Comments
from Our Guests
Luisser family (August 2011)
We have had a lovely
time at your beautiful home! Enjoyed the pool and the lake with all the birds, turtles and fish. Hope to come back and visit soon.
Many Thanks - Ed,
Laurie, Kyle, Tyle, Aiden
Lord family (August 2011)
Fantastic to be back, if only for two weeks this time. Great to see the eagles on
our first morning. We’ve really
enjoyed relaxing by the pool – lovely and quiet. The new Dali museum (building and audio tour)
is a must! The kids really enjoyed
it. Snotty looked from Tropicana Fielt and the Rays were great – really good
atmosphere. Spent a
brilliant day at the MOSI in Tampa – very good museum. Holmes Beach is beautiful and the Key Lime
pie at the Beach House is as good as we remember it (twice!!). Good value shopping at Ellenton.
Another wonderful holiday – memorable for all the right reasons.
Martin, Liz, Millie,
Joe & Tomas
Moor family (July
2011)
Thank you very much
for letting us stay in your villa. We’ve had a lovely relaxing week. We’ve tried Bradenton Treasure Island, Siesta
Key and Holmes Beaches. Siesta Key got
the best vote as the sand is so soft and we had some good waves.
We’ve seen the
eagles and other wildlife on the lake and even had to wait for a turtle to
cross the road.
We have had lovely
meals at the Olive Garden and the Outback.
And we have “shopped ‘til we dropped” at Ellenton.
Many Thanks, Claire,
Paul, Oliver, Harry and Charlie
Renfrew family (June 2011)
We enjoyed our
holiday here in Bradenton. Weather has
been super. We would again recommend the
Olive Garden – but don’t take a starter (too much!). Can’t beat Bradenton Beach and have speny many happy hours there.
Smith family (May/June 2011)
A fantastic holiday in this lovely villa.
We can thoroughly
recommend The Dolphin Tour from St. Petersburg pier, Myakka State Park; Homasassa Springs Wildlife and Manatee Refuge. And not forgetting the Beach House restaurant
to watch the sun go down.
We loved every
minute we’ve been here
Thanks so much Olwen
& Brian
Kitney family (May 2011)
Another great stay
in your great villa! We never get tired
of the surroundings. We have had a
fantastic holiday and look forward to another stay here next year.
Janet and Trevor
Flynn/Hodgson families (May 2011)
Enjoyed the holiday. Loved the pool and view,
saw the eagles, turtles and fish. MOTE
Aquarium was excellent – a great day out.
The food at the Beach House is excellent. Weather very hot – 92F.
Deschamps family (April 2011)
As the chaperone for
three boys, I will say that this was an amazing trip. Thank you.
Woods family (April 2011)
We had a really
enjoyable stay here this week.
Highlights include the dolphin boat trip from the MOTE aquarium (near
Sarasota); kayaking with “Almost Heaven”
(also near Sarasota); the Myakka River State Park - lots of alligators; and Anna Marie Island
old pier which is a superb spot for shelling and where we were lucky enough to
see a family of dolphins fishing. We can
also recommend Peach’s for breakfast (near I-75 exit) and the Beach House at
Bradenton Beach in the evening.
Slagle Family (April 2011)
We enjoyed the house
and the pool. The beaches were great.
Phillips family
(January 2010 to March 2011)
We enjoyed our three
month stay here. The weather was
perfect!
John and Jo.
Bischoff Family (December 2010)
We enjoyed our stay
over the hoidays.
Wonderful space for all of us. We have been visiting the area for years and
enjoyed your home and the closeness being by other family members who were also
staying during the winter. Visited manu of our favourite places. Dinner at Joto’s Japanese
Steakhouse on out first night here (my favourite). We even caught a Justin Bieber
concert.
Thanks a million –
Don, Laure and Kids.
Brown family (November 2010)
Enjoyed our week here. Golf Very
Good.
Brian and Olwen (home owners – October 2010)
Another relaxing week by the pool in the glorious Florida sunshine. Weather very warm for October
J. Sampled some new
restaurants as well as the old favourites. As usual, Ellenton and Sarasota Square Mall
were visited
We hope you enjoy
your stay here.
Brian and Olwen
McDowell Family (October 2010)
The weather has been
fantastic – unusually hot for this time of year. Tried out some new places to eat and
shop. Thank you to Brian and Olwen for
letting us share your home with us
Frank and Pamela
Knight Family (September/October 2010)
Beautiful
house! So tranquil. Fantastic sunsets on Anna
Maria Island. We can recommend a
bottle of Moet at the Beach House Restaurant whilst watching the sun go
down! Also, can highly
recommend Canoe Escape on Hillsborough River. Saw loads of alligators and
wildlife – plus, not too expensive.
All in all, a very
relaxing holiday.
The Knights
Marsland Family (August/September 2010)
Had a great stay in this lovely villa. Combining our time between
the pool, Siesta Key and Disney.
Good location to access all on this part of the Gulf Coast. Enjoyed watching all the
wildlife on the lake.
Gould Family (July/August 2010)
We have had a lovely
stay in your villa. The weather has been
glorious wit only a couple of very impressive
storms! We have managed to shop, eat,
enjoy the pool and shop some more! A
perfect holiday!
Many thanks for the
use of your villa Brian and Olwen.
We hope to be back
some day.
Lindsay and Damian.
Renfrew family (June 2011)
We enjoyed our holiday here in
Bradenton. Weather has been super. We would again recommend the
Olive Garden – but don’t take a starter (too much!). Can’t beat Bradenton
Beach and have speny many happy hours there.
Smith family (May/June 2011)
A fantastic holiday in this lovely
villa.
We can thoroughly recommend The Dolphin
Tour from St. Petersburg pier, Myakka State Park; Homasassa Springs Wildlife
and Manatee Refuge. And not forgetting the Beach House restaurant to
watch the sun go down.
We loved every minute we’ve been here
Thanks so much Olwen & Brian
Kitney family (May 2011)
Another great stay in your great
villa! We never get tired of the surroundings. We have had a
fantastic holiday and look forward to another stay here next year.
