Great Place to Stay!

Review submitted: May 2, 2013   Date of arrival: April 20, 2013

First class accommodations, very comfortable, clean, professionally decorated and landscaped with a modern kitchen and top of the line furnishings . Just my wife and I stayed at teh cottage and it was perfect for our needs. It would also fit four comfortably, but you are limited to one bathroom. It was great having a barbecue grill, bicycles, hot tub, and pool for our exclusive use.

It is a very private setting located in a quiet residential area. Nice view of the Intercoastal waterway from the private dock, also great for viewing a variety of local wild life. You can walk to the beach, but it would take about 10 minutes. Bicycles were handy for riding to the beach or exploring the local area. We had a wonderful time, if we get back to the area again, this will be our first choice for a place to stay!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great Place

Jenny 4 (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Review submitted: April 8, 2013   Date of arrival: March 30, 2013

What a beautiful place to stay! The natural looking pool and hot tub were awesome, the pool was a bit chilly, but the hot tub was used alot! The house slept 6 comfortably. Location is close to the beach, about a 10 minute walk. It was a smaller house but the grounds that it is tucked away in are amazing. You feel like you were in a world all to your own! Layout as explained in ad. Amenities were provided but very limited beach towels. It was very clean and maintained well.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great Stay

Carol J. ()
Review submitted: March 2, 2013   Date of arrival: February 1, 2013

We absolutely loved the cottage and the surroundings. The owners were so gracious and very kind. The only minus was that the floors were not very clean, my husband had to throw away his socks since they became very black. We don't think the floors were washed before we came. Also the eating table has an edge around it that has crumbs wedged inside. A vacuum can easily remove any debris that may be left from past visitors. Other than that it was great.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

A GEM

Kathy H. ()
Review submitted: December 16, 2012   Date of arrival: December 6, 2012

A week here was not enough. Just as described. Beautiful decor, landscaping, and view of the Bay. Everything top of the line. Use of the pool and spa were very private, even though they are behind the owners house. We used the bikes to take evening rides through the neighborhood. Shopping at Winn Dixie within walking distance and Publix just across the causeway. The beach is an easy walk away and we made the trip at least twice a day. Golf at the Belview Biltmore and take in Happy Hour at Guppy's on the way home. Best meal at Wahoos in Redington Shores next to best fish market, The Reef. Would definitely return.
Kathy and Victor, Denver

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Home away from home and more

Britt (Oslo, Norway)
Review submitted: November 21, 2012   Date of arrival: October 28, 2012

Everything was as described, and even better. It was clean, well maintained and serene. We have been to the area for 7 years and this place and location has been a well kept secret. You would think it was upper class Naples. We were taken extremely well care of. Any concerns were dealt with immediately, and they were few.Highly recommend the house.
Win Dixie is just down the street and the library is there too. Great service all around. The sunsets on the beach just 5 minutes away. Pack your suitcase and come. I'll be back.

Recommended for: age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

A wonderful four days

Paul (Amsterdam, NY)
Review submitted: September 4, 2012   Date of arrival: August 30, 2012

We stayed here with our two children, ages 10 and 6. The cottage is perfect for couples and families with children older than toddler age. It's right on the bay and a wandering toddler can get into some trouble. With that being said, the location is its strength - beautiful bay views. We had one small issue not related to the actual cottage and Liz took care of it in an instant. We drove to the beach, but walking is definitely an option. We went out for dinner in Clearwater, John's Pass, Treasure Island and of course, Madiera Beach. Close to everything. Cottage is well appointed inside and out. Definitely would go back.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Ssssh. Quiet. Secret...

