Home Description
This isn't a typical cookie cutter rental, but the actual second home of a best-selling author and chef and her architectural designer husband. "It's like staying at a good friend's beach house," is the phrase we hear again and again.
Our large yet comfy single-level home is situated ideally close to the beach in a quiet neighborhood in Holmes Beach. Four bedrooms with optional fifth offers plenty of space for extended families, two families sharing or friends retreat. We're set up for infants & kids, well equipped kitchen, big deck with BBQ, plus a gorgeous 12 feet x 24 feet heated pool with a real rock grotto waterfall surrounded by lush palms and exotic flowers. The kitchen was remodeled in early 2019 and has all new appliances.
The house has been tastefully decorated and carefully updated for a comfortable, yet casual beach feel. On beds, we've got three kings beds, a queen, a full and two twins, plus a folding crib and toddler cot.
This is really our home, so you'll find spices and herbs in the cupboards, quality linens and lots of small personal touches.
Please note: Because this is our home and not just a rental, we're a bit particular who we rent to. As a result, we require a minimum age for rental (25) and the individual booking our home must be on site. No exceptions, sorry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. How close is the beach?
A. We are at 71st Street and Palm Drive, about a five-minute stroll to the beach. We have a beach buggy to roll stuff back and forth, plus umbrellas, beach chairs and loads o' beach toys.
Q. How many does it sleep? How many beds?
A. The house comfortably sleeps up to 10 total. Infants and toddlers under 12 months are not included in occupancy.
There are five beds: 3 kings, 1 queen and 2 twins in the Lido Room. We also have two folding cribs and a toddler's cot plus kids linens. We also have a baby monitoring system and lots of other gear for infants and toddlers.
Q. How big is the pool?
A. Our pool was installed in 2014 and it's included in the portfolio as a showcase pool by our designer. It is a custom 12x24 feet (4x6 meters) lagoon kidney shape with real rock coping and custom rock grotto waterfall. We keep it at 86 degrees or warmer year-round. We have it serviced twice a week for optimal cleanliness. We have seating for ten adults around the pool, plus a kids table
Q. Is it in a quiet neighborhood?
A. Yes! We are in a sought-after residential neighborhood just minutes directly between businesses of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. There is one other rental home next to us. For this reason, we do ask that you sign a "Quiet Hours" agreement to observe quiet hours and be respectful to the neighbors. (We are not the right property for a group of college-age spring breakers. Sorry.)
Q. How do we get the keys?
A. No keys! to pick up or misplace! We use high-tech coded locks with a unique code for each guest. You will be sent a code for your week.
Q. Is it near the free trolley?
A. Yes, a Northbound stop is right at the corner of our street!
Q. Are linens included?
A. Yes, lots of beach towels, indoor towels and hotel-quality sheets. Each bed has an option of new summer-weight quilts or heavier down/down alternative duvets for each bed. We replace our towels and sheets annually. We have a new state-of-the-art LG wash tower with a speed cycle to keep it all clean.
BEDROOM DETAILS
*The Captain's Quarters (King bed) is the largest bedroom
* Waterfall (California King) is located next to the waterfall grotto
* Shell (King bed) is the quietest room, it has a super cool Vant wall system headboard
* Hemingway (Queen bed made into an oversized day bed) is located in its own corner of the house.
* Lido can be used as an optional fifth bedroom. It has doors that open directly onto the pool and a new set of custom set of sliding doors that convert it into a bedroom for privacy. Located off the kitchen/living area, we use this as an additional hangout area if not needed for a bedroom at night. It has two twins made up into daybeds and a new LG Frame TV. It's a good room for kids and teens. There are "high locks" on all the pool-side doors for child safety.
It's a nice setup for two or three couples or two families sharing as you'll each have your own defined space as the rooms are quite separate from one another.
Q. What infant/kid gear do you have available?
A. We have a full-size high chair, two (2) deluxe Grayco folding cribs, a toddler cot, baby blankets, a toddler-sized pillow, a baby monitor system and a set of kids dining stuff (plates, bowls, cups and utensils). The doors in the Lido Room and the Waterfall bedroom have alarms that can be switched on to emit a piercing sound when opened.
We also have kids books for various ages. There's a child-size table on the deck outside; it can be brought inside. We have indoor toys (including a talking Mickey Mouse!), children's books and loads of pool and beach toys. We have an inflatable baby float and usually have "swimmies" armband inflatables for younger children. Two or three bedrooms come with teddy bears.
**We Want You To Feel Like You've Got Friends with a Beach House**
We've been renting our home for many years and have compiled a 30-page guide to the house and island that includes how stuff works, where to find things (e.g. what's the best place to buy wine or seafood?), restaurant recommendations and much more. One of the owners grew up on the island and we both love it here and want to do what we can for you to have a fabulous experience.
