Welcome

Come on in, grab a coffee, and I’ll be your tour guide for a wander around the villa.

I’ll give you some thoughts on the the little touches that aren’t always obvious. Why we do things like this, and why that makes your time here more enjoyable. There’s a bit of back-story to the villa and maybe a few things to consider when you come to choose your perfect place to stay. All you have to do is read along and imagine yourself there.

This is a bit of a wordy page. Don’t rush it. Enjoy the read. After all, it’s better than just saying Yeah, it’s got a big TV and comfy beds.

You ready? Great! Let’s start with the most important place of all.  I mean, you don’t come to Florida to spend time inside, do you?

Pool and Deck

Whether you prefer being in the sun all day long or, like me, retreating to the shade, there’s a place on the deck for you. My favourite is one of the cast aluminium loungers, rolled back under the lanai so that the sun doesn’t get me. From there I can watch the golf course, watch the sunlight on the water, spot Hans and Franz, and catch the occasional hint of pine from the trees on the golf course. I could spend all day there with a book if only doing all the above nothingness wasn’t so energetic.

Let’s talk pools. We can talk about dolphins. About water quality. About space. We’ll start with Hans and Franz.

Hans and Franz

There are thousands of villas around Orlando, and there are thousands of pools. There are big pools, and there are small pools. There are pools with a lot of space around them, and there are pools where you fall in the moment you set foot off your sun lounger. But there is only one pool, only one, where you get to swim with Hans and Franz.

They are the most friendly dolphins in Orlando and they love it when you swim with them. And the quality of the workmanship that went into tiling them into the pool with their shadows, when the sun is glinting off the water it really does look like they are swimming. String the pole of the pool net across the narrowest point of the pool for a game of volleyball and it feels like they are playing with you.

Be POSH

(Link to the What Matters page to talk about POSH and pools that face south)

This might become a let-down but let’s talk about POSH. There’s a theory that the word Posh comes from the acronym Port Out Starboard Home. It’s a popular idea that in the grand days of ocean travel (before planes whisked us across the Atlantic) wealthy people would travel on the port (left) side of the ship when sailing west from Europe to America, and then travel on the starboard (right) side of the ship when sailing America to Europe. This put their cabin balcony in the sun all day on both legs of the journey.

Is it true? Weeelllll … there’s also a theory that the word Posh comes from the acronym Port Out Starboard Home when wealthy passengers would travel from Great Britain to the Indian continent. Being on the port side while sailing east would keep them on the cooler side of the ship. Coming home on the starboard side of the ship would do the same on the return journey.

Read into it what you will. I searched and searched for the answer to the question of whether this is where Posh comes from and couldn’t find anything. It’s a nice story though.

What it does tell us is that in the northern hemisphere (Florida) the sun is in the south. If you want a pool and deck that get all day sunshine they need to face south. Any real estate agent will tell you the same.

Does this mean that north facing pools are bad? Not at all, just that you need to be a bit more careful as typically the house itself casts a shadow across the pool and deck. Less so for single storey villas. More so for two storey villas.

If you are an early bird you can watch the first rays of sunlight catch the deck early in the morning. It’s a joy to be out there with that first cup of coffee before the rest of the world comes to life. You see the dew on the golf course before the sun burns it away. You see the first few golfers aiming to beat the heat. You get to watch the light chase away the shadows and you know you’re in for another wonderful day.

Whether you are out in the sunshine or under the shade of the lanai it won’t be too long before the sunlight shimmering on the water beckons you in for your first swim. Although swim is such an energetic word don’t you think? Far better to grab one of the spring-form pool floats and simply float around. It’s like being cradled by one of the fluffy white clouds that drift slowly across the sky.

Feeling more energetic? Get the whole tribe in the water for a game of volleyball or better still the sport that didn’t quite make it into the Olympics; Alligator Racing. Beware the ‘Deep End Turn’ where Alistair the Alligator takes no prisoners. Who would have thought that something so simple could have you doubled over in tears of laughter.

