Charming Storybook Vintage Beach Cottage W/Pvt Pool & Lg Yard!

• It Doesn't Get Better Than This!!!

  It Doesn't Get Better Than This!!!

  • Guest Carma W.
  • Date of stay 07/17/11
  • Review Submitted 07/27/11
  I've had my eye on Banana Cabana for three years. I could see it was a gem from day one, a perfect setting for my grandchildren to frolic, for the rest of us to relax, and for stepping back into a simpler time in this lovingly restored, circa 1940 beach cottage. Charm is too simple a word for Banana Cabana's appeal. This place is truly paradise. Everything was perfect. The decor was without peer. All was squeaky clean. Everything we needed was there and easy to find. The location was perfect and oh so private! The grounds were fastidiously kept. The pool area was an oasis and the pool was perfectly clean as was the sun porch, the decks, the gazebo, etc, all of it decorated with vintage items and whimsical eye-candy. Our almost 3 year old & 4 year old granddaughters had endless "props" and "background" for their imaginative play. Banana Cabana's listing looked like it would provide them hours of fun but never did I guess how limitless their adventures would be! The bathrooms were large and well supplied. The laundry room was SOOO awesome with a table for folding, a sink & more. (Folding clothes was a get-away in itself.) The beds were all very comfortable; ceiling fans in virtually every room. TVs galore. Awesome dining room; oh my the decor! We sat 8 at the dining room table. The kitchen was, for me at least, the star of the show! I took about ten kajillion photos of the inside of Banana Cabana & at least 1/2 were taken in the kitchen! There was something new at every turn, but BC is not "cluttered". Banana Cabana is 1940's beach cottage through and through with well balanced decor and furnishings thoughtfully arranged for the comfort of guests. We received a phone call from Jennifer within 30 min of our arrival. She was calling to inquire if all was to our liking and if we needed anything. Jennifer was awesome from start to finish. I have no doubt that if we'd had "needs" or "problems" they would have been handled quickly and thoroughly, but our stay was perfect from start to finish! We've traveled a lot, particularly out west, and have stayed in some gorgeous homes, but Banana Cabana is now ranked NUMBER ONE by my family and I cannot imagine anything topping it! Many thanks to Jennifer, owner extraordinaire!!! God willing, we'll be back!

  Recommended for: Tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, people with disabilities, families with young children, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: WOW: What a Lovely Review & Much Appreciated: Your kind thoughts mean so much! We Love it when we can share our "Banana Cabana" with others & they Love it as much as we do!!!!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 11/11

• Family of 7

  Family of 7

  • Guest Kuipers Family
  • Date of stay 03/30/13
  • Review Submitted 04/09/13
  We enjoyed our stay at the Banana Cabana very much. The home is cozy, clean and spacious. We loved our morning walks to the beach. The kids rented movies from the redbox booth every night (right on the corner at the Tom Thumb gas station). We stayed for Easter week and the weather was perfect. Mostly sunny and 70's to 80 with only one rain-out day. We drove to Panama City that day to see a movie and break up the day. Other than that we stayed on the property and relaxed and enjoyed for most of each day, exploring Surfside Beach, Santa Rosa an Destin in the evenings. It's a great place for a family get away!

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

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

• Banana Cabana was truly the perfect beach cottage!

  Banana Cabana was truly the perfect beach cottage!

  • Guest Sherri O.
  • Date of stay 03/10/13
  • Review Submitted 04/06/13
  My teenagers and I had the best family time ever at Banana Cabana! The cottage strikes the perfect balance of whimsically beautiful decor, in addition to a perfectly spacious yet cozy atmosphere. We enjoyed the screened in porch and various decks as much as we enjoyed the beach! It really was a perfect location and vacation for all of us! The owners were gracious, helpful, and easy to communicate with. All-around wonderful experience!

