VACATION COUNTRY HOUSE ON EQUINE RANCH

Lauraine was an amazing host! I noticed on some reviews, people did not like that she has people sign the agreement for her to pick up. I loved the personal touch and being able to meet the owner. This made reaching out for a couple of small issues so much less intimidating for me. I also loved the texts with local events in case we were looking for something to do. With family in town, we had quite a bit to do but would have joined in on the festivities had we needed something to do! Great experience!!!

The place is very beautiful and the host was very kind and pay attention on all details.

It was nice to be able to get away to warm south Florida when it was cold at home. The home itself is very comfortable and in a wonderfully relaxing setting. This was so much better than staying in a condo or hotel on the beach where you have to deal with the noise of elevators and boisterous neighbors - none of that here. Admittedly, there is not much to do on the property itself (shared pool did not seem to be open yet for the season), but it served as a good home base for daily adventures. Do keep in mind that although Siesta Key Beach is only a few miles away, it may take 40 min or longer to get there due to traffic. Later in the week, we discovered that Nokomis Beach Park is further away, but takes less time to get to. Highly recommend that beach instead. We brought our dog and the Country House was a good setting for that too (just watch out for the horse droppings when walking your dog). Some parts of the house interior could use cleaning/dusting more often, e.g., lights over the dining table, but house was clean, comfortable and spacious overall.

I enjoyed my stay at the ranch again this year. It is unique, and a little remote/private without being too far away from all the Sarasota attractions. As always Lauraine is a delight to work with as a host. However, the traffic on I-75 is much worse this year, and the Wifi was not dependable.

Listing did not state it was a shared house, we would not have booked it if we knew. Booking process goes way beyond VRBO's booking portal, needed to send signed agreement, which they made me sign again upon arrival, with verbiage thats NOT on the VRBO booking. We did have a plumbing problem, which they did fix right away.

The home was convenient to everything but feels like the country. The pool is great for toddlers. I was a bit leery of the suite attached the home we stayed in and shared laundry but it worked out fine. Would definitely recommend! Our family enjoyed our time.

Roomie house and peaceful property!

We enjoyed our stay and plan to go back next year. The ranch is a quiet spot in a very busy Sarasota. The ranch is located about a half hour or less from many popular places - Main st in Sarasota, Siesta Key Beach, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch. (less than an hour from Punta Gorda, 5 minutes from 75). But, you would never know that while sitting on your porch on the ranch. Hawks, bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, horses, and a small alligator in the pond. We would meet up with fellows renters at the pool around 5PM for happy hour. They became our vacation family. Lauraine was very helpful with any problems or concerns we had. The only negative was the internet service. The shared DSL is very slow.

We had a great time. The scenery was amazingly beautiful. The owner is really nice and helpful. The house was big enough for 9 people. We felt very confortable. Also it was good to have a swimming pool available.

This beautiful, tranquil setting was perfect for our family! Adults and kids enjoyed the ranch setting, the views of live oaks and palm trees surrounding the beautiful pool, the daily visits with the horses, and the magic of coming “home” from the day into what felt like entering another world, yet so close to everything. The home itself was very comfortable, with a beautiful kitchen and master bath, kids bath and 3 bedrooms. All the rooms were well furnished. The kitchen was well stocked and we enjoyed several home cooked meals there. Loved the charcoal grill and the deck too! I had my morning coffee there and enjoyed the daily bird watching opportunities! The guest house connected to ours gave us the perfect opportunity to have our Florida cousins to come and vacation with us. Such a blessing—memories to treasure! Beach, restaurants, museums, shopping—we enjoyed it all! And Lauraine was such a warm, personable, and caring host.