Water Quality

If you are thinking of spending the whole morning, the whole afternoon, or even the whole day in the water, but are worried about red eyes from the chlorine, read on because what follows is your dream come true.  We run the most up-to-date, technically advanced saline pool system available to give you the best possible water quality there is. This isn’t simply a good spin on a normal chlorine pool system done properly; this is a completely different approach to maintaining the best water quality. It’s modern. It’s automatic. It results in the best water quality you can get. What you experience is the softest, most beautiful water. Forget that harsh, red and itchy eyes water you might have had in the past. Forget the frizzy hair. Forget the dry skin. This is water that feels like a clear mountain stream. The longer you want to spend in the water the more important it is to have the best water quality available.

Eat Outside

When it’s time to eat we’ve got just the spot for you; an 8-place outdoor cast aluminium dining table. There is space for everyone to be together without having to banish waifs and strays to eat by themselves on the longers. It doesn’t matter if you are splitting a sandwich, eating yesterday’s leftovers, or sitting down to a five course banquet. You can dine with a timeless elegance and all the time having the golf course provide a beautiful backdrop. If you’re lucky you might even have a visit from the family of Sand Hill Cranes who occasionally wander by to say Hello.

If the sun gets really fierce, stay in the shade for a while. Break out the Trivial Pursuit or Articulate (we have a whole bunch of games for you) and have a happy hour challenging each other. Make it children vs. adults because adults – you won’t stand a chance! Have an hour or two where you enjoy some special family time. No phones. No iPads. No laptops. Memories like these are golden. They stay with you for the rest of your life.

Drift the Day Away

Board games too energetic? Yeah, I get you. For you the afternoons were made for drifting around the pool on a float, catching up on a bit of reading, or both.

Life doesn’t get much better. The circulating water drifts you from one end of the pool to another. Your own personal little lazy river. The slow turns are perfect for your all-over tan. The warm breeze wafts you with the odd scent of pine from the trees. It’s gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

Can your day by the pool get any better? Mayyyyyybe …

Enjoy the Light Show

People always say Save The Best ‘Til Last.

Late in the afternoon as the sun starts to sink towards the horizon, click the switch and bring the pool’s mood lighting system to life. Do it before the day goes dark. Then from the corner of your eye you start to notice that the bubbles have become coloured. Subtly coloured. Pink, then blue, a brilliant white, maroon, blue, pink again. Always changing.

The further the sun sets, the more the ambient light fades, the more vivid the colours in the pool become. Their constant fade from one colour to another is enchanting. It’s hypnotic. One of those experiences where you tell yourself just two minutes more. Then two minutes more still. And two minutes more. And a last minute. And another last minute. It’s hypnotic. It’s lovely. And it’s the most lovely way to end the day.

A day by the pool feels both like it lasted forever and went by in a flash. From that first cup of coffee to the ending private light show. A perfect day? And the great news is that you get to do it all again tomorrow.

Living Room

When you are inside and want to spend time together as a family, this is the place to be.

Let’s start with the sofas, because there are sofas and then there are sofas, aren’t there?  With three big sofas there is space for everyone.  They’re big enough for you to stretch out on and sink into.  What’s more, they all have that wonderful squishability factor that makes them as comfortable as your favourite armchair.

Cocktail Lounge

It’s official name is a formal living room. Some of our guests christened this room the cocktail lounge and the name stuck. That’s no bad thing. A cocktail lounge is much more fun.

It’s a good name for a place a little detached from the family room. Somewhere a bit more peaceful. More tranquil. A great place for a quiet moment to pick up your Kindle and catch up with a bit of reading. Or pull a random book out of the villa’s book cupboard. Go complete lucky dip and discover a book and an author that you might never have even heard of.

At night point yourself towards the pool and watch the light show as the lighting changes colour and reflects off the pool enclosure.

There’s a cupboard full of cocktail making stuff in the kitchen. Take the cocktail lounge at it’s name. Mix your favourite drink, sit, and sip slowly. Bliss.

Master Bedroom

Let’s start with the basics.  Sleep!  Because if the basics aren’t there, everything else is for naught.

