Vacation Rentals by Owner

Ocean Beach Retreat with Private Sandy Beach [#47317] | View Property

Lower Matecumbe Key
House, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths (Sleeps 8)
$2100-$2900/wk - $6200-$7500/mo
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Traveler Reviews (16)

• Excellent place to stay with family!

  Excellent place to stay with family!

  • Guest Keith E.
  • Date of stay 03/16/13
  • Review Submitted 04/01/13
  Perfect place to stay with family. House has everything you need for a week of relaxation. The location was great - very close to everything (shopping, restaurants & fishing). Our kids love playing on the beach every day - looking for lizards & shells. The list of restaurants reccommended was perfect. We truly enjoyed our week in the Keys!

  Recommended for: Families with young children

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Outstanding Location

  Outstanding Location

  • Guest Tom&Linda
  • Date of stay 02/02/13
  • Review Submitted 03/20/13
  This is a great location for a vacation stay. It allowed for easy access to all Islamorada locations and great restaurants. The view was fantastic and offered excellant privacy and seclusion. It offered a prime spot for viewing all the wildlife the middle keys had to offer. Sitting on the ample balcony allowed up close viewing of eagles fishing, iguana, heron, passing dolphins, and even an alligator swimming by. The weather cooperated with mostly warm and sunny days. The beautifuuly maintained state parks allowed for great picnicking and scenic sights along with hiking trails and swimming. All in all a wonderful experience at this beautifully decorated home away from home.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Great Home - Great Location

  Great Home - Great Location

  • Guest hugh
  • Date of stay 06/28/12
  • Review Submitted 08/28/12
  This is my second stay at the home. It is spacious and well equipped with virtually everything you would need. Kitchen and living room is updated and comfortable. Man made beach provides a great setting for enjoying the ocean breeze. Well located between upper and lower keys. Grocery stores, restaraunts and other services are relatively close, especially by Keys standards. A great home and great location for a family getaway!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• From Mid Missouri

  From Mid Missouri

  • Guest Becky
  • Date of stay 05/21/12
  • Review Submitted 06/04/12
  My husband and I, our 20 year old daughter, and my 83 year old mother stayed here from May 21-May 31. It was amazing. It made our vacation perfect. The house is beautiful, furnished with anything you would need from kitchen supplies, to very comfortable bedrooms. We all had our own bathroom. There were many towels, and supplies, as we did bring more, but left some behind. There was a washer/dryer that you could keep up all the laundry. The manmade beach on the oceanfront is beautiful, and we spend alot of time soaking up the sun on this beach - just outside our back door! The decor was gorgeous, and we all felt welcomed and at home. My daughter's quarters were separate from ours. Just down the stairs, and under a beautiful breezeway that had a hot tub! She loved being down there, and had wireless internet to do her homework. There was great fishing in Islamorada! We enjoyed cruising the Keys, and spent two separate days in Key West, but was so nice to come back to this beautiful home. We were very pleasantly surprised at the ease of renting this home, and how it was so accomadating to us. I would like to thank the owners!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Family Fun

  Family Fun

  • Guest SM
  • Date of stay 04/14/12
  • Review Submitted 04/30/12
  We really had a fantastic time at the Ocean Beach Retreat! The view from the living room looking over the Atlantic Ocean is breathtaking. The house is well furnished and very comfortable. We relaxed on the beach and soaked up some sun. We would recommend this property to family and friends. The contact we had with the owner was very helpful and professional.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Ocean Front Property...Spectacular Views......

  Ocean Front Property...Spectacular Views......

  • Guest Giuseppe
  • Date of stay 03/18/12
  • Review Submitted 04/19/12
  A Beautiful...Well Furnished...Well Maintained...Exceptionally Clean...Ocean Front Beach Retreat...with Spectacular Views....The Owners were most gracious...courteous...honest...and....caring..about their Tenants' needs and went above and beyond to make their property...Simply SPECTACULAR....Will DEFINITELY rent again next year...and...in the years to come...Would HIGHLY recommend this property to Relatives...and...or Friends...Would give the property... 4 Stars for Total Relaxation...

