Ron’s home is spacious with beautiful views, set in a quiet location, and has a very nice hot tub. The beach supplies such as the boogie boards, chairs, and food bag were a welcomed perk. Overall my family had a pleasant stay but our experience did not meet the expectations that the high reviews on this house had set for us.
On the day of our arrival our flight got in just before noon and Ron was kind to let us drop our bags off prior to check in. We arrived at the house and we’re met by Ron & Shanna. They were both pleasant and advised us on things to do and see. My understanding was that they had been out the house the previous several days/week and they were in the process of cleaning and doing laundry. Ron asked what time we’d be back to check in and I replied 4pm. He indicated that they had been planning to shower AT 4pm before leaving for the evening but would return again at some point before going to the airport and heading home. This seemed strange considering 4pm was check in time. We arrived back at the house at 4:30 to find Ron & Shanna still there gathering their things and finishing up cleaning. They left approximately 15-20 minutes later. This was very awkward and felt intrusive to our time that we had paid for. When they came back later in the evening Shanna actually came into the house, entering through the garage without knocking or announcing herself. Again, this felt intrusive to our vacation and time we had paid for the use of the home. We didn’t really have any communication after that first night until checkout.
The house was clean enough upon our arrival but there was hair & dirt/dust in the tub of the upstairs suite, the refrigerator wasn’t clean, and the pantry was crawling with ants. As I stated above, Ron & Shanna were doing the cleaning when we arrived at noon and again at 4:30. I don’t believe that a professional cleaning took place prior to our arrival. Disappointing, especially considering the $375 cleaning fee and all of the not picky fees they list out in their guest book (ie. $100 for “excessive” sand in the unit or washer/dryer).
The lanai off the upstairs suite is very nice and has beautiful views but there is a sour, mildew smell that is unpleasant. Not sure if it’s the cushions on the lounge chairs or the Astroturf.
Lighting in the bedrooms could be improved. There was really no overhead lighting in any of the rooms, only single lamps with maybe 60 watt bulbs.
Another big disappointment was that the bathrooms were stocked with single ply TP, the rough kind. When staying somewhere nice, I expect the provided toiletries to be nicer than what I might find at a cheap motel. In this case, I think the TP at the Motel 6 is probably better quality than what we found stocked in these bathrooms.
Finally, I would just add that while the fact that the taxes are separate is listed in the description as is the added charge to use the AC, I do feel like the hosts here are looking for every little thing they can up-charge their guests for, and I found that to be a turn off. For example, as soon I booked the home Ron was immediately messaging me to ask if I wanted to rent his car as well (I declined). At that point we hadn’t booked our flights yet but I inquired about a early check in or late check out if needed, both would’ve been an additional charge upwards of $100. A couple days before arriving Ron contacted me to remind me about the additional tax charge and ask if I wanted to use the AC at an additional $25 day. I asked if that was something we could decline for now but request later if it was needed and he said we could but that it would be an additional charge of $30 to deliver the AC remotes. He then emailed me a copy of his guest book full of house rules and other additional charges, such as the excessive sand fees I mentioned earlier. All these things combined just leaves me feeling like Ron isn’t so much interested in his guests positive experiences as he is making an extra buck everywhere he can.
In summary, we had a pleasant stay and enjoyed the spaciousness of the home and outdoor amenities but I don’t think I’d be interested in renting from Ron again in the future.