House Rules
We ask our guests to treat our home the way they would if a friend lent them their beach house for the week. Be respectful of our neighbors, tidy up before you leave and let us know if anything needs attention.
MINIMUM AGE
We accept reservations from guests age 25 and older. The person who reserves the property must be on site.
POOL
For safety, there's no diving, cannonballs or climbing on the rock grotto allowed. Children must be supervised at all times. No glass in pool area. Please use the quality plastic tumblers and wine glasses provided.
QUIET HOURS
Holmes Beach has "quiet hours" noise ordinance in effect from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. We're a sleepy island and this is enforced.
NUMBER OF GUESTS
We accept groups of up to nine (9) guests. Children count toward the occupancy total, except infants younger than 12 months.
PARKING
We have parking for three vehicles. When parking in the easement in front of the house, be sure you're pointing west; our local police ticket for facing "the wrong way" on easements.
SMOKING
No smoking inside the house, including e-cigs/vaping.
PETS
We accept one well-behaved dog under 35 pounds. No cats; we're crazy allergic. Dogs *must* be approved in advance.
DAMAGE
Please report any damage as it happens, no matter how minor. Leaving behind something damaged, stained or broken without warning creates headaches for our crew and impairs our ability to get things fixed or replaced. As a result, unreported damage is considered a rules violation. We're nice, we expect wear and tear, accidents happen - just let us know.
LUGGAGE & GEAR DROP-OFFS
Golf cart and bike deliveries are routine on the island. You're welcome to take off with them if you arrive early. Luggage drop-offs and grocery deliveries just need advance notice.
GUEST ACCESS TO PROPERTY
We generally cannot accept early check-ins. It takes hours to clean, plus we have repairs and maintenance scheduled for turnover days. Guest use of the house, pool, deck or yard prior to check-in or after checkout is not allowed. This includes waiting on patio chairs or in cars for check-in.
BEDDING
All beds have encasement mattress protectors as well as waterproof protective toppers. We know accidents happen, especially with young children. Guests who remove the protective topper need to let us know so we can launder it properly or have a replacement ready for the next guests - there is never a charge for this. However, the mattress encasement protectors should always remain intact; they are there for guest safety. Ditto for pillow protectors.
.
Suitability
Great for extended families or families sharing. Groups of friends. We are especially well set up for families with infants.
House 
Sleeps
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Minimum Stay
This isn't a typical cookie cutter rental, but the actual second home of a best-selling author and chef and her architectural designer husband. "It's like staying at a good friend's beach house," is the phrase we hear again and again.
Our large yet comfy single-level home is situated ideally close to the beach in a quiet neighborhood in Holmes Beach. Four bedrooms with optional fifth offers plenty of space for extended families, two families sharing or friends retreat. We're set up for infants & kids, well equipped kitchen, big deck with BBQ, plus a gorgeous 12 feet x 24 feet heated pool with a real rock grotto waterfall surrounded by lush palms and exotic flowers. The kitchen was remodeled in early 2019 and has all new appliances.
The house has been tastefully decorated and carefully updated for a comfortable, yet casual beach feel. On beds, we've got three kings beds, a queen, a full and two twins, plus a folding crib and toddler cot.
This is really our home, so you'll find spices and herbs in the cupboards, quality linens and lots of small personal touches.
Please note: Because this is our home and not just a rental, we're a bit particular who we rent to. As a result, we require a minimum age for rental (25) and the individual booking our home must be on site. No exceptions, sorry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. How close is the beach?
A. We are at 71st Street and Palm Drive, about a five-minute stroll to the beach. We have a beach buggy to roll stuff back and forth, plus umbrellas, beach chairs and loads o' beach toys.
Q. How many does it sleep? How many beds?
A. The house comfortably sleeps up to 10 total. Infants and toddlers under 12 months are not included in occupancy.
There are five beds: 3 kings, 1 queen and 2 twins in the Lido Room. We also have two folding cribs and a toddler's cot plus kids linens. We also have a baby monitoring system and lots of other gear for infants and toddlers.
Q. How big is the pool?
A. Our pool was installed in 2014 and it's included in the portfolio as a showcase pool by our designer. It is a custom 12x24 feet (4x6 meters) lagoon kidney shape with real rock coping and custom rock grotto waterfall. We keep it at 86 degrees or warmer year-round. We have it serviced twice a week for optimal cleanliness. We have seating for ten adults around the pool, plus a kids table
Q. Is it in a quiet neighborhood?
A. Yes! We are in a sought-after residential neighborhood just minutes directly between businesses of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. There is one other rental home next to us. For this reason, we do ask that you sign a "Quiet Hours" agreement to observe quiet hours and be respectful to the neighbors. (We are not the right property for a group of college-age spring breakers. Sorry.)
