Very relaxing

Tracy (knoxville)
Review submitted: October 29, 2012   Date of arrival: October 25, 2012

Ed was very nice even went out and bought new pillows, pillows cases and foil for the gril. Too bad hurricane Sandy had different plans and the first two days was raining but had a great time. It was brother in law his wife, my husband and myself.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

marathon 2br waterfront

dennis1985 (miami)
Review submitted: October 25, 2012   Date of arrival: October 19, 2012

We had a great time on the 2br waterfront, the property was clean, great customer service provided from the owner, i would recommend this to a friend,

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, pet-friendly, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Vacation to the Keys

Photobabe (Orlando, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: October 1, 2012   Date of arrival: September 14, 2012

A friend turned me on to your site and it was truly amazing the selection of non hotel places that are offered with extremely low rates ( much lower then a standard hotel room). This was the case with the house on the water that my bf and I stayed at a few weeks ago. We loved the semi private beach (shared with a few long term residents in the vacation rental complex); but most of the time we had it all to ourselves which was the case with the Pool on the Bay. The house was large enough to meet our needs and was very clean. Ed the owner was very friendly ; and allowed us to stay as late as we wanted when it was time to check out (although we understood that if he did have a check in when we were leaving ; that we would have to leave at Noon). The flowers that were in the house on the Kitchen Table was a nice touch; and we also enjoyed watering the gardens. What was also amazing is that we fed a few hundred fish that hung out all day long; we also saw on a regular basis a Spotted Small Ray and some Sea Horses. The Kitchen was large enough with a very large refrigerator; minimal pots and pans; but once again was enough for our needs ( besides who wants to cook on vacation). We did enjoy all our meals outside watching the boats go by. Lots to do in Marathon ( Middle Keys Florida); although we were extremely happy with just staying at the house; and seldom saw anyone; especially when were sitting at the table in back of the property. No need to bring any towels, pillows, or linens ( extras were provided). From now on we will make reservations all the time on your site.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Thank You Thank You Thank You

FishingTom (Tavernier, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: September 23, 2012   Date of arrival: September 14, 2012

We had a small gathering of relatives in town for an event and needed a last minute house with Dock in the Middle Keys to replace our original accommodations. What a pleasant surprise; when we found out that we could also use their small private beach that overlooks the Bay for the celebration. The Dock was certainly large enough to accommodate the 32' Boat. The house was great with a nice view of the water from the living room and one of the bedrooms. We had another couple over to use the outdoor table and BBQ Grill; and watched the boats go by ; and at night lit the Tiki Torches. One of the couples that stayed in the house; extended another day and was given a later check out at no additional cost. The house had a large enough kitchen with large fridge that came in handy. The 2 Bedrooms certainly met our needs. The large TV in the Living Room was perfect for 8 people to watch Football ( although only 4 slept over; per agreement with the owner). The place was clean; and the white tiles were cool on the feet. Once again ; Thanks to the owner for saving us ; and allowing us to have the family celebration that was planned for many months to go off better then planned.

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

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Pictures are very Deceiving.

dw1958 (St Charles, IL USA)
Review submitted: September 12, 2012   Date of arrival: September 5, 2012

ALthough I'm sure Ed is a very nice person, we never did get to meet him due to his being out of town. We were supposed to stay 2 nights and we ended up staying only one. This place was just not at all what we expected to be renting from Vacation rentals. We have had nothing but good rentals from this site and I have told many a friend about it. So to start off with there must have been a mis-understanding in the price. I thought we were paying $XXX+cleaning fee for 2 nights, sounds reasonable. But when we get there, he says to pay another $XXX+ cleaning fee. We have stayed @ many places in the keys for far less and they were much nicer places to stay. Ed did try to make it all good and offered the 2nd night free but with all the bugs in the house my family and I just decided to leave and pay for a hotel in Miami. The bathroom drain was not working very well, the beds seemed like the linens had not been changed and the beds themselves were extremely old. I guess maybe we are a little picky since my daughter who was with me cleans houses for a living. Like I said before although Ed tried to make things right, this place was just not for us.

Recommended for: adventure seekers

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

First Time On The Keys!

International Traveler (Lancashire, England)
Review submitted: May 3, 2012   Date of arrival: April 7, 2012

Ed was a really friendly and helpful host, taking time not only to meet and greet us but to personally arrange a wonderful snorkelling trip and to show us a great local eating place. Communication leading up to our trip and directions etc were all first class. The property was just what we needed for a short term stay – basic but clean and tidy, with all the facilities. However the real pull is the brilliant location on the waterfront with a great pool very close by and a perfect private beach! We will definitely be re-visiting the Keys!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

My Family Had An Amazing Getaway

International Traveler (Lancashire, England)
Review submitted: May 3, 2012   Date of arrival: April 7, 2012

Ed was a really friendly and helpful host, taking time not only to meet and greet us but to personally arrange a wonderful snorkelling trip and to show us a great local eating place. Communication leading up to our trip and directions etc were all first class.
The property was just what we needed for a short term stay – basic but clean and tidy, with all the facilities. However the real pull is the brilliant location on the waterfront with a great pool very close by and a perfect private beach!
We will definitely be re-visiting the Keys!

