'Coastal Living' Beach House with a Gulf View in Pirates Beach

• Wonderful family vacation

  Wonderful family vacation

  • Guest Sparkmom
  • Date of stay 07/23/12
  • Review Submitted 07/31/12
  2 families with 4 young children thoroughly enjoyed this house and its amenities. We took advantage of renting the house's golf cart and that made it easy to transport items to the beach. The house is exactly like what the photos describe. We enjoyed the ocean breeze on the patio and the openness of the main living areas. We quickly realized how great the outdoor shower was so all the kids could come into the house clean. The owner was helpful with all our questions. I would highly recommend this property and Galveston to families looking for a relaxing vacation spot.

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

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• Awesome Vacation

  Awesome Vacation

  • Guest Linda H.
  • Date of stay 06/18/12
  • Review Submitted 07/02/12
  What an awesome vacation! The house was everything as advertised and more. Wonderful open layout, and the door between sleeping and living areas was almost soundproof, allowing babies to nap or go to bed at night while adults visited or played games. Everything we needed for cooking, enjoying the beach or just relaxing was provided, and everything was top quality (loved cooking on the range) The whole property is well maintained and so clean we were comfortable letting the baby crawl on the floor. The Griffith's were easy to work with and went out of their way to be sure everything was satisfactory. Everyone agreed it was the best vacation rental we'd ever had and look forward to staying there again.

  Owner response: It was nice to have these guests return. They were especially helpful to me last year when the handle on the range broke and they helped me put in the new range. We enjoyed some nice conversation and I am pleased that everything was working perfectly for them.

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• Awesome

  Awesome

  • Guest Linda H.
  • Date of stay 06/18/12
  • Review Submitted 06/25/12
  What a perfect house for a beach vacation! Everything was perfect, so clean--it was wonderful to feel comfortable about the baby crawling on the floor! The furniture was perfect, the beds extremely comfortable with high end linens. Everything you could possibly want in the kitchen was provided and we loved the floor plan, so open. The door connecting living section with bedrooms really made the bedroom area quiet so we could put the kids to sleep for a nap or at night and the adults could visit or play games in the living area. Everything we could possibly want was provided and the Griffith's were wonderful to work with. We would recommend this home to anyone, and are hoping to return. Thanks for the best vacation home ever.

  Owner response: We have been very fortunate to have really nice guests and it really makes us happy to see that they had a nice stay. Our housekeeping service does an awesome job of keeping the place looking nice and spotlessly clean. The layout of this home is one of the nicest most comfortable layouts and works well whether one or two guests or ten. Thank you all for your business and we hope to see you again.

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• Cute, Comfy, Clean

  Cute, Comfy, Clean

  • Guest Paula B.
  • Date of stay 04/13/12
  • Review Submitted 04/15/12
  The Spoonbill House in Galveston is a great house for a family vacation or a group of friends. It has everything you will need to make your stay super comfortable. The house is well maintained and spotless clean. There are extra towels and linens, dishes, pots and pans as well as little extras like bottled water and shampoo. It is only a short walk to the beach and a few minutes drive to the Seal Wall. You will appreciate the comfortable beds, large porch area. and the overall decor of the house. The owner, John, cares about his renters. He called shortly after our arrival to make sure everything was satisfactory. We will definitely be returning to this house. Paula and her 6 AXO soriety sisters Class of 1969 Sam Houston University

  Owner response: It always pleases us to hear that our guests had an enjoyable experience and stay. We are always looking for ways to be a little better and a little different and encourage guests to provide us with personal feedback. Our objective is to add the little luxuries that take a vacation rental to the next level Thank you for your kind review and we look forward to having you return. John & Karen

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• Fun For All

  Fun For All

  • Guest Nana
  • Date of stay 07/25/11
  • Review Submitted 02/12/12
  This is a fabulous house and fit our family perfectly. The elevator was a must for my dad and my husband's bad hip. Plus it sure helped with bringing up all of our stuff. When you enter the house, you feel so welcomed and at home. It is beautifully decorated and very spacious. Plenty of room for young grandkids. It has all the things that you need and much, much more. It is well taken care of, very clean, and a first class rental. We rented the golf cart and really put it to use. The grandkids loved stuffing it full of beach goodies and riding down to the beach. The beach is beautiful, not crowded, and very easy to access. You can put up a canopy and leave it up the whole time you are there. Crab hunting is a must on our list of things to do and they had a blast. Be sure you have plenty of flashlights and good batteries. The carport was a perfect place to barbecue and have a birthday party. The kitchen is top of the line and very easy to use. It is stocked with everything you might need to cook that perfect meal. One day we used the swimming pool at the club and the guys played golf. It was fun for all. If you ever have any problems or concerns, it is so easy to call someone. They will call you back in a very short time, and are always there to help in any way. John is a great person to work with because he is so thorough. I would definitely recommend this house to anyone who's looking for a fabulous rental that has everything. Would love to rent it this summer but I'm afraid I waited too long. I should have known it would be rented fast. Maybe next summer.