Janet and Trevor
Flynn/Hodgson families (May 2011)
Enjoyed the holiday. Loved the pool
and view, saw the eagles, turtles and fish. MOTE Aquarium was excellent –
a great day out. The food at the Beach House is excellent. Weather
very hot – 92F.
Deschamps family (April 2011)
As the chaperone for three boys, I will say
that this was an amazing trip. Thank you.
Woods family (April 2011)
We had a really enjoyable stay here this
week. Highlights include the dolphin boat trip from the MOTE aquarium
(near Sarasota); kayaking with “Almost Heaven” (also near Sarasota); the
Myakka River State Park - lots of alligators; and Anna Marie Island old
pier which is a superb spot for shelling and where we were lucky enough to see
a family of dolphins fishing. We can also recommend Peach’s for breakfast
(near I-75 exit) and the Beach House at Bradenton Beach in the evening.
Slagle Family (April 2011)
We enjoyed the house and the pool.
The beaches were great.
Phillips family (January 2010 to March 2011)
We enjoyed our three month stay here.
The weather was perfect!
John and Jo.
Bischoff Family (December 2010)
We enjoyed our stay over the hoidays.
Wonderful space for all of us. We have been visiting the area for years
and enjoyed your home and the closeness being by other family members who were
also staying during the winter. Visited manu of our favourite
places. Dinner at Joto’s Japanese Steakhouse on out first night here (my
favourite). We even caught a Justin Bieber concert.
Thanks a million – Don, Laure and Kids.
Brown family (November 2010)
Enjoyed our week here. Golf Very
Good.
Brian and Olwen (home owners – October 2010)
Another relaxing week by the pool in the
glorious Florida sunshine. Weather very warm for October J. Sampled
some new restaurants as well as the old favourites. As usual, Ellenton
and Sarasota Square Mall were visited
We hope you enjoy your stay here.
Brian and Olwen
McDowell Family (October 2010)
The weather has been fantastic – unusually
hot for this time of year. Tried out some new places to eat and
shop. Thank you to Brian and Olwen for letting us share your home with us
Frank and Pamela
Knight Family (September/October 2010)
Beautiful house! So tranquil.
Fantastic sunsets on Anna Maria Island. We can recommend a bottle of Moet
at the Beach House Restaurant whilst watching the sun go down! Also, can
highly recommend Canoe Escape on Hillsborough River. Saw loads of
alligators and wildlife – plus, not too expensive.
All in all, a very relaxing holiday.
The Knights
Marsland Family (August/September 2010)
Had a great stay in this lovely
villa. Combining our time between the pool, Siesta Key and Disney.
Good location to access all on this part of the Gulf Coast. Enjoyed
watching all the wildlife on the lake.
Gould Family (July/August 2010)
We have had a lovely stay in your
villa. The weather has been glorious wit only a couple of very impressive
storms! We have managed to shop, eat, enjoy the pool and shop some
more! A perfect holiday!
Many thanks for the use of your villa Brian
and Olwen.
We hope to be back some day.
Lindsay and Damian.
Wilson Family (June to July 2010)
It is never easy to
travel with four small kids, but this beautiful home made it simple! The kids would have been thrilled to be in
the pool all day every day! We enjoyed
Siesta Key,
We had a awesome week!
Thank you for
sharing your lovely home.
Stevens Family (May to June 2010)
Lovely villa! Well equipped.
Saw the eagles, fish
and turtles in the lake. We can
recommend the Outback on
We hope to be back
next year!
Williams Family (April to May 2010)
A big thank you to
Brian dn Olwen for letting
us stay in their villa at short notice.
We were the last flight to be cancelled back to the
Out three week
holiday turned into five and a half weeks!
Brilliant.
Thank you!
Neal Family (April 2010)
Absolutely Glorious!
What a wonderful
villa and a wonderful location. It was
so lovely to enjoy our meals outside by the water and watch the wildlife
too. The kids adored the pool and spend
most of their time by it or in it. We
enjoyed the quiet of the evenings and the peacefulness of it. The Beach House restaurant was a fabulous
dining experience.
Thank you so much
for the use of your home.
Mukerji Family (April 2010)
We loved our two
weeks here and enjoyes adventures all around the
area. Loved the
Ringling Museum and Sarasota Jungle Gardens. Village of the Arts was great as was
Weather was superb
and now back to a very early spring in
Robinson Family (February to April 2010)
What a fabulous
holiday! We were on-the-go every
day! Can you imagine three NHL hockey
games, one baseball game,
We visited friends doen at
We loved returning
each day to the lovely house, pool and lake.
Just a perfect
Vacation!!!
Gore-Brown Family (December 2009 to January 2010)
We enjoyed Christmas
and New Year here – our second time in
The DeRitter Family (November 2009)
We had a great month
here. Pool great! Bonefish Grill, Stonewood Grill and Outback as good as last year. We played golf three times a week. Walked Siesta Key Beach
three times a week. Weather has
been good on the whole. Great holiday!
Olwen and Brian (homeowners – October 2009)
We had a great week
with friends here. Weather has been
fantastic (90F on Thursday and Friday).
As usual, there was plenty of shopping and eating out. We spent a lot of time in the pool and just
relaxing. The only thing is that a week
is not long enough!
Frank & Pamela (October 2009)
A wonderful time had
by all! The weather was fantastic (there
was a bit of a heat wave). In the pool every day.
Eating out every day. Shopping most days. What a wonderful life. Looking forward to our next
visit.
Pammy and Frank
Tom, Rosemary and Andrew Manson; Kirsty
and Katelyn Fielding (September 2009)
After a busy week at
Disney it was great to come to Brian and Olwen’s to
relax. We enjoyed the pool and Katelyn
especially liked to go fishing with her daddy at the lake. Shopped at Ellenton,
International Plaza at Tampa and Sarasota Square Mall. Enjoyed eating at the Stonewood Grill and the Cheesecake Factory in Tampa. Had some BBQs. Ask the butcher at Publix for the ground
sirloin steak burgers – superb!
