The master bedroom is located en suite in the opposite side of the house from the other two bedrooms, permitting privacy for two families to share. A large pool area, overlooked from the dining room-kitchen or the lanai, mature tropical plants and flowers in the garden, makes this an ideal home away from home. 5 minutes from the Polk Parkway, gives you access to the entire spectrum of central Florida attractions, beaches and activities. Don´t forget the 30+ golf courses in Lakeland itself, the unique Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the city center, the lake walks or the many restaurant choices nearby.
Ideally located in an established community in Central Florida
Lakeland, FL, USA
- House2518 sq. ft.
- Bedrooms3
- Sleeps10
- Bathrooms2
- Half Baths0
- Minimum Stay3 nights
Large 3 BR, 2 bath with room for 10! Own pool
Owner
James Derry
Member Since 2013
- Response rate:
- 100%
- Response time:
- within a few hours
- Speaks:
- english
- Calendar last updated:
- Jun 19, 2018
About James Derry
Owned by a Nordic family, whose work led them to Florida, then back to Europe, it was a sad thing to cut the ties to our Florida home. By sharing it with others, we share the local joys, the weather, the relaxing lifestyle, and can still keep the house for when we can get back. Many friends, family and friends we have not yet met have stayed and keep coming back for Sun n Fun, the beaches, golf, tennis, birdwatching and the Orlando-area attractions. Easy to get to, and a welcome relief to leave the other tourists behind to their hectic stays at plastic hotels and come 'home.' Pick up fresh sushi from the sushi chef at Publix, eat at one of the area restaurants, grill poolside, it just feels good here!
James Derry purchased this House in 2005
Why James Derry chose Lakeland Highlands
Of course, the kids can play in a hotel pool, but what a joy to have them just outside the window. Relax with a book in the lanai if the sun is too hot midday, or under the parasol outside. The friendly neighbors and quiet area, yet just 5 minutes to the Polk Parkway and the interstate to Tampa or Orlando. Bring your own bikes and cruise the secondary roads to Daytona, out to the Gulf beaches, view the manatees or what-ever catches your fancy. Want a dip after putting the youngest to bed? Light up the underwater lights and night-swim. Cap it off with a glass of wine or a beer under the stars.
What makes this House unique
Great pool, fully-equiped house, from good beds to a well-stocked library in Danish, English, and some German books. Our DVD and CD collections are also available for viewing and listening. Sit in the lanai an evening with a major thunderstorm. Inside, yet outside, with Nature providing a lightshow with soundtrack, the thunder rolling to compete with the music while you chat together round the teak table.
Amenities
- Internet
- Pets Welcome
- Air Conditioning
- Swimming pool
- Accessible
- Heater
- Satellite or Cable
- Kids Welcome
- Washer & Dryer
- Parking
- TV
Bedrooms
- 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 10
- Bedroom 11 queen, 1 sleep sofa /futon, Futon is behind screen in massive bedroom
- Bedroom 21 queen
- Bedroom 31 queen, Two single futons available
- Master en suite bedroom features Danish designer bed and wardrobe, as well as build-in wardrobe. Tempur-pedic mattress. Large room containing desk and area with extra futon double bed, and 2 single futon chairs. Smaller children that want to be nearby can therefore have their own beds behind the screen, but in the same room.
Bathrooms
- 2 Bathrooms
- Bathroom 1toilet, combination tub/shower, En suite in master bedroom
- Bathroom 2toilet, combination tub/shower
- Each of the two bathrooms include tubs with showers, ample space in drawers and wardrobes for storage. Sliding glass 'Florida doors' for the shower areas.
Theme
- Adventure
- Away From It All
- Family
- Romantic
- Sports & Activities
- Tourist Attractions
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- Iron & Board
- Air Conditioning
- Garage
- Hair Dryer
- Heating
- Internet
- Clothes Dryer
- Linens Provided
- Living Room
- Parking
- Towels Provided
- Washing Machine
Kitchen
- Coffee MakerTassimo coffee machine, Italian espresso-maker, and caffetiere all available.
