Guest Book Comments

Together with our local management team, we try very hard to provide a high quality home where our guests can relax and
enjoy their vacation. We personally stay in our home several times each year and also encourage feedback from our guests
(positive and negative!) to ensure our home is always kept in tip top shape!

Here are some of the most recent comments we have received !

What a view, Jul 30, 2023 
By Stanley Booth,  

In July 2023 we stayed at Winter Haven a fantastic villa in Lake Berkley which had enough room for all of us comfortably. The guys particularly liked the games room/pool room, and we all loved the pool and jacuzzi, but the star attraction was the lake view of the island where several large birds species came to rest after sunset each evening. Watching the birds as the sun set with a cool drink was the perfect end to a busy day. The home had everything you could possibly want and was so well appointed, the pictures, ornaments, furnishings etc all made this feel like a home. I would recommend this place and would gladly book there again and the price was very reasonable when you see what your getting. Mike the owner was so good to deal with which added to making this a great holiday experience.
 

Pat & Carol   (Abridged, please contact the owners should you wish read the full review)

As it was only just over 2 weeks to Christmas, we were so happy and impressed that this beautiful home was already ‘dressed’ for
Christmas,not too much to offend but wonderfully lifting the spirits after 24 hours of travelling.
Having worked and lived in Florida many years ago, this was an undiscovered gem. Lake Berkley was stunning......
The view from Winter Haven was magnificent, with stunning wildlife activity to watch. The pool area was very secure and the privacy
was great, plenty of room to choose where to sit (if not in the spa which was lovely and warm with very invigorating jets!)
Inside the house was extremely clean and inviting.....many extra touches to make you feel at home.....the dining area was stunning,
beautifullypresented for formal dining should this be on your agenda.
The master suite and a queen room are on the ground floor - great for those not able, or willing, to climb the stairs - another master
upstairs plus twin bedrooms..... an abundance of bathrooms.......large laundry.... and a true games room that is not immediately evident
that it is a converted garage as the upgrades had obviously been done by professionals.
The provision of a small locking room containing a safe was so thoughtful and provided safety for passports cash and perhaps prescription
medicines.
All in all I could not fault this home........ We would book and stay for another trip in a heartbeat........ we would make a booking for the
home first and build our holiday around those dates, it truly is that special.

Walton Family *****

Yes us again! Another fabulous holiday! We spent most of our time at the villa this trip, especially enjoying the pool and games room.
Our 2 year old would have slept in the pool if he could have worked out how! We love Lake Berkley’s location - so easy to get to both coasts,
the parks and shopping! 
As I said in a previous review, Winter Haven has everything (and more) to ensure this family has a fab time.
Booked in again  😎

Gillian *****

First trip to Florida and our first time booking a rental home on-line. The owners are very easy to deal with and couldn’t have been more helpful.
They pointed me in the right direction for car hire, park tickets and the dreaded ESTA. Their booking process was very professional and the
information pack we received prior to our trip was very comprehensive with details of supermarkets, restaurants and shopping locations as well as information relating to the villa and surrounding area.
The standard of the villa is superb – it is very obvious this is a very well loved, well equipped and well cared for home. It was spotless. The local
property manager was quick to respond when we had a bleeping smoke alarm, he arrived within the hour to sort the problem out.
Our kids loved the games room – what a clever use of space that is – and of course made good use of their ‘very own’ swimming pool - they even
managed a swim before and after days at the parks!
We are a family of animal lovers and the variety of wildlife on our doorstep was incredible. The island is home to Bald Eagles, pink Spoonbills and
an Osprey as well as other birds we failed to name!  We spotted an otter and a huge turtle in the lake along with a family of very cute ducks.
Can’t wait to go back again!
 

Walton family *****
 
Lost count of the number of visits we have made to ‘Winter Haven’ over the last 10 or so years! It is such a wonderful home on what must be the best
kept resort in the area. This house has everything (and more!) that you could possibly need. We see the same names cropping up in the visitors book
year after year, which proves the owners care about their guests comfort, otherwise we would all go elsewhere!
This trip, we had our 6 month old son with us, and were blown away by the amount of equipment provided for a baby or young child – there was even a microwave steriliser provided. Needless to say, we are booked in again next year!
 

Dave *****

This was our 9th time to Orlando and the villa was the best that we have stayed in. 6 adults in total stayed for 2 weeks and the accommodation was
perfect for us. We have stayed in Lake Berkley previously but this particular house was far superior to any previous property. We loved sitting by the
pool watching the birds on the island opposite fly off every morning. The pool table in the games room is first class and having a TV in that room meant
that we spent a lot of time in there just relaxing.
Ideal location for Disney, Universal and shopping. A great place to unwind and relax after the madness of the parks - we loved it and cannot recommend Winter Haven highly enough.