Martin, Liz, Joe, Millie, Tomas Lord (August 2009)
Thank you for
sharing your wonderful home which exceeded all expectations. Three weeks of fun, excitement and quiet for
all. Week one was spent relaxing and
exploring the local area. Week two –
mini break to Orlando – Universal, Kennedy – but no Disney for us. Week three – a return to
here. Gamble
We will take home
some lovely memories of a terrific family holiday.
Thank you Brian and Olwen – from the Lords.
Sullivan / Rice families –
We had a wonderful
time in your home! The kids really
enjoyed the pool. Also, the master
shower is great! We spent two days at
Lowry’s Park Zoo in
Brown family (
Had a great week in your house. Loved
the pool and shower in master bedroom. Great neighbors!
Van Horn family (June 2009)
Thank you so much
for renting us your home this week. We had a great week, went to many beaches,
but enjoyed
Bettina and Thomas Hick (
Very well equipped and clean house. We enjoyed some relaxing
hours at the pool, however it was quite a rainy time.
We mainly came for playing golf which we enjoyed tremendously. Our favourite
courses are “Waterlefe Golf and River Club” and “
Renfrew and Pettigrew families (
Lovely house and it as a pleasure to holiday here. So many
enjoyable meals sitting outside by the pool, watching the wildlife. This
was an education in itself. Thanks Brian and Olwen for making this possible. If
you are looking for a good beach, look no further than
Firn Family (
Had a great 2 weeks in your villa. Our grandson enjoyed
feeding the fish, turtles and all the different birds. Eagles flew over on
several occasions. Our son got married on Siesta Key beach, the beach and
people were fantastic. Many thanks.
Martin and Jolanta Schildroth
(April 2009)
We had a great time
at your villa. Used the pool almost every day. Went to
the beach, shopping, Busch Gardens etc. All in all a very
enjoyable time.
Pam & Larry Plescher (March 2009)
We had another great
vacation her in
Bickerton family (February 2009)
Fabulous time at
your house, pool was most enjoyable and wildlife around lake was awesome.
Highly recommend Mangrove Grill in Palmetto. Thanks for a great week.
Doyley/Woods family - Cleethorpes,
Had lovely week. Villa spacious and well equipped. Enjoyed lovely
outlook over lake. Cold snap first half of week which
was disappointing especially after hot week in Orlando. However, weather
improved last few days and we enjoyed use of the pool. Lovely beaches,
The
Had a lovely stay at your villa. The weather was good
so we really enjoyed relaxing at the pool. Watched a
beautiful sunset from the Beach House restaurant while enjoying a pleasant
meal. But the nicest meal was at the Sun House restaurant.
Thanks for the use
of your villa,
Alex and Nessa
The Haacke family (September 2008)
What a superb villa
with lots of space and equipment. Really enjoyed the
outstanding views of the wildlife (eafle couple
catching fish, huge turtles and rare species of birds). Amazingly beautiful beaches (specifically Holmes Beach).
Definitely a place to remember and to come back to.
This is a place that
you can call home. Superb holiday.
Thanks
Dick, Carrie, Piefer, Robin, Patricia (the
The Oldfield family (August 2008)
Not sure where to
start really. We have just this minute shared our breakfast with one of
the pair of American Bald Eagles just outside the pool, eating his huge catch
(around 10lb). Being nature lovers this was to be one of the most amazing
moments of our lives!!! A lake full of wonderful creatures and a few feet
away – turtles the size of coffee tables. The eagles fly past every
morning. The pool was amazing. The house was beautiful and very
large. We saw the sunsets on
Thank you Brian & Olwen for the lease of your wonderful home.
The Maclean family (August 2008)
The whole family had a marvelous time in
The villa was excellent. Well located, nice and quiet and fully equipped.
Many thanks a again
Shirley, Andy,
Andrew and Lauren
The Mclernon family (June 2008)
We had a great time just relaxing by the
pool and the beach, we had already spent a week in
The
A superb vacation in an excellent villa. Loved
the views over the lake. Thought
Hopefully back soon!
The Bailey family (April / May 2008)
Hi Brian and Olwen
Thoroughly enjoyed out stay at the villa which is spacious and well
equipped with a very good outlook. Bangkok Tokyo is a very god Thai-Chinese-Japanese restaurant at
the SR70/I75 junction. Also enjoyed going down to the beach café on
June & Colin Bailey
The
Hi Brian and Olwen,
Many thanks for letting us rent your
delightful villa. The view from the pool was wonderful with all the wildlife, I enjoyed many early morning teas out there.
The boys made friends with the children next door and even the pool guy
recommended a beach for shell collecting.
We had a wonderful time and as always, will
have great memories to recall.
Thank you also for business cards- someone
at school has already asked about our stay in your villa. We will certainly
return to your villa if on the Gulf coast.
Many thanks again, Karen, Ivan and family
The Price family (March 2008)
Hi Brian
We had a great holiday,
it was a bit of a shock to arrive back at Gatwick in a snowstorm though.
I know that you get a lot of repeat clients
as we couldn't get your villa last year so thought it best to start thinking
about next year now.
We would like to know if the villa is
available either 7th till 21st of March or 14th till 28th March.
It's frightening to plan so far ahead but
we don't want to miss out again.
Thank you
Diane Price
The Plescher family
(February 2008)
Mr. Ditty
Pam and I liked your home in
Thanks for the use of you house and we hope
we can use it again soon.
Pam and Larry
The Winkler family (February 2008)
Hello Brian and Olwen,
I hope that you are well. This Easter
found my family enjoying my parents pictures of their
Thank you,
Sue Winkler
The Petley family
(December 2007)
Hi Brian and Olwen,
We had a great stay in
Regards
Paul
The Gray family (December 2007)
Hi Brian,
Just a brief note to say thank you for the
use of the villa, we had a marvelous break and came home ready to face
Christmas.
Once again, thank you sincerely and we will
be in touch next time we visit
Have a great new year
Regards
Conrad
The McDowell & Robinson families
(November 2007)
We had a great week,
especially the time at the pool. Stonewood on
Thanks for a great
time.
Frank, Pamela, Arnie & Jenny
The Bishop family (November 2007)
Hello Brian, we had a great holiday, the
house was very nice.
