Splendor in the Keys at EBC (5 Stars VRBO Review)

Review submitted: May 4, 2013   Date of arrival: March 6, 2013

VRBO Guest Review: We so enjoyed our stay and it is our pleasure to submit this review. The accommodations were as described & shown in the listing. The condo is located in a secure, gated community. The facilities & grounds are clean and very well maintained. The condo itself was perfect for our needs. It was clean and equipped with everything we could possibly need, and we quickly felt as though we were "at home" (at least for three weeks). The owners were readily available to respond to any questions or concerns and went above and beyond to ensure that our stay would be a memorable one. The guest binder clearly outlines all the rules and regulations, and provides detailed information about Islamorada and the surrounding areas in the Keys, including many pamphlets and brochures for dining (many showcasing local island talent), and island activities to please travelers of all ages (fishing charters, snorkeling, deep see diving, museums, ecotours, kayaking, sunset cruises, parks, and shops). We do recommend that you have use of a vehicle, and this area is a boater's paradise. Our three week stay unfortunately ended all too quickly. We truly enjoyed our holiday in Islamorada; great weather, cycling, fishing, shopping, dining and accommodations. Our favorite activities included fishing charter excursions and cycling, relaxing at the pool and enjoying the evening sunsets at our condo's beach area, and frequenting our newly found favorite local restaurants (such as Loreli, Marker 88, Lazy Days, Island Grill, Robbies & Ziggy Mad Dogs) to enjoy wonderful food, local entertainment and again the most incredible sunsets! Thank you again Jose & Marcia for your hospitality and for sharing your home. If we ever return to the "Purple Isles of Islamorada," we would definitely stay here again. Joanne & Darrell.

Owner Response: Dear Joanne & Darrell, we are simply “wowed” by your kind words. We know that your detailed feedback will assist others in choosing things to see and do in Islamorada and the Keys. We will continue to do our best for our guests / “new friends” that visit. Furthermore, it was truly our pleasure to have you as our guests for month of March 2013. An unexpected benefit of our place has been our ability to connect and make friends from all over US and world. So we were thrilled to have you as our first Canadian guests. When you decide to comeback, we will have our doors open for you. Best Regards from Your New Found Friends, Jose & Marcia

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Purple Isles of the Keys Islamorada wonderful stay

Review submitted: April 21, 2013   Date of arrival: October 7, 2012

We arrived and within a couple of hours were unpacked stocked up on groceries, relaxed, unwound and in the pool, a first for fussy me. The condo is very comfortable because it is a home from home, with everything you could want and more like tennis raquets, scuba gear, fishing rod, beach towels, cool bag, beach chairs, just great, oh and bicycles! We cooked most evenings because we liked to have our pre dinner drinks down by the dock meeting and talking to the neighbours while dinner was cooking in the oven. I even caught fish off the dock, though the first one wriggled off the hook! Lol. The hosts what can we say.......they were great to deal with, promptly replied to emails. They are also the most considerate that I have had, they phoned us several times to make sure we had everything we needed, and especially to make sure we were not anxious of approaching hurricane Sandy, we felt very looked after, not just left on ou own. We did however get inormation on what to do and what supplies we should have from the Florida Keys visitors centre info site, needless to say we did not have to put it into action. The goid thing about hurricanes you get plenty of time to get out of their way. Here are a few of our favourite things to do, Founders Park literally less than ten minutes, great for olympic sized pool, beach, boat hire, and kayaks which we took out and had a great time seeing th local wildlife, and rays, wonderful coloured fish, sadly did not see a manatee but good reason to return. John Pennekamp park snorkellers and divers will not be disappoinyed. Theatre of the Sea great value but go early and make a day of it. Key West is great, we stayed overnight to make the most f it, there is also a ferry that goes over to Fort Myers on the Gulf side of Florida. Eating out was fun to, Shula's has the most amazing burgers my family all rated it 5/5. Morada Bay Cafe have full moon parties on the full moon, we had a blast on Oct 27th not to be missed. Dinner at sunset in Lori Lei's was amazing and the food and service great. We enjoyed exploring off the main roads found lovely little places try it! My favourite time was at the Marine Research Centre very educational and inspiring will def go back there, rays are my thing! We are going back to the condo next year, hopefully this will be our annul holiday from now on, as our son and his family now live in near in Fort Lauderdale. We had a wonderful holiday in the Purple Isles of the Keys, can't wait to get back!

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Great Restful Vacation Spot!

