Vacation Rentals by Owner

Fabulous All Around

Guest: Polly (Dallas Area)
Date of Stay: 10/27/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

This condo was clean, convenient, comfortable. I would definitely recommend it to friends, already have. I will be there again for sure. Owners were very nice and acommodating. Jimmy's on the Pier has great breakfast burritos and coffee in walking distance from unit. We found a way to get down to a great beach for walking along not far from the unit too. Great place to stay!

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

Blown away!!!

Guest: Tamara J. (Dallas, Texas)
Date of Stay: 06/19/11 Review Submitted: 06/29/11

My honey and I vacationed at this condo just a week and a half ago. It was fabulous!! The property is nice and quiet. We loved the king sized bed!! P.S. Feel free to let us in on where to get those comfy mattresses!! Oh! Was like sleeping on a cloud!! The location is perfect. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from anything you could possibly need. We love the view from the patio! That beautiful morning, and evening sunset was priceless!! We can't wait to get back, and was so sad to leave!! Thanks again!!

Owner response:Thanks Ebow! You made my day! We so love to hear when our guests enjoy the little things we do to make your stay memorable. Can't take credit for the sunrise however ;) Dave

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

Great vacation spot!

Guest: Jenn (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 08/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

Dave Ruch is an excellent person to work with booking his one-bedroom condo. The condo was well-furnished and clean. Although tight in some spaces with 6 people, we could get around even with the sleeper sofa pulled out. The kitchen was more than adequate as were the grills in the pool area. The ice-maker will not be enough to fill your coolers though, so buy ice! There is still some hurricane damage that is being fixed, so you should go knowing that not everything is in tip-top shape. The property management saved us after we locked ourselves out (you can't leave without a key b/c it's a self-locking door). The two pools were nice for variety, and the view from the balcony was great (wonderful breeze at night). There are swim up stools in the big pool which was a nice treat. The pool closes at 11 p.m., and they have an uniformed officer to make people leave. It made us feel safer. The bed and bedding is sooo comfortable for sleeping in. The kids loved the bunk beds! Two downfalls were the lack of storage space for luggage...and the mosquitos. As previously reported, the little pests were terrible. You couldn't go into the parking garage or exterior hallways without being attacked, BUT we were never bitten while on the balcony. My husband and I will return to rent the condo without the kids for a romantic getaway! Most everything you need is in close proximity (Wal-Mart, gas station, etc.) However, you should research the beaches closer to 61st St or further away as they seemed nicer. We didn't have enough time to explore them! If you've never been to Galveston, you should understand that the condos and hotels aren't directly on the beach - you have to drive to most of the beaches. You can also walk a 1/2 mile out before you get into any deep water. My husband and two girls all got stung by baby jellyfish, and I think I got nibbled on the toes by some upset crabs. BUT, you're in their environment, so you deal with it. The Spot restaurant had great food, but the service was lacking. Murdoch's was a great gift shop that has been there 100 years and has rocking chairs and beer to sit and watch the water! We will definitely be back to explore more of Galveston.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Troy A.
Date of Stay: 07/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

My wife and I wanted to write and let you know about our stay in Galveston over the July 4th weekend. We loved your condo and had a wonderful time there. The amenities were excellent and we really had a wonderful and pleasant experience. We were looking for that right place where we could relax and just enjoy the pool and a place that has all the comforts of our home. Your place met those expectations. Thanks Again. Troy

Recommended for:

Mike R.

Guest: Mike R.
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

Hi Dave, We had a great stay! The accommodations were great. The kitchen was well equipped. The only addition we could think of was maybe a sponge. We brought some DVD's and watched them on the flat-screen and we loved the surround sound. We especially enjoyed the movies because the hurricane was coming and we couldn't be on the beach as much as we wanted. It was extremely clean (no bugs) and we enjoyed our stay. Thanks, Mike By the way, the miniature golf course nearby was the best we've ever played on!

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Guest: Lisa C
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

Dave, Comments: The stay was great! It was a beautifully updated condo with everything you need. The balcony views are very nice. The bed in the main bedroom was very comfortable! The bunk beds were comfortable too. Nice pools to choose from. Close to anything within minutes. We hope to stay there again next summer! Lisa from Katy, Texas Thanks for sending my deposit check back to me in the mail. Thank you, Lisa C

Recommended for:

Quick summer get-a-way

Guest: Marie H. (Granbury, Tx)
Date of Stay: 06/21/10 Review Submitted: 07/19/10

We had a great time in Galveston and the condo was perfect. Very clean and comfortable. The view was very nice as well. Too bad there's not beach access across the street, but it's just a very short drive (few blocks) so no big deal. The pool (we only used the biggest pool) was nice and fun. The condo was very convenient to Schlitterbahn. We weren't sure about going to the gulf but it turned out to be lots of fun. We like a bit more privacy than a hotel offers so the condo worked great.The condo was welled equipped. The only thing, I couldn't find full size sheets for the pull out sofa, only twin sheets. My kids wanted to sleep there one night, but no big deal since there were only four of us and not six. Anyway, thanks so much for sharing your condo with us. We went on several mini adventures and it was nice to only have to make a short drive and be back at the condo to rest and freshen up. We will most definitely book with you again if we take another trip to Galveston. Thanks again!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Guest: Jancye R.
Date of Stay: 06/11/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