Kim (Oxford, MS)
Review submitted: July 7, 2012   Date of arrival: June 30, 2012

My brother and I stayed here for 5 days over the 4th. We planned to use the cottage as base for fishing trips, water sports, and hanging in and around the beaches. Instead, we had too much fun on the property to leave ! The pool, hot tub, dock, and cottage were excellent. The location, for our purposes was great- not on the beach, secluded, private, quiet and access to the bay. Appliances, decor, beds, perfect. Lanscaping A++. Gas Grill- A+. Pool A+++! We are looking now to reserve the cottage next summer when I can bring my wife.
This is not the place for a family- the location in a residential area would make noise and children activity intrusive. Perfect for a couple or 2.
Negatives- make sure to call to access the wifi. I bounced off the marina wifi and could not access the cottage wifi-- minor problem I believe would have been solved with a phone call. Parking- says there is room for one vehicle and that is true. We jammed a Yukon and mid size into the space. If you come, plan ahead to park additional vehicles elsewhere (you cannot park on the street).
I have stayed in many B&B, hotels, VRBO, and campgrounds. My 23 year career has revolved around tourism and destination planning. I can honestly say that this cottage, on this trip, was the perfect spot!
Oh, the fishing was great too-- check out Gilligan Charter and Bob. His rates are the best and dont let the Chicago Accent fool you into not believing he knows his way around the Big Pond. He was great.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Nothing but the best!

Julie (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Review submitted: June 22, 2012   Date of arrival: June 1, 2012

My husband and I and our two children had the most wonderful stay at this luxury cottage! The owner used only top of the line appliances and furnishings for this quaint accommodation. Everything was not only immaculately clean, most of the linens and cooking utensils appeared to be brand new. The word "luxury" gets so overused/misused that I thought I would clarify my description....when someone uses only Tommy Bahama sheets and bedding and only Frontgate beach towels, that's LUXURY. I have seen some VBRO's who claim they are luxury but are far from it!!!!!
I don't want to give too many secrets away (because I want it to be available for the next time we come to town) but you have access to one of the most beautiful pools and hot tubs imaginable right outside your door. My 4 year old son fished from the private dock twice a day and thought he was in Heaven. (I do want to mention to whomever might read this, if you have young children you have to keep a close eye on them because there is a narrow walkway behind the pool that goes straight down to the water/rocks. It was not a problem for us at all but it is something to think about if you have really small children.) We had the pleasure of meeting the owner and she was extremely delightful and more than accommodating......not to mention her 5 star taste! I hope to come back again and again!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Serenity and Sun

Maderia Fan (Chicago)
Review submitted: April 2, 2012   Date of arrival: March 24, 2012

The Boca Ciega Cottage is a wonderful place to spend a Maderia Beach vacation. The house is beautiful and comfortable with all the amenity of home. We enjoyed the beautiful gardens, the covered patio and the pools. Our favorite spot was sitting on the dock in the afternoon watching for dolphins.

Recommended for: girls getaway, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

A Wonderful, Relaxing Experience.

Hank (Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)
Review submitted: March 24, 2012   Date of arrival: March 3, 2012

My wife and I rented the property for 2 weeks in March 2012. We had an enjoyable and relaxing experience. The home is beautifully landscaped with palms and a variety of tropical plants. . The interior is of high quality, with professional kitchen appliances and furniture, and beautiful marble flooring throughout. The master bedroom was perfect but we were a little disappointed with the second bedroom. The bed was difficult to set up and we had problems making it into a queen bed. There was also no dresser in this bedroom. The cable television has great variety of stations and the Wi-Fi works perfectly. The house backs onto Boca Ciega Bay, and provides stunning views of the water along with the local birds and dolphins. We spent a lot of time on the dock relaxing, reading and soaking up the sun. The professionally landscaped hot tub and pool were at our disposal, but you must understand how to use the controls. The large BBQ grill at the back was easy to use. The beach (Gulf) is just at the end of the street, and is a short 5 minute walk away. There are two bicycles at the side of the house for your use. A pump (if the tires are low) is located in the house. About 10 minute south is John's Pass, an old fishing village that has many small shops...mostly souvenir items. The property manager and neighbour (owner) were enjoyable to work with and very helpful. We highly recommend this property for your Florida vacation.

Recommended for: age 55+, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Boca Ciega Cottage was delightful.

