Yoda Beach House in Madeira Beach

family vacation

sara n. (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Review submitted: April 8, 2013   Date of arrival: March 30, 2013

We had a GREAT stay at the Yoda beach house. We stayed with 3 families and we never once felt like we didn't have enough room! The house was clean enough and had all the neccesities. The check in was a breeze and itrip checked in with us half way through our stay to make sure everything was going well. The upstairs bathtub still doesn't have a great seal on it to take a bath, so we just kept the faucet running for the kids' baths. The patio and beach were absolutely the best part of the week! Literally steps away from the beach is priceless! We had fun going down to John's Pass for shopping and restraunts, but were far enough away to not notice the hustle and bustle of that area! We would absolutely come back to Yoda House...but there was a for sale sign in the front, and we had a few people knocking at the door with inquiries about it, so we aren't sure it will be available to rent again next year???

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Family vacation with 3 families

Hallie J. ()
Review submitted: March 18, 2013   Date of arrival: March 9, 2013

The house is very spacious and has room for privacy for each family. The size of the house also allows for large groups to spend together time. We had 14 people staying there and we were not crowded.
The house has nice finishes such as granite countertops and marble fooring. It does however need some TLC. We stayed in the larger of the 2 spaces upstairs and the ice dispenser on our freezer didn't work. The shower had a lot of mold along the caulking and made an odor in the bathroom. The shower drain was also clogged along with the master bath sink. I bought drain cleaner to unclog it, but it didn't really help much. I think a plumber is needed to unclog it. The plug in the master bath tub did not seal so you had to keep the water running in order to take a bath or the water would drain out.
The kitchens are not evenly stocked. Most of the kitchen items were in the downstairs kitchen. Our kitchen only had 4 forks and 2 knives and 4 spoons. The 2nd kitchen upstairs had no dishes or eating utensils. This wan't really a problem for our group staying there because we all knew each other and could take what we needed from the kitchen that had all the items. This would be a problem though if you didn't know the other parties staying at the house. My husband thought there should be a checklist for each kitchen of what dishes, silverware, etc. should be there to avoid the problem of 1 kitchen having most items and the other kitchens sparse.
Besides the TLC this house needs, it was a comfortable place to stay. The location on the beach is awesome; great sunsets! Close & convenient to grocery stores, shopping & restaurants.

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Beautiful house perfect for several families or group of friends

Laura L. (Safety Harbor, FL)
Review submitted: December 5, 2012   Date of arrival: November 29, 2012

We have rented many VRBO homes over the years and this is by far our favorite for a large group.

We only had 4 couples (all in our late 30s or early 40s), but can see how it could easily accommodate 3 or 4 families. The two apartments upstairs (included in the one unit rental) would be perfect for two families of four. Downstairs is also large - with two queen bedrooms sharing a large full bathroom, plus the communal dining and living areas.

We had our yearly friends holiday here. Three kitchens in one rental are unheard of - they made cooking our holiday meal for our group a snap. There's a lot of privacy in this home. The upstairs is so large I kept getting lost. The downstairs beachfront porch is a great communal gathering place. We only had a group of 8, but I could see how it could sleep 14 comfortably. We especially enjoyed the back porch fire pit (Florida in December can be warm enough for the beach during the day but chilly at night). The house was very clean and well maintained. The beds and the furniture were comfortable.

Parking was ample with one spot in the garage and room for two or three in the driveway. The location is great - walking distance from several great restaurants and bars and a short drive from the grocery store. The gas station/convenience store across the street (don't worry, you'll never hang out in the front yard, so you'll have no idea it's there until you need it) is perfect when you realize you've forgotten a toothbrush or whatever. We enjoyed Dockside Dave's for dinner and Screwie Louie's (Best Breakfast on the Beach!") for breakfast and cheap mimosas and such several times. We never miss a chance to go to Waltz Fish Shak at John's Pass (a long walk or a short drive) when in Madeira Beach. It's a bit pricier than the other places, but worth it.

Once at the house you could probably get along without a car, but it is a good 40 minutes from the Tampa airport, so you'd need a shuttle, and probably a way to make a run to the grocery store.

I liked how the company kept in touch via email and let me know who to call if there were any problems (there weren't). Check in and check out were a breeze. Definitely leave yourself time to gather your belongings before checkout. This is a big house and it would be easy to forget something there. You won't find a better per-person deal on any Pinellas County beaches.

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

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2