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

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

• Holiday Paradise

  Holiday Paradise

  • Guest Brad L.
  • Date of stay 12/26/12
  • Review Submitted 01/04/13
  We could not have enjoyed our stay more at the Banana Cabana! It is one of the true gems of 30A in my opinion. The beach is a short walk away and it is actually a nice break from the beach when you come back to the Cabana. You can avoid some of the wind from the beach and just sit back and relax by the pool. During our stay the weather was not too warm so the heated pool was a big hit, especially with the kiddos. Inside the cottage has tons of space and even with 8 of us staying there we never felt on top of each other. The attached apartment is really cool too. The downstairs has a second kitchen and full bath with a twisting staircase leading you up to the crows nest where you find a huge bedroom. The screened porch is like an additional 200 sq. ft. of extended living area. There are speakers out on the porch that provide the whole pool area with your choice of tunes and at night the whole property lights up like a five star hotel. Also, the Cabana sits on a dead end street so there is almost no traffic and you really get more privacy that I would have expected. Overall, the Cabana was clean and the decor spot on. Jennifer and Chris were great to work with and we had no issues with the reservation, arrival, departure, etc. We will be back, just probably during the warmer seasons. :-)

  Owner response: What a Wonderful Review! Thank you ~ It means so much! It's unfortunate that some of this guests' daytime temps were unusualy cool for this time of year. (Mother Nature does what she wants). Thank goodness for the heated pool for the kids! And....It's so nice to hear that Everyone enjoyed their Seagrove Beach Holiday @ our "Banana Cabana"!! A note to ALL potential guests": There is a Wonderful & Welcome change of season here in our NW Florida Paradise. Winters are mild here in the FL Panhandle & daytime high temps can & do vary. I personally call our Winter's here in NW Florida "Sweater Weather" & we Love it as well as our many "Snow Birds" that visit here from the North!

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

• Thanks! We'll be back!

  Guest comment entered by owner

  Thanks! We'll be back!

  • Guest NJRay
  • Date of stay 09/07/12
  • Review Submitted 09/17/12
  Hey Jennifer. We thoroughly enjoyed Banana Cabana! Your decorating touches are charming and everything we needed was there. It was a great family get together.The chair and umbrella rental guys you recommended were great. -- NJRay Thanks! We'll be back! We have told several friends about your place.

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

• Relaxation at it's best!

  Relaxation at it's best!

  • Guest licensedtwochill
  • Date of stay 07/22/12
  • Review Submitted 08/08/12
  Upon initial inspection of the property, you're suddenly taken back to another place in time, the decor and color schemes remind me of a better time in history. The landscaping and foliage seclude the place to a welcomed degree giving you the feeling of being on your own personal getaway. The owners are above average communicators and responded to any email correspondence promptly. Some thought really went into making you feel at home here, from the filled bookcases to the grill and pool areas. I'll go on to say that I actually lost track of time during my week stay, and often had to think about what day it was, this was one of the most relaxing getaways I've had in a while. You're roughly 20 minutes or so away from the outlet mall and restaurants of Destin, but there's also a wealth of shops and eateries along 30A. There's a grocery store and gas station conveniently located to the property and it's a 2 minute or so walk to the beach and jogging/biking trail. The home does have wifi, but the systems range was a bit spotty, not to mention having access by the pool would also be a welcomed amenity. The overall cleanliness of the property was average, but the floors in the main home could use a good scrubbing. I gave an excellent rating because after my week stay I truly felt that I had been on vacation. I can truly see my family and I staying here again and wouldn't hesitate to stay at any other properties owned by the same couple.

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

  Owner response: What a Wonderful reveiw! Thanks so much for the 5 Stars!! I am surprised of the comment about the floors though. We have always had rave reviews about the cleanliness of our place. I do make a point to contact each and every guest personally upon their arrival and make certain that everything is up-to-par. I do wish that this particular guest would have mentioned that the floors needed more attention. I would have been most happy to send our housekeeping staff immediately over to remedy anything! An owner of a vacation property must rely upon the guest to mention anything that needs attention. Unfortunately, a comment made after a departure cannot be rectified.

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

• HGM Family Vacation

  HGM Family Vacation

  • Guest bmg
  • Date of stay 07/15/12
  • Review Submitted 07/25/12
  We loved out stay in this incredible beach house. The grounds and property were unlike anything I have ever experienced at the beach. We have been going to Seagrove for 20+years and this is by far our favorite place yet! The loft worked great for our married daughter and the teenage girls loved hanging in the treehouse watching movies and doing 'girl" stuff. The most used spots were the screened porch, the pool and the dining room table! We had fabulous meals around that table and made a lifetime of memories. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know Chris a bit and you could not ask for a nicer property owner. Jen called and welcomed us to the place and made sure we were comfy and happy! I have already referred 5 families to the place (although I would love to keep it my own secret) it is too good not to share!

