Shocking Business Practices

Guest: matt s. (Milwaukee, WI)
Date of Stay: 12/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

First of all.. we are somewhat heavy travelers usually taking 3 or 4 or more leisure trips a year. We have stayed at top end properties and budget places with few complaints. That should give some perspective for what is going to be a scathing review. I have never been so disappointed in the property owner and to a lesser degree a property. The owner (Who seems to go by various combinations of first and last names) was not clear on the front end about 'check in' and key acquisition. She was however clear about the extra cost for a cleaning service that was to have been done by 3 the day of the checking. She was difficult to contact and did not return messages about key acquisition prior to the call, although after repeated efforts we finally did get her on the phone. Upon arrival it was very clear that this cleaning service either never showed, or if they did... they did absolutely nothing. So after several hours of travel we ended up doing laundry for clean bedding and cleaning the place so that it would be tolerable. Not how one wants to start their trip. Especially since there was money transacted and clear communication regarding that there would be cleaning done. Our philosophy is that no one is perfect. Mistakes happen. It is how those mistakes are handled that matters. It seems that the owner was expecting a rough reception since it is clear that she turned off her mobile phone around the time of our arrival. Repeated calls (and to be clear I mean repeated, I wanted her to know she was still 'on the hook') were unanswered throughout the trip. Calls went right to voice mail with no rings (until the 4th day.. then we actually got rings but no answers)). This issue was compounded by issues with pool and especially warm tub chlorination and temperature issues. Issues with the internet connection (does she pay that bill) and missing phone, fax, paper towels and other things that were indicated to have been part of the offerings. In addition the fridge in the bar is nastier than any frat house fridge, the pool is not appropriate for kids, the play set was unsafe, the some exterior lighting unsafe, and interior lighting was just plain odd. Some of these issues an attentive owner could have helped with, that obviously was not the case here. At one time the owner took pride in this place, it is sad that that seems to no longer be the case. Her lack of professionalism put a damper on what was to have been a celebratory week for us.

Owner response:Who are these people?, No Name! We were in London, England at sons graduation from LSE the week of Dec. 10th,2011 which is traditionally my week or 2 for refurbishing the house. My handiman and his girlfriend were staying at the house in the in-law suite/office. When we came home a new hotwater tank had been installed, fresh paint, and the linen closets had more organized shelving. Comcast had installed the new equipment for the latest technology. Joe the handiman might have shown the property to prospective renters who ocassionally drop by. It could have been someone that wanted the week at half price and was angry I turned them down???

Recommended for:

Guest: Diane, Kelly 4 couples (Mathon,Florida Keys,USA)
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 04/26/11

Review #1363227 "Awesome family house!!" I stayed here with my children, along with my parents, my 2 siblings and their children and we couldn't have found a more accomodating house and owner! There was plenty of room for all of us, no crowding. The bedrooms are off the back of the house, so you could be in the front having fun and not disturb anybody sleeping. Very private being its on the end of the street. The children (4 yr - 16 yr) had plenty to do, never bored! I didn't know teenagers knew how to get up before noon!! Kids/adults fished everyday catching different things all the time. The house was clean and provided all necessities we needed. Awesome restaurants and beautiful beaches close by and the owner provides a wonderful review of them, it is a MUST read, very entertaining! Our favorite..Bahia Honda State Park for the day then meet up with the fishermen and fisherkids at Sunset Grille right at 7 mile bridge!! They had a pool for the kids to swim in while the adults relaxed with a variety of cocktails. Tell waitor Chris we said HI!! Awesome food/service! Our spot for 3nights. Another awesome place was the "Island". Went here for lunches and nightly drinks! You couldn't take enough pics of this property to do it justice! Highly recommend this property for large groups/families. Created alot of fun memories to last a lifetime here! Our savings accounts are already started so we can get back ASAP!! Thanks Paradise Patty!!!

Recommended for:

3rd year and ready to go back!!!!!!!!!!

Guest: Christie and Doug (Asheville NC USA)
Date of Stay: 12/02/10 Review Submitted: 02/11/11

This year we got in early with the stipulation that we would have to put up with the A/C guys putting in a bigger central air unit in the tavern. We always go early December which seems to be their remodelling time and price break. It smelled like fresh paint and the Comcast truck was trenching new cable under the driveway. There were 2 new desks in the front room, so the kids had a girls desk and a guys desk for their laptops. We barely left the tavern part of the house, the home theatre seats are so comfortable, some of us spent the night sleeping there. Yes, we did catch some fish but we're not telling where our secret spots are. The girls spent most of the time in the hot tub and shopping in Key West of course. Next year the youngest will be old enough to swim with the dolphins. Can't wait, can't wait. We love this big sprawling place. Don't anyone take our week!

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

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

Guest: Kimberly (Port Orange FL)
Date of Stay: 09/25/10 Review Submitted: 10/22/10

We arrived on Sat. and immediately noted the air conditioning was not working in the "activities room". The internet did not work. We called owner immediately with no response. Upon waking the next day we found LARGE RODENT FECES all over the counters, floor and oven in the kitchen. Our fruit had been eaten thru and all packaged items were chewed thru and partially eaten. We lost alot of food as 7 of us brought most of our food for the week. Again we called owner with no return call. As the week went on we had to clean rodent feces, have no internet, no air conditioning in the room we most wanted to stay in (bar/card table/large tv/overlooking water) then the pool turned green. I finally got access to an internet connection on Wed and the owner responded. He sent a pest man out who controlled the large RAT LIKE RODENT we saw in the house one night watching TV. He blamed the air conditioning on the previous tenents. He stated we were given the wrong password to the Internet. It still did not work when he gave a new one. If you wanted Internet you had to sit back in the dark bedroom connected to the wall connection. There was not even a table to sit at. That was my room and it overlooked the water from sliding glass doors but you couldnt enjoy the view due to the hurricane shutters would not open. Most people who work while on vacation would want to sit at the pool and work on the computer. That was not possible He claimed he was out of the country and did not have good access to communication to get our calls. I requested compensation of $50 apiece (there were 7 of us) to make up for the lost food and misery. He said he would compensate us and brought us a key to the "guest room" and said we could use it. We had NO USE for this room. We were all settled in our own rooms/beds and refused. I told him I would like a check before the end of the week. He refused. We were never compensated. I would NEVER rent from this owner. The property is nice. The house is old and needs updating. This is why I write this review.

Recommended for:

Tropicana

Guest: drockin (tampa)
Date of Stay: 10/03/09 Review Submitted: 10/13/09

Big home with lots of room for parking and access to canal right in the back yard. Kayaks came in handy and drop-in for the boat was right down the street. Excellent fishing within arm's reach and you can't ask for a more lush tropical location with amazing views of the sunset. If you are looking for a relaxing time with family, friends, and fellow fisherman, you can't beat this place.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Paradise

Guest: patsee (Hemet, California)
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/03/09

We spent a week here in the spring. The house is very accurately described and the pictures depict the house very well. The property was clean as could be and very well maintained. We had an initial air conditioning problem that was solved super quickly. We had 10 people with us...all ages and we were all comfortable and had plenty of sleeping room. The kitchen was well equipped. The owner was very friendly and gave us good information about local restaurants and answered any questions we had. I would definitely recommend this lovely house to anyone. The pool was lfun and child friendly (gated). The jacuzzi was fun, too. There was a few pool toys to enjoy and the kayaks were a pleasure! We even saw a manatee swim past us. The worst part of it all was leaving. Very Satisfied with this property!

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