Thank you, Helen
The Good family (September / October
2007)
Hi Brian and Olwen,
Thanks for renting the house to us. It was
a great place to vacation! We loved it and will be telling out friends
and family about it. It is getting cooler up north and we already miss the
See ya,
Mark and lisa
The Harding family (August 2007)
Hi Brian and Olwen
We had a fabulous holiday and the villa was
great thanks.
Thanks again - we had a great holiday and
thoroughly enjoyed our rest!.
The Rose family (August 2007)
Dear Brian and Olwen,
Thank you so much we really enjoyed our
week at the villa. We saw the bald eagles every day, which was
wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed the pool too. We loved Cafe Ezra,
which was a new one for us and the Bonefish Grill. We managed to get to
the Cheesecake Factory in
Best wishes
Julia
The Brooks family (July 2007)
Hi! We had a fantastic time on our
vacation. The villa was perfect for us. Everyone enjoyed the pool,
especially our three year old son. There was plenty to do and see during
our stay. I think everyone agreed that we could certainly vacation there
again sometime.
Again, thanks for everything.
Cheers,
Will
The Ettore family
(July 2007)
Your place was wonderful, as
expected... Clean, comfortable and like home.
The boys didn't do very well with the
baseball tournament, but they did great on the wave runners at
The Schulman family (June 2007)
Thanks for allowing
us to use your villa. Everything was great from the weather to the beaches. We
enjoyed
The Haacke family
(June 2007)
Everything was
wonderful! The house is gorgeous, the pool is lovely overlooking the lake, and
we had a good time exploring
The McDowell family (May 2007)
Glad to be back –
it’s been a long time since Oct 06. Looking forward to Oct
07.
The villa was
lovely, the pool was lovely, the eating was lovely,
the sun was lovely. Can’t wait to come back.
Siesta Key’s the place to be.
The Robinson family (May 2007)
Have really enjoyed
our stay in your lovely villa – very spacious and well equipped, and our 4 boys
enjoyed your pool very much. Have stayed in Orlando for the
past 9 years and this made a really nice change. Visited
The Chase family (April 2007)
Our second stay. Enjoyed the pool and ice creams at Joe’s on Bradenton Beach.
Children don’t want to go home and nor do we! Keep an eye out for the eagles
around the lake – a very special treat to see them “fishing”.
The Russell family (April 2007)
Weather was great. Enjoyed your home – especially the heated pool and accessories.
Tried every beach around. Siesta Key is great if you
like sugar sand and a large crowd.
Thanks for a great
week. Back to 25F in Ohio.
The Brown family (March 2007)
Villa was terrific!
Pool was wonderful!
Definitely recommend
the heating. Lazy Lobster on Lockwood Ridge and Johnny Carinos on
The Croft family (February 2007)
This was our second
visit to your home and once again we have enjoyed it very much.
Thank you!
The Vanderwoude family (February 2007)
Hi Brain and Olwen,
Thanks for your email. I've been meaning to email you but have never gotten
around to it yet. Well thanks so much for the use of your villa. We really
enjoyed ourselves. The house was great. We found it quite "homey"
compared to another one that we seen in the subdivision where family of ours
was staying. Our daughter loved the pool so much that we couldn't get her
dressed fast enough to go in and it was fight to get her out every time. The pool
guy was also a very nice guy, very friendly.
We had went out to Sarasota Jungle gardens one day and the
was really nice to see. We ate out a couple times but for the rest just
cooked at home. Something I enjoy.
We look forward to possibly renting it again in the future. We really enjoyed
ourselves and your villa. The view was also very beautiful of the lake and
wildlife.
Thanks so much, and hope to hear back from you soon.
The Judd party (January 2007)
Hello Brian & Olwen
We had a terrific time in Bradenton/Sarasota. Your villa was very nice and
comfortable. The weather was also excellent with plenty of sunshine and 70/80
temperatures. We played golf everyday on some great golf courses. I have been
going to this area of
Best Regards,
The
Hi Brian & Olwen
Happy New Year. We had a great holiday and
found everything in the villa to be perfect. Hope your agent (who did actually
fail to return any of the messages I left her) found we had left the
villa clean and tidy.
Our 3 year old loved the pool and spent
several hours in it every morning before we dragged him out somewhere for the
afternoon. The location was ideal for getting out and about in the area and we
all loved Siesta beach.
Regards
The Day family (December 2006 / January 2007)
Hi Brian,
We are watching the snow fall here, and
remembering the almost record breaking temperatures we had in
We left a note in your visitors book and
commented on where we ate, and where we went. We saw the bald eagle several
times and had fun watching the other birds around the little lake.
Thanks for the great holiday location. We
really had a good time.
Sincerely,
The Day Family
The Gayler family (November 2006)
Dear Brian & Olwen,
Thank you for your E Mail. We had a very nice Holiday , we were very
lucky with the weather nice and sunny most days , we got to the beach a few
times, made good use of the pool, saw lots of different wild birds around the
Lake and we managed to do all our Christmas shopping once we had searched out
where all the shops were located.
Regards & Merry Christmas,
The Jacobs family (November 2006)
Hello Brian/Olwen
We both had a brilliant holiday in your Villa, and do not want to be back in the
real world of work! We could not have asked for more as we found you home
a very relaxing one, With all the mod cons. You could wish for - kitchen was
especially well equipped.
Only wish we could have spent more than two weeks as it goes so quickly!!
The Duxbury family (October 2006)
We love your area, so we had a great time.
The house was beautifully clean and tidy--in fact it seemed a shame to use it.
We enjoyed sitting by the pool, watching the eagles and found everything very
comfortable. The weather was beautiful all the time we were there and we
really did have a lovely time.
The Randall family (October 2006)
Hi Brian & Olwen,
Just a brief note to thank you for the hire
of your lovely villa.
We had an idyllic time and very much
enjoyed staying at your
Everything was perfect especially the
weather. No rain for 2 weeks just sunshine.