Wayne Shaw *****


I travel around the USA a lot especially Florida and have stayed in many different types of villas and hotels, I must say this was by far the best.
The villa is ideally located to all the amenities you could possibly need, and was easy to find as well. Lake Berkley is beautifully kept and well
maintained it is also a gated community which was always manned 24/7. Upon arrival I was blown away on how peaceful, and how clean and
tidy the area was kept which resonated right throughout our stay. The villa itself is very well maintained and cleaned to a very high standard.
There was 6 six of us staying 4 adults and 2 teenagers, from 2 different families, the problem I have experienced in the past when 2 families
try to co-habituate is there can be some friction, I'm sure we have all experienced that in the past! Winter Haven was by far the largest villa I
have stayed in, and sharing with another family on this occasion was fun and I put this done to the sheer size of the property, we all had our
own space and plenty of it. We had a lot of fun in the pool to the point some days the kids did not want to go out to the parks. In the evenings
we would get back from the park and spend time playing pool and chilling out in the games room, the youngsters would often take a DVD from
a good selection and take themselves off to bed as they were often tired, there was always something to do -keeping them happy was easy
because we all know what teenagers can be like. The only issue I had was half way through the our stay the safe stopped working, the only
reason why I mention this is not to complain, incidents happen, it’s so I can point out that I did have to use the Management company and they
responded well above my expectations, also worth mentioning that I felt so safe and secure at Winter Haven I was not concerned whether the
safe worked or not. Everything about this villa ticks the boxes. Mick the villa owner responded to all my emails in a very timely manner and I felt
confident with this booking from start to finish. This villa is not just a money making opportunity for the owners it’s actually their home and you
feel that when you’re staying, there are lots of little personal touches. Whilst we were there, we met the neighbours who knew the owners
well - we were even invited to a BBQ - very friendly place. All in all great villa and I’m comparing this to some very good hotels and other villas
that I have stayed in, so believe me when I say, you won't go wrong here. FANTASTIC.

Florida addicts *****

We have had many lovely holidays in Florida and staying in a private villa adds to the enjoyment especially when it’s as nice as "Winter Haven".
It is equipped with everything you would need, well maintained and situated with a stunning view of the lake. The villa is spacious with home
from home comfort and with the luxury of a heated pool. With just 6 adults this time it was truly wonderful and relaxing spending a day in the villa.
We know how exhausting a day in the Florida heat can be. The location is great - close to good restaurants, shopping and of course the theme
parks. On Lake Berkley you feel very safe with 24/7 security at the entrance. The whole area is quiet and peaceful and well kept with hedges
trimmed, lawns cut and no litter. Management were quick to respond to a small problem, asked if everything else was okay and checked that
the pool temperature was right for us. My daughter is missing her morning run around the lake and the rest of us missing the sunshine and
your beautiful villa. We keep saying no more Florida but never say never! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in "Winter Haven" and will be
recommending it to all our friends and family. Roll on next year and with thoughts of booking your villa again.
 

Barbara & John *****

We liked the look of Winter Haven from the website, but the reality was even better than we had thought. We spent 4 weeks living in the house
and felt right at home from day 1. The management company was helpful and attentive, as was everyone we met from the security staff on the
gate to the pool guy. The house was big enough to accommodate a range of family from youngsters to oldies and the pool was used all the time
for fun and games, cooling off and keeping fit. We even learned to play pool in the games room. We loved the ever changing world of the lake
and the rhythm of life for the birds, particularly enjoying the evening roosting process of cramming feet and feathers into the trees on the island!
The villa is so well placed for shopping (whether it's WalMart’s just down the road or the outlets at Lake Buena Vista), restaurants
(Perkins for breakfast, Longhorn for steak!), the theme parks and 'getting out of town' when needed.

Ian Smith *****

This was our second visit to this villa, and cannot recommend it highly enough. The owners and Management Company are very easy to deal with
and a few maintenance issues were dealt with swiftly. Our grandchildren loved the games room and of course, the pool. My wife and I have
already booked their smaller villa for next year.

Guest: Marcy & crew (Rouleau, SK Canada)

Wow! Our first time renting a home and did we ever get a winner! Immaculate home, exactly as depicted but better! Just had to walk in and unpack, everything else was ready for us. Great location to the theme parks, shopping and restaurants. Owners and management firm so easy to work with
and a great information package was provided which we appreciated as it was our first experience and we didn't know what to expect. Any question/concerns we raised prior to arrival were answered immediately and the owners even located brochures with savings coupons for us to
use in response to one of our inquiries. We attended a medieval feast which was very entertaining and is in walking distance if you choose.
Also numerous "mini-golf" facilities close by which we all enjoyed. A great home to vacation in, thank you for sharing it with us!