived we had a slight problem with the code for the key so we called Kelly and within minutes it was sorted out. We were able to call anyone we wanted in New york or Ireland completely free of charge which was a fantastic bonus. I would highly reccommend this house as a rental house in Florida and also yourselves as people to deal with. We thought we would have been back to stay before now but we have just had a new baby. We intend to look into booking your house again before the year is out.

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Guest: Paul and Sue Semper
Date of Stay: 08/01/04 Review Submitted: 07/31/04

Our two families had been to Orlando, Florida, in August 2000, and had stayed in a rented property in Davenport. We decided to return in August 2004. I made some initial enquiries concerning rental properties in Florida, via some advertisements where I work. As a result of this, our contact details were forwarded to you and the rest is history. We found you and your husband a pleasure to deal with. Our initial bookings were changed at short notice due to our children's examination results. Despite this, our needs were catered for and the booking changed without any fuss whatsoever. Upon our arrival in Orlando, we took a 20-30 minute drive to your property and could not believe our good fortune. Firstly, the quality of the property both in terms of its condition and the amenities it had to offer, and secondly, how close we were to all the major attractions. On our previous visit to Florida, the rental property had been of a reasonably high standard, but yours was far superior. The property was spotlessly clean, both inside and out. The gardens and pool area were also cleaned to a high standard. The interior decor and furnishings were of a very high standard. Everything that our families needed from the property, was catered for. Throughout the second week of our stay we spoke to your agent, Kelly, on a few occasions due to the pending arrival of Hurricane Frances. We found her to be very helpful and unobtrusive. Hurricane Frances made landfall on Thursday 02.09.04. Our flight home on Friday 03.09.04 was cancelled. As soon as it became apparent that Orlando Airport was going to close, Kelly contacted us to let us know that we could remain in your property until the Hurricane had passed. At that time we fully expected to have to leave your property and find hotel accommodation, so this was some very timely good news. The provision of the free phone calls from your property was also an unexpected piece of good news. Our families in the UK were obviously concerned for our welfare. Throughout the three days it took for Hurricane Francis to pass, we were able to reassure our families at home that we were OK. All our return flights had to be rearranged from your property and several hours were spent on the phone to the Airline in Dallas. On our return to the UK, you were quick to check on our welfare and informed us that the three additional days accommodation would be free of charge In conclusion, we had no complaints whatsoever. W

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Guest: Angela Innes
Date of Stay: 11/29/03 Review Submitted: 11/28/03

Sarah We're back after a saga at the airport we had to stay another night in the Hyatt hotel in the airport due to problems with the plane we eventually got off the following day. Anyway what can I say! we were over the moon with the villa more than what we expected. Kelly has done a brilliant job and what a lovely lady. We had afew minor hickups but Kelly was there at the end of the phone. Thanks for all the games the kids loved the music one and the chess one. We left the villa clean and tidy and washed all the towels and sheets I just left a little drying to be finished off. The seat of a chair broke when I sat on it I'm sorry! I left Kelly a little note explaining. I hope everything else was ok let me know if I owe you any money. I think you'll be busy get some photos on the internet because it was exactly what I was looking for. Thankyou once again for all your throughtfulness and help I wish you both the best of luck and I will spread the word about your villa. When we walked in it just looked something out of a film set. The colour scheme and finishing touches really make it! well done. Everyone loved the pool the kids were in it at 6am on the first morning. Good job there were no neighbours in. You asked if there were any suggestions. Just afew for future guests. Large pans needed when cooking for 9 people Airers in the garage because not everything needs to go in the dryer I shrunk a few bits also around the pool for all kids cossys etc Manual tin opener as electric one abit naf Wooden spoons Washing baskets (I did mention to Kelly she was going to get some) Lable back of all remote controls Regards Angie & Family

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