Once again very many thanks
Linda and Dave
The Ethelston family (August/September 2006)
Hi Brian,
We had a great holiday thanks. The flight out to the
York
The villa was fabulous and very clean when we got there, which was great, and
we had plenty of things to do for the nearly 3 weeks that we were there.
Thanks,
The
Hi Brian!
What a fantastic time we had. We were considering just staying, but decided
perhaps we should come home after all! Having said that, we made it back the
day before the security chaos, so we are really grateful!
We loved the house (and the pool, I am amazed the girls didn't dissolve away,
they spent so long in it!). My youngest was still afraid of the water when we
arrived, but is now a confident swimmer. We also loved the wildlife both at the
house and about. The dolphins and manatees came to swim with us whilst we at
the beach, and we also loved the turtles, pelicans and other critters. My
eldest was delighted to see an alligator, but this was just at Busch gardens,
so no risk to life or limb there!
The trip allowed me to meet up with my cousins I haven't seen for 20 years and
for my girls to meet their 2nd cousins. We were treated to a wedding on the
beach at sunset (my dad is a minister and flew over to perform the
ceremony) so all in all it was a memorable trip.
Thanks for letting us use the house. It was so well equipped there was nothing
we needed that wasn't there!
We are already hoping to return..........................
Best wishes,
Fiona, Lizzie, Ellie and Alice
The
Greetings from the
Steve and Wanda Davis
The
Brain and Olwen,
Thank you for your email - we got back this
morning. We all thoroughly enjoyed the week in
The time we spent was a relaxing and much
needed break - thank you for all your help.
Best regards,
The Kitney family (April/May 2006)
Dear Brian,
We've just got back from another excellent two weeks in
The villa was superb!
Janet and I were discussing our holiday
next year, and we would really like to make use of your villa again if that's
possible. We would like to go out for a month (or four weeks
I guess) and wonder what rent you would want for that sort of period. Dates
would be mid-April to mid-May (ish) though no firm
dates as yet.
I look forward to your reply.
Thanks again
The Petley family (April 2006)
We had a great time thank you very much.
The villa is lovely and nice and quiet. We also made use of the tennis courts,
in fact we have left two rackets there for your/other people's use as we bought
two new ones whilst we were out there.
Thanks again and enjoy your next trip Best
wishes.
The Goeppinger family (March 2006)
My family and I would like to thank
you for renting us your beautiful villa. This is the second time
renting from you and once again, we were not disappointed! The location
of the house is just beautiful. By staying in your villa for just one
week, we were able to visit three different beaches in the area. There
are many wonderful seafood restaurants as well. Our favorite seafood
restaurant was the Bonefish Grill. They really have quality seafood!
Thank you once again for making our family vacation a most memorable one!
The Goeppinger
Family
The Horrisberger family (March 2006)
We had an exceptional time in Florida. We
had many plans to re-visit local hot spots in Bradenton, Tampa, and Sarasota,
but found ourselves drawn to the pool. We spent many a day lounging around and
swimming and playing tennis. We did get out to the beach on one day, but having
the accommodations that we did it was so much nicer to be able to splash around
in the pool with the children. The Sabal Harbour
neighborhood is very nice, peaceful, and very well located. We will definitely
be visiting again. In fact all the relatives that came to visit absolutely
loved the place. So I may be inquiring about the possibility of renting for a
longer period of time to divide between our cousins that always stay in the
area to visit our Grandfather. I will contact you later about that, but we had
a wonderful time and can't wait to visit again.
The Price family (March 2006)
We had a fantastic holiday. We
thought that the villa was lovely, so much so that we would like to book it for
next year as David wants to complete his America flying licence
at Sarasota Airport.
I know that you are on holiday at the
moment and there is no hurry but we would like to know if the villa is
available for 2 weeks in March next year.
I expect you get a lot of people who
want to return, and I know its a long time to go but we don't want to
miss out on it.
David took a couple
of photographs of the villa from the air when he went flying and when he
had downloaded them I forward a copy to you.
Enjoy you holiday and I hope to hear from
you soon.
The Croft family (February 2006)
Hi Brian. Sue and I have enjoyed our
month here, which has gone all too quickly. You have a beautiful home.
We are starting to make our plans for next
year, and are trying to combine our stay with a cruise. We would
like to know if you would give us first refusal to rent for Feb 2007, until we
have our dates organised, and if so let us know what
the price will be.
Many thanks.
The Hoskins family (January 2006)
We are now home from our lovely holiday in
the Bahamas/ Florida, and already making plans to return next year to the
Fort Lauderdale & Fort Myers areas of Florida this time.
We had a most enjoyable stay at your villa,
We will be in touch if we need a villa in
the Sarasota area again, and will of course recommend you to our friends &
family
The Cooper family (January 2006)
We had a really relaxing time in your villa
and found it very comfortable and well equipped. I just loved your 'Palm'
crockery. I found something similar in Bealls
and wished I could have brought it home with me - it would have gone
brilliantly with my kitchen decor.
We swam and exercised in the pool every day
except the Sunday which was quite windy. It was the first time we had had
a pool cover on a roller and it was so much easier to use.
Apart from two afternoons out - one to go
to the Ellenton Mall and one to the beaches - we spent most of the time around
the villa reading and relaxing. In fact we were so comfortable we only
went out twice to eat, once to Outback which we know quite well from our
Orlando holidays and once to Applebees which was a
new experience for us. We had excellent meals in both places.
I hope you have a successful letting year.
The Evans family (November 2005)
Thanks for your email last week to see how
our holiday was.
We did have a lovely time and the villa was
great. It really was everything we hoped for and had all the facilities
we wanted.
Thanks
The Bindi family (October 2005)
We had a fabulous holiday and were bowled
over by Florida, it was our best holiday ever. We were just looking at the
photos today and smiling all over again.
Thank you so much for the loan of your
home, it was very comfy and well fitted.
The Devenport family (October 2005)
We have just returned from your villa in
Bradenton and forgot to leave feedback in the book. It is lovely, had
everything we needed and more. We visited the Cafe on the Beach a couple
of times to watch the sunset - spectacular - cheap food and the entertainment
was fun. We also found Albertsons (10 mins away
on Lockwood Ridge road) to be the best supermarket. We went to the Village of
the Arts and the Red Barn which I found very interesting, but the rest of the
family don't share my enthusiasm for markets!
