Side by Side beautiful beachfront villa in Captiva Island

A Blissful Stay at Side-by-Side

Melissa G. ()
Review submitted: April 26, 2013   Date of arrival: March 23, 2013

Never having rented a vacation home before, we felt like we had hit the jackpot when we arrived at Side-by-Side.
Very private and surrounded by lush foliage, the home itself is warm and welcoming and perfectly designed for our group of 6: My husband and I, our son and his wife, and our daughter, son-in-law and their two little ones.
Photos of Side-by-Side don’t do it justice. Two spacious and comfortable living areas are separated by glass sliding doors, allowing the early rising children to play noisily while others slept in. There is just the right amount of colorful and thoughtful décor, making one feel like they are in their own home and we found all the amenities we could want (including two flat screen TVs and Wifi).
All three bedrooms were extremely comfortable, and the Master Suite not only had a walk-in closet but also its own private deck.

The kitchen in Side-by-Side is outfitted with ample cookware and its layout is perfect for several cooks to move about at the same time. We enjoyed shopping for groceries at the large Bailey’s general store and alternated dining in with dining out at the local hotspots: Doc Fords (our favorite!), Mucky Duck, Lazy Flamingo, Cheeburger-Cheeburger.

Our family loved both the heated pool, and the beach, which is only footsteps away. Beach towels and beach lounge chairs are provided...plus an outdoor shower for rinsing off!
We rarely saw more than dozen people at any one time on the beach. Some were shell seekers, while others sunned, surfed on boards or with sails. We even spied a frolicking dolphin!

We found Side-by-Side to be very conveniently located. It is only a short drive to the end of Captiva for brunch or to rent bikes or assorted water sport items. Kids can even get pulled on "banana boat" rides. Some in our group had a blast renting wave-runners.
Seeing the throngs of vacationers crowded onto one small beach, at the end of Captiva, made us particularly grateful for the private location we had chosen...especially as we enjoyed the magnificent sunsets.

Make sure to explore the Ding Darling Preserve while you are there, and kids will love the spectacular Castle Mini Golf in nearby Fort Myers.

Our stay at Side-by-Side could not have been more blissful. On our next visit we hope to bring along more family members and rent the additional cottage.

Thanks, Ella, for making our stay so enjoyable and easy!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Great location, lovely house!

INrenters (Bristol, IN, USA)
Review submitted: May 9, 2012   Date of arrival: March 31, 2012

Our family stayed here the first week of April. Great location! Close to downtown Captiva and downtown Sanibel. It's also close to Captiva jetty where the good shelling is. Totally uncrowded beach. We basically had it to ourselves all week. Lovely sunsets, lots of wildlife. We loved having the pool to retreat to as well. We had 6 of us: 3 kids, us, an my mom. Lots of space for everyone. My mom had her own room and my oldest slept on the pull-out sofa, 2 little ones in the second room next to the master. The master suite is just lovely! The house is large, with two living areas and a nice large, well stocked kitchen. Lovely porch and nice poolside area. Great vacation all around. Highly recommend!

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Great house, great location!

INrenters (Bristol, IN, USA)
Review submitted: May 9, 2012   Date of arrival: March 31, 2012

Our family stayed here the first week of April. Great location! Close to downtown Captiva and downtown Sanibel. It's also close to Captiva jetty where the good shelling is. Totally uncrowded beach. We basically had it to ourselves all week. Lovely sunsets, lots of wildlife. We loved having the pool to retreat to as well. We had 6 of us: 3 kids, us, an my mom. Lots of space for everyone. My mom had her own room and my oldest slept on the pull-out sofa, 2 little ones in the second room next to the master. The master suite is just lovely! The house is large, with two living areas and a nice large, well stocked kitchen. Lovely porch and nice poolside area. Great vacation all around. Highly recommend!

Recommended for: families with young children

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0