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

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

I love the Keys!

Tiredmel (Toms river nj)
Review submitted: March 23, 2012   Date of arrival: March 3, 2012

We stayed for a week and really enjoyed ourselves. The owner of the home is very friendly and accomodating. He genuinely wanted us to enjoy ourselves and was willing to help in any way he could. The home is small but very functional. The beds could have been a little more comfortable but the place was very clean and we were so happy we chose the house instead of staying in a hotel. We barbecued a few night and enjoyed fish that we caught while in Marathon. While moat of the neighbors were not on vacation like us everyone was very friendly and made us sunburned northerners feel at home. We would definitely stay there again and hope to go back next year. The back yard is great for hanging out and relaxing and we had a great time feeding the fish. The pool is only about 100 ft from the house and was beautiful and the private beach was gorgeous. Marathon is centrally located in the Keys and you can take a bus to Key West for $4 each way. Overall we had the best vacation possible and we were very happy with the house.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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I cant wait to go back

shellfish (madison)
Review submitted: March 20, 2012   Date of arrival: March 21, 2011

My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time staying at this small and comfortable house in Marathon. What a great value, it was like we had our private point to fish on. We took our boat out daily to catch lobster and grouper then returned to grill our catch and relax on the dock. It was quiet,cozy and very suitable. I am going back to stay there next week and cannot wait. The house has 2 comfortable bedrooms. A small kitchen and living room and back patio.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, tourists without a car

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Really Enjoyed staying at this House

Happy Travelers (St. Augustine, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: February 17, 2012   Date of arrival: February 3, 2012

I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and write a hearty Thank You!!
Our family of five had a wonderful time at the lodge recently.
My younger kids are still talking about how they fed the fish everyday that hung around the dock. The fishing and sunsets on the point (their private beach) were simply outstanding. The two bedroom house was clean and well appointed.
The owner made a number of recommendation for charters and restaurants
that all worked out very well. We are coming back to stay again this summer; so the story continues. Finally thanks for the attention to detail and affable manner. Outstanding. CK St. Augustine

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Absolutely NOT!

Farmer (Wellington ,Oh)
Review submitted: February 12, 2012   Date of arrival: February 11, 2012

This place was appallingly FILTHY and we did not even spend a night. The kitchen counters, sink, frig had not even been wiped down including coffee & grounds in the pot. The stocked kitchen had mostly paper cups & plates. Not one bowl of any size and the cooking surface of the only skillet was completely rusted. The kitchen counter was a piece of contact covered press board laying between the sink and stove, the side of which, was less than and inch from the large burner and burnt black.
The bathroom was worse than the kitchen (need I explain?). We refused to sleep on the bed linen, the sheets were knit and absolutely covered with lint and hair. Who knows if they were washed between quest but if the toliet seat has not even been wiped down, you got to wonder.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great Stay on The Water

Adam (WPB, Florida, United States)
Review submitted: October 31, 2011   Date of arrival: August 19, 2011

We come to the Middle Keys often; and always come for Lobster Season. This was our first time at this house and enjoyed our stay. We enjoyed the view of the Bay from the house; and used the Grill outside every night. We used the pool everyday and walked down to their beach to watch the sunset. The beach is used by the other houses in the complex; but had it to ourselves every time we were there; and we sat in the chairs already at the beach. Their Dock was in fact a lot larger then 80'and getting our boat into water and getting to the dock was extremely easy since the Public Boat Ramp was around the bend (Dodge Lake) from the house. Ocean access is 3 miles away; and we were right on the Bay (The large channel the House is on is about 4 Football Field distance to the Bay). We were able to check in and check out earlier and later. The beds were comfortable and the living room and kitchen were roomy enough. Marathon is a small town in the Middle Keys and everything is only a 5 minute drive. The owner of the house gave us a large nautical map which was useful as well as some brochures and coupons. We certainly will stay here again.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Great Vacation

Love To Travel (Goderich, Ontario, Canada)
Review submitted: June 2, 2011   Date of arrival: April 17, 2011