Review submitted: April 21, 2013   Date of arrival: July 14, 2012

From VRBO Review: We have been here for almost a month. It was home away from from home. For us. We found everything according to description and more. Everything we need in household we found here. Even a portable step for my 4 year old (for reaching things). Great apartment, lots of rooms, towels, dishes, pots, everything. Jose called many times to find out if we are alright. Our child loved the pool. She learned to how to swim there. Great dock for fishing, snorkeling, chilling out. Beautiful sunsets! We loved the beds, especially in the bedroom – great mattress. We had a guest stay as well, who slept there - he said best bed in his life. We did not want to get up in the morning! Thank you, Jose and Marcia, for letting us stay in your second home and enjoy its hospitality. We had a great time at the pool, on the EBC beach, on the beach at Founders Park. Now, well rested we are going back to NY. BTW, Jose signed up for Internet for us. He was accommodating us, so we could stay whole month with Internet that we needed. Thank you, Jose. We will definitely recommend this place to our friends. God bless you, Jose and Marcia!

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Wonderful time in the Keys

MDLF (mills river, nc)
Review submitted: July 9, 2012   Date of arrival: June 23, 2012

We had a wonderful time on our recent get away to the keys. Jose and his family provided a beautiful condo as described. The condo was very clean and spacious. We had a great time fishing off the dock, swimming in the pool and hanging out at Founder's Park. Thanks for a great get-away.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway

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Fantastic place....

Review submitted: June 4, 2012   Date of arrival: May 30, 2012

Just got back from a wonderful trip to Islamorada, and really enjoyed staying at this property. The place was very clean and comfortable, and incredibly well stocked: beach towels, snorkel gear, games, internet...they had it all. A short walk form the unit was a very clean and well-kept beach and pier; we spent each evening there watching the incredible sunsets, and occasionally swimming. All in all, this was a terrific place at a great price; the owner was very helpful as well. Islamorada is a great home base to see all the Keys... we snorkeled from Key Largo several times, and also drove down to Key West for a day trip.... very nice.

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Fabulous Stay in Keys... Home is Very Comfortable

Review submitted: May 5, 2012   Date of arrival: April 21, 2012

This is from our Guestbook... "The end of a fabulous stay in the Keys! We certainly enjoyed every creature comfort here in E4! Your home is very comfortable – we didn’t miss a single thing! Lots to do here – we had lots of laughs feeding the Tarpons (and pelicans) at Robbies! Went back to do a half day fishing on the reef out near Alligator Lighthouse with Captain Michael. Didn’t know we could enjoy fishing!!! They make it easy (clean) and just a gorgeous day on the water. We also enjoyed a kayak trip from Robbies through the mangroves. We saw fish and many majestic osprey! (No croc, thank goodness!) There are so many lovely places to eat – great (hubby says best ever) burgers at Shula. The burger salad is so yummy); delicious tuna nachos at Island Grill (also talented-toe-tapping local music), great ribs there, too! We ate a whole lot of local shrimp from Winn-Dixie – never tired of that fresh flavor! We took it with us to the beach several times. Even for the drive down to Key West! Bahia Honda Beach is beautiful! Spent a lovely day there – rented chairs and enjoyed a perfect day! We’ve seen so many birds while here – Blue Indigo, Scarlet Tanagers, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Pilleated Woodpeckers (down at the Marina here!), Cardinals, of course the Mourning Doves (we first thought they were owls!) and Mocking Birds. Saw Green Turtle from one of the route / bridges. Jose & Marcia, thank you so much! We had a relaxing stay here in Islamorada! We've built some wonderful memories! Lauren & Mark D. Andover, NH"

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Nicely Decorated, Clean and with Ample Amenities

Review submitted: April 20, 2012   Date of arrival: March 31, 2012

We had a great time. Your place is nicely decorated, clean and with ample amenities. Thanks for a great vacation!!!
- Matt & Tracee

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Great place to relax.

Lupo (Daphne, AL)
Review submitted: March 18, 2012   Date of arrival: January 7, 2012

My wife and I really enjoyed our two month stay at E.B.C. The complex is great with a nice large pool, tennis courts, and waterfront area, all very reasonably priced.This unit is located on the north side of E.B.C. midway between highway 1 and the gulf.
The unit was just purchased by a new owner the end of last year, and he was very helpful addressing any possible issues. He also is in the process of renovating. The living and dining areas are done already with a nice flat screen TV (a cable package including HD channels would be nice). The owner plans to have WiFi Internet access soon.The bedrooms are in good shape. In biggest need of renovation are the kitchen cabinets, counter tops and stove, they are old and worn. The refrigerator is very new and big.The bathrooms are ok but could use some attention also.
The spiral stairs to the second floor are steep and could be a problem for someone older and less mobile, especially when carrying heavy bulky luggage upstairs.
We think it's a great place and will only get better. We are looking forward to another two month stay early next year.

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