Dear Dave, We had a wonderful stay. Everything we needed was there for us. The location was perfect and the view amazing. We did make some great memories. Any time I can get my three children together is a memory. My granddaughter loved the bunk beds and my six foot four son thought it would be neat to sleep in the upper bunk, just seeing that was worth the whole trip. Needless to say, he got the couch the next night. We all enjoyed the swimming pool and the balcony in the cool of the evenings. Thanks again for a great stay. Next time we vacation in Galveston we will keep you in mind. If you find anything interesting in my comments please feel free to use them. Thanks again, Janyce

Recommended for:

Fair experience

Guest: TJK_May 2010 (Austin, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/11/10

The condo unit itself was fine. A little small if kids are sleeping in bunk beds in hallway while parents are in living room. However, the condo complex itself was a huge disappointment. The mosquitos made spending time outside almost impossible unless you were covered with DEET bug spray. If going to the pool, we had to run from the elevator and immediately jump into the pool. It was impossible to actually sit by the pool without being attacked by mosquitos - we had to be in the pool at all times. We had to constantly spray and re-spray ourselves with bug spray - even to walk from our car to the elevator. This seemed to only be an issue at the condo complex - other places we visited in Galveston (beach, downtown area, etc.) were not plagued with mosquitos. In addition, we were disappointed in the location. Having never been to Galveston before, we assumed from the pictures and descriptions that the condo was on the beach. Not true. The condo is on a major highway across from the ocean, but no beach - just a rock wall. We had to drive to the beach every day. If you are spending the whole day at the beach, that might be fine. However, with a small child, there is a lot of going back and forth between the beach and the condo.

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Love It!

Guest: Marki & Marty (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/07/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

My husband and I have begun to think of this unit as our "home away from home"! Dave and Pam have done such a wonderful job of decorating! They are also wonderful to work with! It's not often you find a condo that has Wi-Fi available! The TVs are great! The bed is comfortable! Everything is clean and well-maintained! We would definitely recommend this property to friends (altho' then it might not be available when we want it!). The pool areas are nice; the only downfall is that altho' the gulf is just across Sea Wall Blvd, there is no beach. My husband & I love to frequent only the "local" establishments to help Galveston get back on its feet. We recommend La Estacion (best breakfast burritos - and cheap!), Mosquito Cafe, The Original Mexican Cafe, Shrimp 'N' Stuff, Queens BBQ, and Miller's for breakfast. Can't forget Sonny's either! For ice cream, be sure to go to King's Confectionery on The Strand along with Yaga's! (We wish Fuddruckers had re-opened after Ike, but they didn't!). One of our favorites of all is The Sunflower Bakery - great for breakfast or lunch!!!! Also, go to Evia and have a coffee drink in Sugar's! Or have a bowl of seafood bisque at Gaido's with their wonderful bread! We also love The Spot for hamburgers! Wish we were in Galveston right now! Hope this helps - whether you are a newcomer to the Island, or whether you are one of those visitors who always goes to the same places, never venturing outside your comfort zone. Enjoy!

Recommended for:Age 55+

What a great time!

Guest: Galvez Lovers (DFW)
Date of Stay: 04/15/10 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

We loved the condo! Really impressed. Spotlessly clean!! and great beach theme decor. We felt really welcome. Wonderfully stocked with high quality kitchenware and towels plus lots of other bath and kitchen extras that made it feel like home. We had everything we needed and more. Very quiet and peaceful condo complex. Loved the beautiful palm tree pool and gulf views. Really enjoyed the wildlife, landscaping, hot tub, and unique pool. The softest, most comfortable bed I've ever slept in! Had a perfectly wonderful and comfortable stay. We have stayed in both the 1 and 2 bedroom condo now and enjoyed both. The owner is also very nice and professional. We will never stay in a hotel again. It was a great getaway. We had such a great time, we truly did not want to leave. We will definitely be back again and again.

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

Great for small family.

Guest: JulieCar (San Antonio, TX)
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 05/13/10

We enjoyed our stay very much. It was perfect for my husband and our two boys, ages 10 and 3. They loved sleeping in the cozy bunk beds. The master bed was very comfortable, we slept in both days. The view from the balcony of the Gulf was terrific. Great location, easy to find on Seawall Blvd. and close to Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn, the primary reason for our visit to Galveston. Beautiful new kitchen, upgraded appliances, and everything we needed to cook and eat right there in the condo. Very friendly reception staff in the office. Owners were a breeze to work with and responded to all our inquiries quickly and gave complete information and easy instuctions. Thank you for sharing your place with us! Julie, San Antonio

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, sightseeing.

Perfect for small family. Easy to Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn

Guest: JulieCar (San Antonio, TX)
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 05/13/10

We enjoyed our stay very much. It was perfect for my husband and our two boys, ages 10 and 3. They loved sleeping in the cozy bunk beds. The master bed was very comfortable, we slept in both days. The view from the balcony of the Gulf was terrific. Great location, easy to find on Seawall Blvd. and close to Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn, the primary reason for our visit to Galveston. Beautiful new kitchen, upgraded appliances, and everything we needed to cook and eat right there in the condo. Very friendly reception staff in the office. Owners were a breeze to work with and responded to all our inquiries quickly and gave complete information and easy instuctions. Thank you for sharing your place with us! Julie, San Antonio

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+.