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

  Owner response: Nothing makes Karen and I happier than to see that we provided a great vacation experience for our guests. We continue to make improvements and add little special touches that take the hassle out of a vacation and let people concentrate on having fun.

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• Great Summer Vacation Rental

  Great Summer Vacation Rental

  • Guest RJM
  • Date of stay 06/10/11
  • Review Submitted 11/03/11
  We had a wonderful time at this beach house. It really feels more like a real home than a second home...nicely furnished, working appliances, high end knives and dishes, etc. The access to the beach is great and the front porch always has shade and a great breeze. We had a small problem with an odor in the kitchen when we first arrived and the owner had someone out quickly to deal with it. We toured several homes on Pirates Beach while we were there, and this one was by far the nicest. We would definitely stay here again.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, people with disabilities.

  Owner response: We are always pleased when guests have an enjoyable stay. We encourage guests to contact us on arrival to let us help them in anyway we can to make sure everything is up to their standards and to take care of any problems or to help with operating instructions, etc. We try to go high end on all amenities and include extras that many homes don't offer. We have new beach chairs, EZ-Up, new high end range and washer dryer, etc. We are constantly upgrading to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable.

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• Lovely, close to beach, nice amenities

  Lovely, close to beach, nice amenities

  • Guest Patricia P.
  • Date of stay 10/07/11
  • Review Submitted 11/03/11
  The house was in a great location, close to beach, nice open layout, spacious rooms with plenty of beds to sleep. The inside is very well maintained and clean with extra toys for all the kids to play with- deck/patio had plenty of seating. Plenty of pots, pans, plates, cups, etc to use in the kitchen, however the oven & stovetop were difficult to use and took very long to heat up. Since we cooked all of our meals at home over the weekend, it was a slight inconvenience. Only other downside was that the trash by the garage smelled awful and was overrun with flies/maggots which made throwing away the trash a very unpleasant experience. Those details were minor in our overall experience though and we would definitely recommend this home to friends and family. If we take another family trip to Galveston would definitely rent again.

  Owner response: We are pleased that our guests found our beach home to be a nice home in a good location and that they enjoyed their stay. However, I would like to clarify her comments regarding the range and trash. First, the range is a brand new top of the line induction range. It is anything but slow. We try and let guests know by both calling when they check in and by laminated instructions at the house along with the information I send them that if they have any questions or need any help that they should call us. We also inform guests where the owner's manuals are for all of the appliances. I realize that very few people have any experience with an induction range and very few people want to read directions but as a person that likes to cook, I wanted the best range that I could buy in my house. I could have replaced the former range with a moderate priced range for less than $1000 but instead I put in a $3500 Electrolux Stainless Steel Induction Range. An induction range will cook faster than gas with the same type of temperature control. It may look like a conventional glass top electric stove but it isn't. There are no heating elements and the top only gets warm from the heated pans. All of the heat is generated in the pot/pan. There are two requirements. You have to use pots/pans that have magnetic bottoms and you must match the pan to the the circles on the glass top. It can't be too big for a given circle or too small. I also provide a top of the line set of stainless cookware designed to work with the range. The biggest concern I have is that it heats so fast and so high if one doesn't turn it down that it will burn or scorch anything in the pan and the pan.. If the guest had called I could and would have explained it. On the trash, I provide three large city trash containers. They are normally empty when a guest first arrives and they are next to the garage. There are occasions (though I don't think this was one) where one or more cans may have trash due to arrival of a gust following another guests between trash pickups that are on Mondays. If she had called, I could have informed her that she was free to move the cans to the other side of the garage or even behind the garage. They didn't need to stay where they were if that was creating a problem. We work very hard to keep our home in excellent condition and I encourage guests to call us at any time there is an issue. We will do our best to resolve any issue.

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• Wonderful Time with Family

  Wonderful Time with Family

  • Guest Lisa B.
  • Date of stay 09/22/11
  • Review Submitted 09/25/11
  The home is absolutly beautiful. Everything was neat and clean with everything we could need for the 4 days. We had 4 families and everyone had their own space. When we gathered in the kitchen and living room, everyone was comfortable. We were so close to the beach but because our daughter-in-law has had a stroke, we rented the golf cart, which was a life saver for her. The elevator was also very nice to have access to. Everyone is so excited about doing this again next year! Our 3 year old granddaugther told me that this was the best vacation ever!! Priceless!! We were far enough out of town that the beaches were not crowded, but close enough to run in if we needed something. The water was the best we have ever seen. The beach was clean. Loved, loved, loved the mini vacation.