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Perfect

  Perfect

  • Guest L.M.
  • Date of stay 12/29/11
  • Review Submitted 01/28/12
  We've spent a week over New Years in this lovely home. 4 adults with 2 teenagers. Lower bedroom was perfect for the teenagers, as they had their privacy and we had our peace upstairs. The House fully matches the description. It was very clean. Everything was there, nothing missing. Very well and comfortably furnished. As it got a bit chilly in early January, the hot tub was a welcome feature. All dealings with the owner were very fast and professional. I'd recommend to rent bikes as there are many bike paths in the area. The house was all we expected and more. I would definitively rent it again and recommend it to friends.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• A much need vaction

  A much need vaction

  • Guest JP
  • Date of stay 07/18/11
  • Review Submitted 08/15/11
  My wife and I spent a week at the beach retreat and we are still talking about the times that we enjoyed. The house was in a great location. I recommend renting kayaks or a boat to get out on the water. The house was well stocked and we had everything that we need to cook. The master bedroom was amazingly comfortable and well furnished. The coconut palm supplied fresh coconut milk for our many pina coladas. The jacuzzi was not working during our visit but it was 100 degree and was not on the list of must have.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Why am I being penalized?

  Why am I being penalized?

  • Guest Keys Traveler
  • Date of stay 06/13/11
  • Review Submitted 07/23/11
  Upon re-reading the reviews posted, I notice the most recent one is more than a year old...that should have been my first warning. Our family rented this home for approximately 3 weeks in June, 2011, paying all fees well in advance. When we had to shorten our trip by pushing it back 3 days, we didn’t even ask to renegotiate the price. However, upon arrival (3 days later than the date originally booked), we walked into a house that was filthy. There were no sheets on any of the beds, bathrooms and floors were dirty, soiled towels were hanging out of the washing machine that was housed in a filthy, unkempt laundry room. The downstairs bedroom smelled of cats. Needless to say I was disappointed. Calling the owner I found her very apologetic. She claimed to have a new cleaning service, that ‘good help is hard to find’ and promised to have someone come clean it the next day. That very day, our family found the Hampton Inn a few miles away and decided to stay there for the duration of our trip. Because the owner had broken the original contract by not having the house ready at the promised time, I felt justified in finding alternate accommodations and requesting a refund. Again, I believe I went the extra mile in asking to ‘work something out’ and offering to take less than the full amount already paid. She flatly refused any refund stating that it wasn’t her fault that the cleaning company fell through and that she had spent a lot of time working to find someone who could come clean the following day on such short notice. While the discussion of fault could go on and on, I can say with 100% certainty that it was through no fault of my own that the house I had contracted to stay in and paid for in advance had not been cleaned at the time of my scheduled possession. Why should I be penalized? And is it really okay to throw in my face the fact that it took effort on her part to find someone to ‘clean on short notice’ when that was a result of not finding someone to clean in the first place? Shouldn't I expect fair and reasonable treatment? My advice to potential renters: do so at your own risk.

  Owner response: We have rented our home through VRBO since 2004 and this is the first negative review we have received. We take the rental of our home and our relationship with VRBO and our renters very seriously and always endeavor to do the right thing. That is what we did in this case. Prior to the renters arriving, we painted the interior of the home and replaced 3 sets of sliding glass doors. We were there a few days before the rental contract was to begin. The home was in great shape. It just needed a general cleaning. We hired our normal cleaning service to do this. The renter called us in the late afternoon of the day of check-in and advised us the home was not clean. We were shocked. We called our “son and mother” cleaning team at once. He apologized for not getting the job done. He said his mother had been very ill. He went to the home immediately and cleaned it thoroughly. By 8:30 p.m. that same day the home was clean. We apologized profusely to the renter for the mix up by the cleaning crew. We told her the home would be cleaned right away and would be clean by, at the latest, the next morning. As it turned out, the home was clean by the night of check in. The renter told us she did not want to make the beds herself and that she would stay in a hotel that first night only. We apologized again and told her we would work out a solution to compensate her for that night. We were very surprised when she later advised that she would stay in a hotel for the entire stay. We tried to change her mind. She then demanded a refund. We never refused to provide any refund. We offered to try to rent the property to others and to pay her the full amount of any other rental income during the term of the contract. We ended up not being able to find any last minute renters. We also offered to refund her the prorated equivalent of one night’s stay. We have sent her a check for this amount. We felt this was reasonable and fair under all the circumstances. We corresponded with the renters at length by phone and email in a courteous attempt to resolve the issue. We cleaned the home fully that same day and gave the renter a partial refund. We have handled an embarrassing situation in a timely and fair manner and will continue to so act with all of our renters. We will do whatever we can to make sure our future renters have an excellent experience at our home.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/8