Thanks Vacation Rentals for providing an excellent website that gave me so many choices and made it so easy to rent a place without any concerns. It was extremely enjoyable staying in Marathon. So much to do. Of course , Key West is only a 45 minute scenic drive and spent the day/night doing all the Key West things. Duval Street and Mallory Square both very festive. Why pay triple the rate to stay in KW when you can drive there in an hour . Plus KW is nice to visit; but when it comes to a more relaxing, scenic, nature/ocean filled environment Marathon is a better place to stay. The house I stayed in was right on the water, and spent late afternoons having dinner and watching the boats go by. I really enjoyed the beach and pool at the house (well it wasn't at the house : the Pool was one house away & walked on the dock to it, and the Beach was a 5 minute walk : both places had great views of the Bay). I was given maps and coupons on arrival. The host made arrangements for a boat ride and fixed me up with a helicopter tour company (both in Marathon). The Helicopter and Boat Rides were inexpensive and I took some great photographs, the scenery in the Keys especially from the sky is amazing. I took many nature shots around the house. I went to the state parks (all a 20 minute drive or less), and really enjoyed Bahia Honda. Make sure to eat lots of local seafood in Marathon. I would recommend this house for anyone looking to get away from it all, with the option of doing lots of things. Greetings from Canada.

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

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Helpful votes: 1 / 2

Outstanding Value

Happy Vacationer (Long Island, NY, USA)
Review submitted: May 28, 2011   Date of arrival: February 4, 2011

We recently stayed at this really nice small house on the water in the Middle Keys. Was visiting our son, and was very happy with our accommodations. It met our expectations and then some. Was what amazing is that we had a 2 BR house in a private small rural complex for less then a small hotel room with no Kitchen and View. Their beach and pool was exactly as advertised : steps away and most of the time we had them all to ourselves (and when we did see neighbors, they were friendly without being intrusive). We spent every evening watching the sunset at their beach, did not even need to bring chairs (some were there already). After dark we sat on our private dock watching the water and stars, not a sound, and since it was totally dark gave us a great view of the stars, we could have slept on the dock, and almost did a few times...The Pool was extremely clean, laundry facilities were 2 houses away, although ample towels were provided. We loved the fresh flowers on the Kitchen Table, and was a great start to a wonderful vacation.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Awsome Christmas in the Keys experience

North Palm Beach Family (North Palm Beach, FL)
Review submitted: January 12, 2011   Date of arrival: December 23, 2010

We were looking for "something different" for Christmas, and opted for this location in Marathon - what a great choice we made. House is cozy, with comfortable beds in both rooms. A really nice spot on the water - with a long dock that was ours alone that weekend. We had a rental boat, and access was easy. Backyard Tiki torches were nice - especially since it is dark early this time of year. Owner, Eddie was more than responsive to any questions - we didn't see a coffee pot on arrival, but when we returned an hour later - there was Eddie with a new one! He also welcomed us with a holiday Poinsettia - a nice touch.

It was chilly that weekend, so we didn't take advantage of the pool. It was only one house away, and the area was clean and inviting - maybe next time. The private beach that was just a walk away had several chairs, and was a comfortable place to watch the sunset.


Would recommend this property - especially if you are looking to get away and relax - no traffic, no hassles - just like the Keys are supposed to be.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Very Enjoyable

Traveler904 (Jacksonville, Florida, USA)
Review submitted: November 7, 2010   Date of arrival: October 27, 2010

We very much enjoyed staying in this house on the water. The water was very clear and we enjoyed hanging on our dock feeding the fish and watching the boats go by. We went to the private beach every sunset to watch a spectacular Keys Sunset. As advertised their beach was a 4 minute walk and the large pool also was steps away; and most of the time we had the point all to ourselves. We cooked almost every night and the kitchen gave us everything we needed; and ate most of the time in the backyard ; once again watching boats go by; and when it got dark lit the tiki torches. The private waterside community was quiet and only a 45 minutes scenic ride to Key West. In Marathon we went to the Dolphin Research Center, Crane's Nature Preserve & Bird Center, and the Turtle Center. We were given discount coupons to all these places from the house owner; Eddie. You certainly can't go wrong with this house for a relaxing but active stay in nature and the Keys.

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

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Good Value Relaxing Fun Getaway

Chip (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, US)
Review submitted: September 24, 2010   Date of arrival: August 30, 2010

My family went on a mini vacation ; and wanted to stay in Marathon for the beaches, nature parks, wildlife attractions ( Turtle Center, Dolphin Research Center, and Bird Sancturay). The house we stayed in was on the water in a small community. It was not a hotel and not a crowded condo development. There was hardly anyone around. We enjoyed our large boat dock; and dangled our feet in the water and fed hundreds of fish that gather there for daily feedings. The backyard on the water had a grill and picnic table; and we made good use of it. The pool on the bay was great and just 1 house away; and we had it to ourself most of the time. We walked to the community beach about 5 minutes away and watched the boats and sunset; and had a picnic there one day. Great value : We stayed in a small 2 bedroom house on the water for less money then an average hotel room. Thanks Vaction Rentals for providing us with a nice place to stay.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Mostly comforts of home

rfrontal (Sunny Isles Beach)
Review submitted: August 29, 2010   Date of arrival: August 25, 2010

Loved everything about it, location, pool, accommodation. Was better than I had thought. Great Place and great people.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 1 / 1