Islands West Resort Villas by AMI Locals

We couldn’t lock the door with our code on the morning we planned to take a walk before the 10 am checkout. After several tries, I wondered if the code had already been changed, even though checkout wasn’t until 10. That left us stuck inside unless we were willing to leave the door unlocked. I emailed AMI Locals about it and never heard back. Since I’m not local, I couldn’t text them. Earlier, I’d also asked Teri in mid July whether the 3D walkthrough was current and if the wall scuffs were still there. She confirmed the marks and said they’d contacted the owner for approval to repaint. When we arrived at the end of September, nothing had been done. Unit 5 (Seashell) was in a great spot near the beach and stores, but it needs a deep clean and fresh paint. At first glance it seemed clean, but there was dust on the baseboards, shutters, ceiling fan, and just about everything else, and the walls were scuffed. The couch was filthy and wasn’t the white one shown in the pictures. We covered it with the bed comforter, but still didn’t use it because it felt dirty. We didn’t contact AMI Locals about cleaning since we didn’t want strangers coming in while we were out, and I doubt it would have been cleaned to our satisfaction. A unit should get a deep clean now and then without guests having to ask. The place was okay, but I wouldn’t book with this agency again. I only saw the many bad BBB reviews for properties they manage after booking, or I would have looked elsewhere.

It’s a cute little cottage or cabin, and I’d definitely come back. The location is great, about a block from the beach, with a nice heated pool. It worked well for us, though the small space wouldn’t suit a family of four or five. There’s no storage, so during our two-week stay we ended up with piles of things around and had to live out of suitcases. I also liked the alarm on the back door, in case kids try sneaking out to the pool. When I called AMI VACATIONS for things we didn’t have, they got them to us quickly.

We’d stay here again, though the unit could use a new coat of paint inside. The grounds are beautiful, and the interior is nice too, but the paintwork was surprisingly rough after all the care given to other details. In the pictures, the wall color and the cut-in areas don’t match, and the walls are scuffed and dirty in a way that seems hard to clean. A doormat outside or just inside each door would help with the sand. We put towels on the floor instead. The location is excellent, five minutes on foot to the beach and close to shops and restaurants. We were here only one night.

Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach are a win. The AMI group arranged this rental for us, and it was just right for a couple wanting time away. Communication was perfect and the facilities were outstanding. Highly recommended.