Thank you for the loan of the house.
The Barnshaw family (September 2005)
We had a really lovely relaxing week at
Sabal Harbour, after the more energetic 9 days spent in
Orlando! The villa was very comfortable, spacious,
exceptionally clean and pleasantly decorated and furnished. The
location was superb as it didn't take long to reach all the places of interest,
beaches and restaurants.
We really loved Holmes Beach on Anna Maria
Island and the boys had lots of fun fishing from the piers on the island and
also from the pier of the old bridge.
One of the highlights of the week was
watching one of the bald eagles fly across the lake while I was eating my
breakfast by the pool!
If we decide to return to Bradenton at some
time in the future we would love to rent your villa again and
will definitely recommend it to others.
The Leighton family (September 2005)
We had an excellent family holiday. The
beaches were superb & very quiet. We have been to Florida many times, so we
knew what to expect re shopping & dining. Bradenton provided all we needed
with a good mall & good restaurants, with the obligatory Walmart & their "happy to hinder" staff (its
the same in every one we have ever been in). Publix & KashnKarry
have much more pleasant & helpful staff. We had an excellent base
to travel south to Venice & Sarasota, (which we loved from
previous visits) & Tampa & St.Petersburg
to the north. Busch gardens was better than ever (it was pretty quiet & a
short afternoon storm cooled the day off nicely). The baseball was fabulous
this year (I've advised everyone to go in your visitors book), its the
quintessential American experience & its cheap to get in, so the whole
family can have fun for just a few dollars.
The Holland family (August 2005)
Having spent the first week of our holiday
‘doing’ Disney it was wonderful to be able to relax in your beautiful
home. The villa itself was perfect, very well looked after but also with
lots of homely touches. Our grandson appointed himself electric garage
door ‘opener and shutter’ and heaven help anyone else who tried to touch that
button.
But the really special thing about the villa was being able to sit by the pool
and watch all the wildlife. We were extremely fortunate and saw the bald
eagle fish in the lake three mornings running. It was also very
well placed for us - being able to drive in one direction and visit beautiful
Anna Maria Island but drive in the other direction up the interstate freeway
and have our shopping injection at the Ellenton Outlet Shopping Centre – such
bargains! It’s as well we brought half empty suitcases.
Thanks again
Wilma, Bill, Samantha and Kane
The Leighton family (August 2005)
The beaches were superb & very quiet.
We have been to Florida many times, so we knew what to expect re shopping &
dining. Bradenton provided all we needed with a good mall & good
restaurants, with the obligatory Walmart. Publix
& KashnKarry. We had an excellent base
to travel south to Venice & Sarasota, (which we loved from
previous visits) & Tampa & St.Petersburg
to the north. Busch gardens was better than ever (it was pretty quiet & a
short afternoon storm cooled the day off nicely). The baseball was fabulous
this year (I've advised everyone to go in your visitors book), its the
quintessential American experience & its cheap to get in, so the whole
family can have fun for just a few dollars.
The Ewing family (July 2005)
Just a note to thank you very much for the
use of your villa for the first week of our holiday. We had a great week , your
villa was lovely, our second time to Sabal Harbour
and a much better villa! It was so relaxing to sit and look over the water at
the back (Kids loved the fish and turtles there), so peaceful and they loved
the pool too. We have been to a few Florida villas and yours comes near the top
(if not top) of our list of good ones.
So once again thank you and hopefully we may be able to return there
sometime soon.
The Budinger and Drake Families (June 2005)
Our stay has been great. The house
had everything we could possibly need away from home. We definitely will
come back. Our children awoke, rolled out of bed and jumped into the pool
almost every day. We enjoyed the wildlife and even spotted the bald eagle
once! Our favorite local was, very casual dining spot was the Rod 'n'
Reel located on the Rod 'n' Reel Pier on Anna Marie Island. The seafood
was so good!!
Thank you Brian & Olwen for the use of your comfortable home. Happy
4th of July!
The Bowen Family (June 2005)
Thank you for a wonderful vacation!
Our bows 8 1/2 and 5 1/2 enjoyed the pool - it was hard to tear them away to do
other things. As a family, we really enjoyed the miniature golf at
the "Smuggler's Cove" and "Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise" in
Clearwater.
The Thompson Family (May / June 2005)
Arrived from Kissimmee area. Enjoying
wildlife around the lake. We've been to Siesta Key / Holmes / Coquina and
Anna Maria beaches.
Thanks for letting us stay in your beautiful villa & use of the pool.
Hope to come again (soon if possible!)
The Waite & Kitney families (May 2005)
Great villa, hot pool, recommend the pool
heating. The wildlife around the lake is stunning - look out for the pair
of bald eagles. Good eateries - watch out for the sunset at the Beach
House restaurant. Also Applebees on
SR-70. De Soto Mall for a varied selection of shops. Great beaches
north od Anna Maria Island - take a parasol and the
loungers in the garage as you will need some shade. Take time to visit
Myakka State Park for an up close view of gators and other wildlife.
We had a fantastic time and would love to come back to your villa again.
Many thanks to you Brian and Olwen.
The Pelletier Family (April 2005)
Family of five visiting Bradenton for the
first time. Enjoying the beaches and the pool. We recommend Holmes
Beach on Anna Maria Island - more sand than shells. Weather was fantastic
- 80 plus for 7 days!
House very nice - well kept. Thank you!
The Chandler Family (April 2005)
The house was light and specious and
spotlessly clean. The pool was as warm as a bath on arrival and received plenty
of use. Our three year old daughters swam their first "width"
here, so the house will always be in our family's folklore.
The South Florida Museum, aquarium and planetarium gives a fascinating insight
into ancient Florida but a must-see is "Snooty" - the oldest manatee
known in the world. It is on 10th Street W. Bradenton opposite the town
hall and municipal police station. We enjoyed the peace and tranquillity of the Marie Selby Gardens, Sarasota - but
also found the Ringling Museum and C'Zar D'An House very interesting.