- Dishes & UtensilsIncludes two full sets of dishes, serving platters, trays, and everything needed for food making.
- DishwasherDishwasher.
- KitchenHuge kitchen includes garbage disposal, various coffee machines, gourmet selection of pots and pans. Two sets of china and flatware permit larger parties or guests to be invited.
- MicrowaveLarge microwave above stove with light and exhaust fan.
- OvenLarge oven
- Pantry ItemsToiletpaper, many spices, teas, condiments available. Tea and coffee selections when you arrive, just 'top it up' when you depart.
- RefrigeratorFrig-freezer upright. However, the ice-maker and water are from the city and the chlorine content is too high, so we have stopped water to ice-maker.
- StoveLarge stove and oven, electric coils.
- Toaster
Dining
- DiningIt is possible to dine at the breakfast bar (4 stools), the dining room or the lanai, as well as outside poolside, where there is a 4 place table and a round stone table under a parasol.
- Dining Area
- comfy seating for 12 people
Entertainment
- Books
- DVD Player
- Games
- Music Library
- Satellite / Cable
- Stereo
- Television
- Video Library
Outside
- Bicycles
- Deck / Patio
- GolfExcellent choice of golf courses, over 30 to choose from, the nearest only 3 miles away!
- Kayak / CanoeCan be hired in the county parks. HIGHLY recommended trips
- Lanai / Gazebo
- Lawn / Garden
- Outdoor GrillWeber charcoal grill, not gas.
- TennisSeveral areas within 5 miles
Suitability
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- smoking allowedOutside in the lanai or by the pool. NOT in the house!
- wheelchair accessibleLarge main double door allows access, sliding patio doors from kitchen and dining room to lanai. Bath with hand showerhead.
Pool / Spa
- Private Pool
Onsite Services
- Car Available
Attractions
- botanical garden
- churches
- cinemas
- health/beauty spa
- playground
- restaurants
- theme parks
- water parks
Leisure Activities
- bird watching
- boating
- horseback riding
- outlet shopping
- shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
- wildlife viewing
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- massage therapist
- medical services
Sports & Adventure Activities
- roller blading
- basketball court
- deepsea fishing
- fishing
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- hiking
- kayaking
- pier fishing
- cycling
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- snorkeling
- snorkeling/diving
- sound/bay fishing
- surf fishing
- swimming
- tennis
- wind-surfing
23 Reviews
Excellent4.6/5
1 - 6 of 23
Very nice house and pool. Quiet neighborhood.
5/5 Stayed Mar 2018
Lori D.
Lots of room for everyone. Enjoyed the pool and sun.
Submitted Apr 16, 2018
Owner's Response:
Thanks Lori! You're welcome back at any time!
James
Great family home!
5/5 Stayed May 2018
Linda H.
We were in town for my daughter’s college graduation. We had guests coming from out of town and many relatives local; having a central retreat was awesome! Everyone from my mom who is 78, to my great-niece who is 2, had a great time! The pool was awesome, the house super clean and well appointed, and the spacious layout was everything you’d want in a home away from home! I didn’t get to interact with the house manager (and that’s a good thing!) but every question to the property owner was quickly and thoroughly answered. I just wish I had found this before my daughter graduated.
Submitted May 18, 2018
Nice loication
5/5 Stayed Feb 2018
Lynda A.
Had a great time, house was huge. Convenient to everywhere. Would definitely stay again.
Submitted Feb 18, 2018
Owner's Response:
Thanks. So glad you enjoyed our house and you are always welcome back.
House was great, pool was not
3/5 Stayed Jun 2017
Jamie A.
The house itself was wonderful, as was the housekeeper. We had nothing but issues with the pool. It was green upon arrival, the filter wasn't working , then it flooded the neighbors yard. We had no pool for 5 days because the filter was broken. We were told pool man was coming he came days later and left a note that the wrong part was ordered. . We requested some type of refund due to the fact we had no pool for 5 days. The pool was the main reason we rented the property. The owner stopped responding to us.