PictonSteve (Picton, Ontario)
Review submitted: February 29, 2012   Date of arrival: February 7, 2012

Boca Ciega Cottage is an extraordinary vacation home. On line photos did not do the property justice. The building has been beautifully renovated in high style with quality materials and appliances in a luxurious, but relaxing tropical motif. We found the well-equipped gourmet kitchen a special treat. I especially enjoyed the landscaping which has been professionally designed and expertly executed, with a pool and spa set in natural stone. Both water decks provided comfortable opportunities to make contact with the abundant nature on the Gulf Coast. While sipping drinks on our decks we enjoyed visits from dolphins, pelicans, egrets, and storks. A rather friendly, great blue heron came over every time I was fishing from the decks where I caught local fish. The neighbours were informative and helpful but not intrusive. The waterway and docks behind the house would accommodate a power boat with a shallow draft but not a fixed keel sailboat. Beaches typical of the Gulf Coast were within easy walking distance. We found a good and colourful mixture of dining also within walking or driving distance. A lovely, memorable stay.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Bayfront Cottage Madeira Beach

Sue (Kansas City, MO)
Review submitted: February 29, 2012   Date of arrival: February 20, 2012

The cottage was beautiful. All the furnishings were top of the line. However, no privacy since cottage so close to other houses on both sides. The pool was literally right outside the owners back door, made it pretty weird. Bicycles had no air in the tires. Would have been nice to have some adorindike chairs for the dock as it was the only place to catch some sun and it would have been nice to have a fishing pole or two available for use since the Bay was jumping with fish. A cooler would have been nice too since the beach was only a block away. There should be a more detailed list for operating the controls for the hot tub and pool, that system was more complicated than the instructions that just said to 'hit the buttons next to the fence'. The owners were nice and very helpful and the location was great for driving the coastline. The Pub served great Bloody Marys and the Holiday Inn in Clearwater Beach served the best Firecracker Calamari! Had a great time and made do with what we had.

Recommended for: age 55+

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Wow, what a place! I highly recommend this property.

Tai (Toronto, Canada)
Review submitted: January 9, 2012   Date of arrival: December 17, 2011

My wife and two young daughters rented this property for 3 weeks starting in mid-December 2011. We had a fantastic experience. The place was beautiful, even more so than depicted in the photos. The interior was well-appointed and definitely of high quality, with professional kitchen appliances and furniture, and beautiful marble throughout. Although not huge, we found that the place offers ample room for our family of four. It can even sleep more than that if you make use of the pull out sofa in the living room.

The house backs onto Boca Ciega Bay, and provides stunning views of the water. We spent many hours in the back, eating, relaxing, reading, soaking in the sun. The large BBQ grill at the back was very useful. The house is surrounded by gorgeous landscaping, front and back, with many palm trees and a variety of other plants that create a paradise-like atmosphere.

The beach (Gulf) is just at the end of the street, and is a short 5 minute walk away. You can also ride the bike there if you want...there are two bicycles at the side of the house (although the tires need some air).

Nearby plazas offer convenient access to groceries, pharmacy and 7-Eleven. About 10 minute south is John's Pass, an old fishing village that has many small shops...mostly souvenir items. For real shopping, we drove to Tampa to International Plaza (30 minute drive) and Westshore Plaza (5 minute from Int'l Plaza). We loved Ybor City (40 minute drive), which has many restaurants, bars and shops, with a lot of history dating back to the early days of settlement in the region. The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Pete is worth going to (although quite busy when we were there on a weekday), as well as the Children's Museum in Tampa if you have kids.

The rental manager was very nice to deal with, professional and helpful. We also found the neighbours to be very friendly and approachable. In fact, we rung in the new year with one of them.
I don't have much of anything negative to say about this property. I highly recommend it!

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

amazing experience!

User (Maryland)
Review submitted: November 21, 2011   Date of arrival: November 11, 2011

We were pleasantly surprised to find a custom pool and hot tub for our use on the property. We had a delicious BBQ dinner on the dock and relaxed under the clear skies and bright moon. The beach was only a block away, just enough distance from all the hussle bussle. The cottage was comfortable, spotless and tastefully decorated. I look forward to returning for another getaway. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for something upscale, affordable, and a little bit of a different experience on the bay. The booking process was easy and the management was pleasant to do business with. Thanks!

Recommended for: girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1