The Wrighting Family (April 2005)
Dear Brian and family just to say thank you
for renting us your wonderful villa in Bradenton. The villa was perfect clean,
spacious, quiet and the pool superb it was a real effort to leave at the end of
the holiday. For a cloudy day we can recommend the Ringling Museum in
Sarasota which passed a very pleasant afternoon.
The Sukoneck Family (March 2005)
Your house was unbelievably clean &
spacious with detailed instructions throughout the house. The pool was fabulous
and it was worth every penny to have the pool heated for late March. Since we
are building our own home less than a mile away, we learned an awful lot from
staying in yours and seeing how organized everything was. The location was
convenient and restaurants nearby were plentiful. One not mentioned by any of
your guests is our favorite "Ezra's", which is about 20 minutes
northwest of your home.
Thanks again Barry
The Hill Family (March 2005)
Hi Olwen and Brian
We enjoyed a nice week in your beautiful
villa, despite the weather being a bit below par. We spent a part of one day on
the beach at Siesta Key. One overcast day we drove south, had lunch at Fort
Myers then plodded on to Naples where we had an hour on the beach before
returning. One rainy day we visited the Dali museum in the morning and the
Retail Outlets in the afternoon. Some days, when it was dry and warm, we just
laid down by the pool (or went in!).
All in all we enjoyed our stay and would
book again if we were to stay in that region of Florida.
Many thanks
The Liestman Family (March 2005)
Good morning Brian and Olwen-- nice to hear
from you!
We had a wonderful time in Bradenton--feel
very fortunate to have had such a lovely, comfortable, and immaculate home, to
spend 3 fun filled weeks in. Thank you both, for allowing us the use
of your villa--we found it to be everything we had hoped it would be.
We did go out to the Beach House--thank you
for recommending it to us. The food was delicious and the sunset,
beautiful. One day was spent in St. Petersburg--we went on a dolphin
sighting cruise. One day was spent in St. Petersburg--we went on a dolphin
sighting cruise--managed to film the dolphins on our camcorder however catching
them on my 35 mm. camera proved to be not quite as easy. We also drove
over to Sarasota, and did some shopping which we ALWAYS enjoy. One day
the four of us drove over to the Siesta Key beach--such a beautiful
place. Another day we drove down to the Naples area, and
toured the Everglades, airboat ride and all, seeing many alligators,
manatees, even wild boars !
Many wonderful memories--again thanks to
you for allowing us the use of your home. We thoroughly
enjoyed it and I am sure that future families will find it to be every bit as
wonderful -- the area is so peaceful as well as beautiful.
Our best wishes to you both.
The Bradlee Family (January to March 2005)
Hi Brian- We had a great vacation - enjoyed
the view from the villa. The house was very comfortable and we loved the
beaches especially Siesta Key (which we had enjoyed last year). Carrabba's is a good restaurant, besides the ones already
mentioned by others (it's on Cortez Road). We enjoyed looking for the
eagles.
Thanks- Dot Bradlee
The Hodkinson Family (December/January 2004/5)
Hello & Happy New Year
Well we're back from a great holiday &
thanks very much for the use of your lovely home. It's difficult getting into
the drudge of work & our rubbish weather.
Lots of things to do out there and we have
left a message in the visitors book.
All in all though we had a great holiday
& have recommended your villa to a friend already....thanks very much.
Best Regards
The Litmanen Family (December 2004)
Hi Brian and Olwen - thank you once again
to let us rent your beautiful villa.
We had great time back in Bradenton and we really can suggest the place to
other visitors too. Unfortunately we had to leave as early as in Thursday
because our friends from Finland wanted to experience Orlando too (visited
there couple of times our family would have rather stayed in Bradenton, but
...).
Within the days we spent there we visited
in Anna Maria Island (we saw a beautiful xmas parade
there !!), Sarasota (Armand Circle shops of course), Myakka River, Ellenton and
couple of other places which names I have forgotten.
Very exotic in our point of view were the beautiful x-mas decorations your neighbours have put out. We walked couple of times after
dark inside the Sabal Harbour area and this
overwhelming decoration enthusiasm was really something that none of us have
never experienced. By the way - we voted your closest neighbours'
decorations as the winner because (among other things) they have added music in
their decoration too !!!
Weather was great (days 75-80 F )and we
found the marvellous pool very useful (heating was
good option because the nights were relatively cold). Villa was in perfect
condition and I hope that you find that we really tried to leave it in the same
state it was before we arrived.
In conclusion our holiday in Bradenton was above all expectations and we really
do hope that we can return in Sabal Harbour some day
!!!
Best Regards
The Buon Family (November 2004)
Good afternoon Brian and Olwen, Just a
quick note to say thanks for the use of your lovely home in Bradenton. We found
it very clean and comfy. We had great weather high 70's only rained once. We
came back to snow, not so great. Loved watching the eagles. My daughter found a
friend, one of the egrets came to see her on several occasions.
We are now looking forward to taking another visit back next year.
The Hodgson Family (October 2004)
We have had a lovely relaxing week in your
lovely villa where there is everything for a very relaxing break after a very
busy week in Orlando! We enjoyed the wildlife on the lake, especially
“Baldy” (as we named him) the Bald Eagle. He was on the grass by the pool
when we got up one morning and we managed to catch him on video! Busch
Gardens was ace! Dave and Ben enjoyed playing golf. The villa is
very well situated for the beautiful beaches and the sunsets are fabulous
- definitely the highlight of my holiday.
Thanks for the use of your lovely home – we
certainly have some wonderful memories of our first visit to America.
The Kooi Family (September 2004)
Beautiful!
The Hagan Family (August 2004)
We have had a wonderful 2 weeks – packed in
lots of good food (Carrabbas is great. The Beach
House is excellent for the view of the sunset, Applebees
is very good, but be careful of ordering your beers – you get 2 for 1!)Busch
Gardens is a great day out. MOTE Aquarium and the boat trip are also
great. We saw lots of wildlife. The villa is lovely and so easy to
manage everything. All in all, a great holiday.