Submitted Jul 18, 2017
Owner's Response:
Of course, I was unhappy to hear reports of the pool malfunctions. However, the pool man in fact been there the day they arrived and brushed down the pool walls and floor, cleaned the pool and balanced the chemicals. So my report from both the housekeeper and the poolman, is that there was a bit of cloudiness from the brushing, which is normal, but that this was explained to the tenants, and that the pool was otherwise clean and chemical balance was perfect. So not green at all.
Someone, and I simply cannot know who, played with the valves for the pool and pump and put it on drain(!) so that it cost me a fortune to replace the lost water. Now, I am in London and coordinating with two poolmen (as I had another come out, as "my" guy only comes once a week) and hear that this someone has opened the drain and been moving the valves, while the pump is running, damaging the filter valves, which needed replacing, another expense. Now I cannot know who was mucking the system up or causing the damage, but my reports from the poolmen and housekeeper are telling me one thing and the guests are telling me another. It was also reported that they used the pool all the time, including their dog, which was in it constantly. As the reports were so disparate and the last I hear was "we would like compensation", yes, I decided not to keep going back and forth with him. Rather than risk an argument, I just decided to assign a bit more weight to the information I was receiving from the poolmen and housekeeper. It is correct that when the parts arrived, they were incorrect, which really irritated me. But again, these things sometimes happen and I have two companies and a great housekeeper spending hours a day getting things done. ...and the pool was refilled immediately and in balance. So to claim that they did not use the pool for 5 days is not in agreement with the information I have from all other sources. What to say? And because the filter was out of the loop, does NOT make the pool unusable, as anyone with a pool knows.
Excellent for a Large Family!
5/5 Stayed May 2017
Sarah H.
This property was perfect for our large family's stay in Lakeland for a wedding. We had lots of room to spread out, the kitchen was well equipped for fixing meals and our kids slept much better than they would have in a hotel room. We are so grateful we were able to stay here!
Submitted Jun 10, 2017
The property is beautiful. We loved the house.
3/5 Stayed Jun 2017
Angela S.
The pool was not ready for swimming and very dirty. We were told that the pool man never showed but not to worry about the children swimming. It took some convincing but the property manager took a sample to be tested. She came back and said it was fine and told us how to clean the pool... This did not make us happy. Then came back with 2 containers of shock and told my mom how to shock it and said a pool guy would be out Tuesday. One of the main reason for renting the property was the pool for the kids. He never showed and we left the next day at 1:15 pm after receiving a phone call at11:30 asking us when we were leaving. I told her my email said check out is at 4 and she told me no its11. I said no...home away said 4. She said he is going to have to fix that. I thanked her and came home.
Submitted Jun 8, 2017
1 - 6 of 23
Location
Lakeland, FL, USA
Ideally situated in central Florida, with easy access to the known 'attractions,' like Disney, (50 minutes), Legoland (30 minutes), Bok Tower Gardens built on the highest point in Florida (40 minutes) the Tampa Bay areas many fine beaches and night-life, as well as the incredible nature that most tourists seem to miss. Paddle down the river in a canoe or kayak, viewing the birds, wildlife, and wild flowers. In Lakeland itself, the historic Polk theatre has live music, the university buildings are one of the largest collections of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings, the lake in town with many water-fowl and a running, cycling and skating path all round. Explore the old cobble-stone areas of the city center or play golf on one of the 30+ golf courses in Lakeland. Lakeland-Linder airport is home to the second largest fly-in and air show in the world, after Oshkosh. The museums at the airport satisfy the aviation interested. Are you a pilot, take your seaplane rating nearby. Radio-controlled pilots will also find a great field for their interests with many world-champion aircraft based in the area, as well as a manufacturer.
Compared to a hotel, in our well/equipped kitchen, you can save by preparing many of your meals, have a tea or coffee when it suits you, relax in your own pool or go for a quiet walk in the friendly residential area.
Rates & Availability
Taxes and fees are additional
Additional information about rental rates
Cleaning Fee
$120
Damage Insurance
$59