• Fun

  Fun

  • Guest Becky
  • Date of stay 03/31/11
  • Review Submitted 03/02/12
  We aren't staying in this home until May of this year, however, after reading the "negative" remark, it goes to show why this county is in an uproar. I don't see any problem with the service provided to them. Everyone is human, and people like these probably are habitual complainers, be it on personal furniture, tv, whatever. Seems people don't try to look at the whole picture of how this could have happened with the cleaning. The cleaning people should have told the owners, but it wasn't the owners fault! And, It was cleaned by that evening. Wake up people. Really, what was so bad about that? It wasn't like anyone was in a car accident, or tragic. Use some patience! I am excited to say, this remark has NO IMPACT ON US! I put the wrong date as date of arrival, as to say what was on my mind, Negative, closed minded, shallow people really make my blood boil. Must be unhappy to even be so unreasonable! Am excited to stay here. Patience and happiness will get you alot further in life.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/4

• SUPER NICE VERY RELAXING

  SUPER NICE VERY RELAXING

  • Guest Wheels031799
  • Date of stay 02/07/10
  • Review Submitted 03/28/10
  Where else in the world could you enjoy the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean while having morning coffee knowing all you had to do was watch the colors of the water go from light turquoise to the deep evening blues of the bay, and all you had to do was swivel in your deck chair. If you watch closely in the late afternoon you might even see a stingray gliding in the pristine waters We really enjoyed our time in this Keys Paradise and would highly recommend staying here whether to relax or party in the nearby clubs. The owner's were very pleasant to deal with and absolutely bent over backwards to accommodate their guest

  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.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Great stay!

  Great stay!

  • Guest JCz
  • Date of stay 01/03/10
  • Review Submitted 04/12/10
  We stayed at this listing at the beginning of 2010. It was our first vacation in years and our first vacation with our new daughter (7 months) and the whole experience was great! We did end up in the middle of cool spell, but 60's and 70's were still great weather! Everything was as advertised. Owner was VERY nice! We came only a few hours after another renter and the place was still in good shape. Loved the kayaks (rental was a mile away)! Great workout! Call ahead if you want to fish. Stone Crab is wonderful (and HARD!!!), and there's a great place just north for wonderful fresh seafood. This place has everything! Will go back! Hopefully soon!

  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.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• • Guest Brad A.
  • Date of stay 12/13/09
  • Review Submitted 12/13/09
  The location and privacy of this property is wonderful. It was perfect for our family vacation. Our kids enjoyed playing in the shallow waters of the Atlantic, just steps away from the house. They also had a great time playing in the sandy beach yard. The home is comfortable with exceptional views of the Atlantic. We enjoyed the large wrap around deck. We found some wonderful restaurants within a few miles. Our favorites were Lazy Days and Morada Bay Cafe. If you need a fishing guide, Skip Nielsen at Bud N' Mary's Marina is top notch. We plan on returning to Islamorada and renting this property again.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• • Guest Joe8
  • Date of stay 08/02/06
  • Review Submitted 08/02/06
  Great Home. Huge Master Bedroom. Views are fantastic. Very large lot.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/1

• • Guest Matthew A. Zabel
  • Date of stay 03/24/05
  • Review Submitted 03/24/05
  Everything was as represented. This is the ideal escape from the rat race with both younger and older children. The place is very comfortable and private. It's far enough away from civilization to be relaxing but close enough to all the amenities to make it extremely enjoyable!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• • Guest Ken Volpp
  • Date of stay 12/20/04
  • Review Submitted 12/20/04
  The Keys Beach Retreat was absolutely perfect for our Thanksgiving vacation. The owners were a joy to work with on our rental. The house had every amenity we could wish for and was the perfect vacation home and private location to get away to relax and enjoy the Keys. The private beach was fantastic! We also really enjoyed all the nature that surrounded us during our stay - cranes, pelicans, ducks, sandpipers, hermit and horseshoe crabs, fish, we even saw a baby nurse shark swimming around. It was like our own private Sea World! We definitely plan to rent again and highly recommend the Keys Beach Retreat for your vacation!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0