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

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

• Banana Cabana

  Banana Cabana

  • Guest Connie
  • Date of stay 07/01/12
  • Review Submitted 07/15/12
  This was our second stay at Banana Cabana and the first was four summers ago. The house was as fresh and certainly as clean as before. We love Banana Cabana. The only thing I might suggest is replacing the mattress in the upstairs apartment. Our son and grandson stayed up there and the bed was truly unsatisfactory. HE also saw roaches several times, which I understand in that climate are difficult to control. I would definitely recommend this property to others and it is so well located to beach, grocery, restaurants, and all attractions. Also the price for the house rental is fair. We had an incredible time at Banana Cabana. Thank you, Jennifer and Chris.

  Owner response: Thanks so much for your high recommendation and 5 Star Review! A returning guest with a Great Review speaks volumes!! Mattress comfort is definitely Very Subjective as to ones own personal choice. I must say that we have not had any prior comments concerning any of our mattresses, but we will certainly check into it and replace if needed. As stated in the review: Banana Cabana is fresh and clean! We make certain of that for each guest arrival. Pest control is Most Definitely required here in Florida and Especially for a popular vacation rental property that is booked solid back to back during the Peak Summer Season. The cleanliness during the stay of any previous guest is of course beyond the owners control and it is impossible for an owner to monitor open windows and doors. A stray bug sighting can certainly happen, even with regular pest control. We do and have always had continuous regular pest control services. If only the guest would have let us know during their stay they had seen a stray bug: We certainly would have been most happy to call upon our pest control service to make a service call. We personally ask that each of our guests notify us immediately if anything needs brought to our attention, so that we can take care of any concern ASAP! Unfortunately, an owner simply has no way to remedy a problem if the guest does not mention anything.

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

• Fun For All

  Fun For All

  • Guest kay
  • Date of stay 06/24/12
  • Review Submitted 07/01/12
  My husband and I just enjoyed a vacation with our children and grandchildren. I am so pleased that we selected the Banana Cabana as our house for the week! We had plenty of space and the house was so clean. I especially liked having a yard and a screened in porch for the children to play in. The apartment is really cute and functional. The pool was well maintained and we enjoyed swimming there when not at the beach. The house is decorated with lots of color and charm. Shortly after our arrival, Jennifer called to welcome us and to see if we had any questions. She made us feel very welcomed. The beach is an easy walk, even with small children. Thanks to Jemmifer and Chris for putting so much thought and love into this cottage. You have made a true storybook vintage cottage for your guests to enjoy.

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

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

• The pool and yard was a big hit for the grandkids!

  Guest comment entered by owner

  The pool and yard was a big hit for the grandkids!

  • Guest Shirley & Denny
  • Date of stay 06/17/12
  • Review Submitted 06/27/12
  Jennifer & Chris, Thank you for sharing your cottage. Everything worked out well for all of us. You have a unique and beautiful home. The pool and yard was a big hit for the grandkids. We were lucky to have good weather with a lot of beach time. We're back to work and reality in hot, humid St. Louis! Thanks again- Shirley & Denny

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

'Peak' Summer & Mem/Labor Day Weeks:  $ 2800 / 7 Nights  Weekly Only: Sat - Sat
Spring (Non-Peak) ~ Mar/Apr/Thru Mid-May: $325/night(5 night min) $2200 / Week    
'Peak' Spring Weeks & Easter Week: NO VACATIONING STUDENTS. $2500 / Weekly Only
Late Summer: Mid Aug-Sept: $325/night  $2200/wk (Main House Only-6 max:$1800 Week)
Fall:Oct/Nov:$275/night-$1800/wk (Holiday Wk:$1800) Main House Only-6 max:$1600 wk
Dec/Jan/Feb: $250/night-$1600/wk (Holiday Wk:$1800) Main House Only-6 max:$1400 wk
Add 12 % FL Tax / Less than weekly stay will incur a housekeeping fee.
Damage Deposit:$500.00-Refundable w/no damages/violations.Pool Heat Fee:$350.00 wk

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.