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

  Owner response: We want everyone to experience the kind of vacation experience you had. We realize that things can go wrong, the weather can be bad or something can break but we work really hard to make sure the things we can control are as good as we can make them for our guests. We have been fortunate to have had mostly terrific guests like Lisa B that take care of our property but have a good time. This makes it nice for the guests that follow and for when they return. Thank you for the kind words. John & Karen

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• This beach house will spoil you on renting anything else!

  This beach house will spoil you on renting anything else!

  • Guest Daughter-in-charge
  • Date of stay 05/29/11
  • Review Submitted 06/17/11
  My family and I spent the most amazing week at this Pirates Beach beach house this past Memorial Day week. I've been meaning to sit down and write this review ever since, but life got in the way, if you know what I mean. Anyway, if you are thinking about renting here, stop thinking and do it. The owner has thought of everything and is intent on making sure your stay is perfect. Attention to details in this rental is amazing. The house is extremely well-appointed, and clean as a whistle. The decor has a casual, yet elegant beach vibe, and the floor plan could not be laid-out better. The large great room area (kitchen, living, and dining area) is able to be closed off from the bedrooms via a hallway door which allows for some in your group to have quiet at bedtime while others may stay up playing cards or watching t.v. The pictures do not do the main deck justice as it is larger than it appears; plenty of room for the whole family and perfectly situated for a great ocean view, but without the direct sun like the tanning lanai. I don't have room here to say all I wish, so let me make sure to get in a few important things: make sure to take a shower in the master bath room (you won't believe the shower head), there is a large laundry room/pantry right off the kitchen, and the elevator comes in so handy. If you can afford to do it, rent the golf cart; it's worth it. Don't let all the initial registration paperwork scare you away. This owner takes as much care with the details of your comfort and experience as he does with the details of the legal protection of his property; be glad he does. This beach house has everything you could want and it's all in great shape. Trust me, if you forgot to bring it, don't worry, they have it there. Try the guest passes to the country club; the pool there is great. I’ve absolutely nothing negative to say, but if you are a "soft" mattress person, choose the "master", "queen", or "bunk" bedroom as the twin beds in the "twin" bedroom have firm mattresses on them, which work for people who like "firm" mattresses of course. All the linens are primo and lots of comfortable pillows and duvets, etc. The downstairs covered area with porch swing, picinic table, hammock, and beach chairs, etc. is like a huge outdoor room. Can't wait to stay again! Thanks!

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

  Owner response: Thank you for the glowing review. It definitely makes us feel like the extra effort we put into keeping the house up to high standards is worth it. We have just upgraded and replaced the washer and dryer to large high capacity units to make it easy for guests to launder their clothes when they need to Detergent, bleach and softener are supplied. Each season as funds permit we try and add more amenities and improvements. We want everyone to have a truly wonderful stay and vacation. We know when we go on vacation that is what we want so we try and give our guest what we would want and expect. We look forward to your return. Don't forget that holidays can be fun times at the beach too!

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• Galveston Summer Vacation

  Galveston Summer Vacation

  • Guest Amie H.
  • Date of stay 06/03/11
  • Review Submitted 06/11/11
  My children are 7 & 9 yrs old. They live for fishing. We rented this beach house with intent on letting the kids fish and having a place that felt like home for 7 days. This is truly the nicest beach house I have ever stayed in. John and Karen truly put some thought into furnishing the house with everything to make it feel like it was my home. My 7yr old sent me a text from the bunk room and it sayed "this is so cool" This house made some great family memories for all of us. I took pictures of my grandparents (they are in their 70's) walking on the beach and playing in the sand- I never thought they liked the beach. They liked it so much they want to stay the entire week with us next year. My family will be back for our next vacation!

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

  Owner response: My guests have have stated simply and elegantly their experiences and it is heart warming to know that they reaffirm that the efforts Karen and I have made to make our beach home an experience out of the ordinary and a special experience for them and their families. We have been fortunate and blessed to have had some of the nicest people as guests. Thank you all for the nice reviews and we look forward to seeing you all again on future vacations.

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Additional information about rental rates

Payment in full due at booking less $500 damage deposit. The damage deposit will be authorized one week before check in and the authorization cancelled if the home is left undamaged less normal wear & tear on check out.

Additional Fees and Taxes:

Cleaning Fee: $160.00

Booking Fee: $45.00

Golf Cart Weekly Rental $250.00

Golf Cart Weekend Rental: $175.00

Damage Deposit $500.00

State & Local Taxes 15%