Q. How do we get the keys?
A. No keys! to pick up or misplace! We use high-tech coded locks with a unique code for each guest. You will be sent a code for your week.
Q. Is it near the free trolley?
A. Yes, a Northbound stop is right at the corner of our street!
Q. Are linens included?
A. Yes, lots of beach towels, indoor towels and hotel-quality sheets. Each bed has an option of new summer-weight quilts or heavier down/down alternative duvets for each bed. We replace our towels and sheets annually. We have a new state-of-the-art LG wash tower with a speed cycle to keep it all clean.
BEDROOM DETAILS
*The Captain's Quarters (King bed) is the largest bedroom
* Waterfall (California King) is located next to the waterfall grotto
* Shell (King bed) is the quietest room, it has a super cool Vant wall system headboard
* Hemingway (Queen bed made into an oversized day bed) is located in its own corner of the house.
* Lido can be used as an optional fifth bedroom. It has doors that open directly onto the pool and a new set of custom set of sliding doors that convert it into a bedroom for privacy. Located off the kitchen/living area, we use this as an additional hangout area if not needed for a bedroom at night. It has two twins made up into daybeds and a new LG Frame TV. It's a good room for kids and teens. There are "high locks" on all the pool-side doors for child safety.
It's a nice setup for two or three couples or two families sharing as you'll each have your own defined space as the rooms are quite separate from one another.
Q. What infant/kid gear do you have available?
A. We have a full-size high chair, two (2) deluxe Grayco folding cribs, a toddler cot, baby blankets, a toddler-sized pillow, a baby monitor system and a set of kids dining stuff (plates, bowls, cups and utensils). The doors in the Lido Room and the Waterfall bedroom have alarms that can be switched on to emit a piercing sound when opened.
We also have kids books for various ages. There's a child-size table on the deck outside; it can be brought inside. We have indoor toys (including a talking Mickey Mouse!), children's books and loads of pool and beach toys. We have an inflatable baby float and usually have "swimmies" armband inflatables for younger children. Two or three bedrooms come with teddy bears.
**We Want You To Feel Like You've Got Friends with a Beach House**
We've been renting our home for many years and have compiled a 30-page guide to the house and island that includes how stuff works, where to find things (e.g. what's the best place to buy wine or seafood?), restaurant recommendations and much more. One of the owners grew up on the island and we both love it here and want to do what we can for you to have a fabulous experience.
House Rules
We ask our guests to treat our home the way they would if a friend lent them their beach house for the week. Be respectful of our neighbors, tidy up before you leave and let us know if anything needs attention.
MINIMUM AGE
We accept reservations from guests age 25 and older. The person who reserves the property must be on site.
POOL
For safety, there's no diving, cannonballs or climbing on the rock grotto allowed. Children must be supervised at all times. No glass in pool area. Please use the quality plastic tumblers and wine glasses provided.
QUIET HOURS
Holmes Beach has "quiet hours" noise ordinance in effect from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily. We're a sleepy island and this is enforced.
NUMBER OF GUESTS
We accept groups of up to nine (9) guests. Children count toward the occupancy total, except infants younger than 12 months.
PARKING
We have parking for three vehicles. When parking in the easement in front of the house, be sure you're pointing west; our local police ticket for facing "the wrong way" on easements.
SMOKING
No smoking inside the house, including e-cigs/vaping.
PETS
We accept one well-behaved dog under 35 pounds. No cats; we're crazy allergic. Dogs *must* be approved in advance.
DAMAGE
Please report any damage as it happens, no matter how minor. Leaving behind something damaged, stained or broken without warning creates headaches for our crew and impairs our ability to get things fixed or replaced. As a result, unreported damage is considered a rules violation. We're nice, we expect wear and tear, accidents happen - just let us know.
LUGGAGE & GEAR DROP-OFFS
Golf cart and bike deliveries are routine on the island. You're welcome to take off with them if you arrive early. Luggage drop-offs and grocery deliveries just need advance notice.
GUEST ACCESS TO PROPERTY
We generally cannot accept early check-ins. It takes hours to clean, plus we have repairs and maintenance scheduled for turnover days. Guest use of the house, pool, deck or yard prior to check-in or after checkout is not allowed. This includes waiting on patio chairs or in cars for check-in.
BEDDING
All beds have encasement mattress protectors as well as waterproof protective toppers. We know accidents happen, especially with young children. Guests who remove the protective topper need to let us know so we can launder it properly or have a replacement ready for the next guests - there is never a charge for this. However, the mattress encasement protectors should always remain intact; they are there for guest safety. Ditto for pillow protectors.
.
Suitability
Great for extended families or families sharing. Groups of friends. We are especially well set up for families with infants.