Belle Vista

We booked at the last minute for Memorial Weekend and found everything as expected. The house was nice and cute, with what we needed, and just a few steps from the beach and John's Pass Pier.

We barely needed to pack beyond our suitcases. The unit came with beach gear including a cart, chairs, umbrellas, towels, sunscreen, and a cooler, plus plenty of coffee and creamer. There was a full set of pots and pans, cutting boards, and quality knives for cooking. Susi and George also sent a long list of activities and restaurants with the check-in instructions, which was super helpful. The space was freshly renovated, spotless, and full of thoughtful details. The towels were soft and high quality, and the beds were really comfortable. Susi&George have great taste. They even left a bottle of wine and snack-size candies. We've stayed in lots of vacation rentals, and this one really stood out. We'll be back with family soon.

The unit was clean and stocked with toiletries, towels, pots, pans, paper towels, and more. It stayed comfortably cool at 68, and the location was great. The place was a bit small and there was no dishwasher. You can't swim there, though you might be able to fish from the dock. My biggest issue was the $150 cleaning fee alongside a long list of chores: wash, dry, and put away dishes, strip the beds, take all the trash to the other side of the building, and sweep so no sand is left, or risk a $50 charge. Those chores made me 45 minutes late checking out. The cleaning woman kept harassing us, sarcastically pointing out the 10:00 checkout and saying the owners were trying to reach me. I was busy getting our things out and cleaning, and wasn't going to stop to call them. We told her she could start cleaning when she arrived, since the bedrooms and bathroom were already clear of our belongings, but she refused to go in because they needed the unit clean for pictures. She sat watching while we finished, instead of getting started, and was rude throughout. If guests are doing all that work, the cleaner earning $150 should be happy with it. I can't get over paying that much for a cleaning lady who barely has to clean and treats guests this way. I was late, maybe because of the list of chores, but nobody deserves her unprofessional attitude. You're welcome for the business and the cleaning services we provided.

Our stay was pleasant, and we weren't too bothered by the issues, so we told Sun Host resorts about them as we left. The fridge could make a racket at any time. The washer and dryer may have been repaired after an earlier review, but they'd broken again; we couldn't finish a load and took it to a nearby laundromat. We asked for more cooking pans and were told we could buy cheap ones nearby, though some were eventually brought from another unit and solved that problem. There were plenty of towels for our 10-day stay and a hair blower. The Anchor unit was cute, but it didn't really fit six unless everyone wanted to spend most of their time outside. It seemed better suited to a small or young family. This isn't a good choice for people with mobility issues. To be fair, we hadn't told Belle Vista how disabled we were. The location is nice for being near the beach while also having the quiet of the intercoastal. The beaches are great, especially the beach wheel chairs at Treasure Island beach at 112th and at John's Pass next to the bridge.