The Law Family (August 2004)
Our Trip to Florida
There was Eleanor and Marv, big Adrian and
Bert,
Together with wee Eenie
and Don,
They came from afar, arrived in two cars,
With empty suitcases and money to spend.
We shopped ‘til we dropped and ate ‘til we
popped,
The drink we will not mention,
The “craic” it
was great, your home was superb,
And the pool a release for our tensions.
From Miami to Disney we travelled around,
The white knuckle rides left us speechless,
But nothing prepared us for the ice cream
we found
At “Big Olaf’s Ice Cream Soda Fountain”.
From Eleanor and Mervyn
Law, Roberta and Adrian McDowell,
Rena and Don Patton, Lambeg,
Dromara and Maze, Northern Ireland.
Thank you Brian and Olwen for the use of
your beautiful home.
We had a super time.
The Jupp Family (July 2004)
Thank you for letting us rent your lovely
villa. We thought it was lovely. I think we all said ‘ Wow
‘ when we walked in. It looked good on the web site, but was even better staying
there. We would certainly recommend it if we knew of anyone wanting to stay in
that area.
We had a great holiday, although a week
went far too quickly. It was lovely to relax after a very hectic two
weeks in Orlando visiting all the parks. We liked the beaches and the lovely
warm sea. We were very lucky to see about seven manatees in the shallows at
Sarasota beach, they didn’t seem a bit bothered by all the people. Later
in the day the environmental people came to decide what to do with them, so we
hope they managed to get them to a more suitable location. It was also lovely
to watch the dolphins jumping in the water. We also visited the Manatee
Village Historical Park which was interesting and the De Soto National
Memorial, which had lovely views. We made plenty of use of the villa pool and
it was lovely to sit and gaze out over the lake, we are so glad you removed the
fence and bushes. There were lots more we could have done but just not enough
time.
One day I am sure we will return to
Florida, but for the time being it will be back to holidays in our caravan,
touring the UK and Europe. We really did have a great time though and I am sure
we will all remember it for years to come.
It was a shame we missed you it would have
been nice to meet you and put a face to the e-mails that have been so friendly
and informative.
Thank you once again
Best Wishes
The Miles Family (June 2004)
Ben & I mostly spent
our time at Siesta Key Beach. Love it there. It's an easy drive down I-75. I
would like to tell everyone how at home they will feel here. When you travel so
far from home it's nice to have a place to stay that is so welcoming. Like
visiting family without all the fuss.
Great vacation! Relaxed
a lot and thankful for it.
Thanks again!
The Potter Family (June 2004)
We thoroughly enjoyed
our stay at your Villa. The Villa's location, setting and
decor was a perfect fit for our family vacation.
Early mornings we would
sit on the veranda to witness the sun rise and watch as the
fog rolled off of the lake. The lake was serene, the
sounds from nature were calming and the birds that visited the lake
were picture perfect. It was oh so refreshing to our souls.
We look forward to a
return visit to your Villa next year.
The Herdman Family (May 2004)
Thanks for providing us with a true home
away from home. Your villa is immaculate in every way; decor, furnishings
cleanliness and has every possible utensil and appliance to make any holiday a
great one. Every thing about the villa, your agents and dealing with you
guys has been an absolute pleasure so thank you for helping make our holiday
memorable....
The Vlietstra Family (April/May 2004)
The location of the villa was excellent for
shops, beaches and places to eat.
We also found it easy to find from the management centre who were also very
helpful.
The south facing garden gave warm sunshine all day from morning to night and
the pool was large enough for a good swim. The pool was also very clean.
We also thought that the villa was well equipped and laid out , and easy to
live in for the holiday.
The Wyatt Family (Easter 2004)
The villa was spacious, clean, well
equipped. The pool and ice maker was always so welcome after a long day. The
lake has lots of wildlife in and around it. Which included, Bald Eagles,
Ospreys, Brown Pelicans, Double Crested Cormorants, Great and Snowy Egrets,
Great Blue, Little Blue and Tri-coloured Herons,
White and Glossy Ibis, Wood Stalk, Turkey and Black Vultures, Lizards and
Turtles. The community facilities were safe and clean for the children. The
location of the villa was central to everywhere we wanted to visit. We met some
of the neighbours who were helpful and friendly. A
car is essential.
The Goeppinger Family (March 2004)
Our family had a wonderful time. Your
house is beautiful! We really enjoyed the pool and the view of the
lake. Being so close to the beaches and in a very quiet subdivision made
our vacation very relaxing. Thanks so much for renting your beautiful
home to us for our vacation.
The Goeppinger
Family
The Kidd Family (February 2004)
Just a few comments about our stay in your
villa in Bradenton. This is a very well furnished home. One of the cleanest we
have rented in the last 12 years that we have vacationed in Florida. The Master
suite is large and well laid out. We loved it. The villa is well located and
close to most conveniences. We would definitely stay there again . Thanks
again for the use of your home.
The Royer Family (January 2004)
My family and I really enjoyed our vacation
in Florida. The villa was a perfect fit for us as it accommodated 6 adults and
3 children under the age of 1. Each family had their own bedroom. It couldn't
have worked out better. I knew the villa was going to be perfect for us when I
saw the pictures on your website. The villa was even more beautiful in person.
I really felt special as everything was so new and clean.
Everything we needed was just down the
street a short way. It seemed like we went to Wal-Mart everyday. We rented
movies and games to play on the Playstation.
Having the playstation
at the villa was a great idea.
We also enjoyed just looking at the lake
and all of the wildlife that came with it.
One day while we were all swimming a very
large crane landed on the roof of the pool! We couldn't believe it. We
all froze so we wouldn't scare it away. I think someone was able to get a
picture of it.
The White Family (Christmas 2003)
We have just returned from spending
Christmas at Brian & Olwen's Bradenton
villa. The villa is a real home-from-home, except of course for the
heated pool, the peaceful lakeside views with eagles gliding overhead, superb
shopping and of course the beautiful beaches down the road! We have
visited Florida a number of times but this was the most relaxing. The highlight
of our holiday was seeing a pod of dolphins playing just off the shoreline at
Anna Maria Island - nature at it's best