Orlando is a full-on place and you’ll need a mountain of energy to tackle it.  A great day out starts with a great night’s sleep. A great night’s sleep starts with a great bed. And a great bed starts with a great mattress.  That’s why you’ll be sleeping on a thousand pocket springs of pillow-topped luxury lovliness.  It’s the sleep that dreams are made of.

And don’t you just hate it when you are staying somewhere and design takes over from function. You’ve been to such places. They look great on a photo but by the time you’ve put your watch on the bedside table it’s already full. And the closest power for overnight charging is across the room on the floor. There’s no reason for it. Good style and good function can go hand-in-hand. Charge your phone and watch with the conveniently located USB power. Have a glass of water. A book. A kindle. A magazine. And there is still tons of space. Just how things should be.

Themed around Miami Beach with a Twist. The elegance and timeless art deco styling reflecting the South Beach architecture. A contemporary colour palette keeps things simple and calm with an original piece of art adding a slight zing of Miami Beach neon.

The other pieces of original art bring the tranquillity of Monet and the energy of Jackson Pollock because, well, bedrooms aren’t just for sleeping are they?

They’re a place for your first cup of coffee in the morning and last cup of tea at night. A place to catch-up with the news or watch a TV show or two that you’ve been meaning to watch for months. Alternatively curl up with a magazine or a good book while drifting away in your own private oasis.

Second Master Bedroom

Leave Manhattan on a late summer Friday evening and join the select group of millionaires heading for Long Island.  You pass through The Hamptons; Westhampton, Southampton, Bridgehampton, and East Hampton as the soft evening light highlights the pastel colours where the ocean meets the beach.  It was the setting for the TV show The Affair, and those beautiful pastel visuals are the design inspiration for this room.

The pastel blues of the sky and the sea.  Top-quality furniture with a timeless beachlike feel.  And a piece of original art that captures the special moment as the setting sun dips below the horizon and turns the ocean to liquid gold.

You’ll sleep on a pillow-topped mattress that is so comfortable it’s like sleeping on a cloud.

The mood lighting feels like your evening walk to your favourite beachfront restaurant and the view from the window looks straight out over the golf course.  Catch those early shafts of sunlight darting through the pine trees and you know it’s going to be a fabulous day.

Twin One

Just because our twin rooms are designed for the younger members of your family doesn’t mean they are any less comfortable.  Solid furniture and pocket-sprung pillow-topped mattresses mean you get a great night’s sleep whether you’re 3 year’s old, or 103 year’s old.

The Disney artwork is subtle and understated making our twin rooms just as suitable for adults as they are for children.  Quality linens and bedding comes as standard; but on request we can switch it out to give you a more full-on Disney experience.  For the golfers amongst you, forget the challenge that the worst shot of the day buys the beers.  Change it up a little.  Ask us for the pink Disney re-skin and the first one in a bunker sleeps with the princesses.

There’s ample USB power for keeping phones charged, wall-mount TVs, games consoles, and mood lighting for that perfect theatre-like ambiance; perfect for catching up with The Cartoon Network.

Twin Two

Bedroom 5 / Den / Office / Study

All villas have a smallest room and this one is ours.  But just because it’s the smallest doesn’t mean it’s any less comfortable.  We’ve made it our most versatile room; perfect for young or old, singles or doubles.  We can configure it differently depending on your needs.  As standard it’s a single with a safari feel, because let’s face it, who doesn’t love giraffes?

On request we can convert it to a twin if that’s better for your family. Or we can take it yet further and convert from a twin to another king.

I makes a brilliant room for your toddlers.  They feel safe and secure knowing you aren’t far away and at the same time they have their own space; as do you.

Kitchen

Let’s face it, you aren’t coming to Orlando to spend a lot of time in the kitchen are you?  But if you do want to knock up the odd meal you’ll find everything you need right at hand and easy to use.  Let’s talk about more fun things though shall we?

The oven gives you a precise temperature, which is great because it means you don’t burn the bake-yourself Nestle cookies that you bought from Publix only an hour earlier.

Two coffee machines means you can either brew a full pot for everyone, or just a couple of cups with the Keurig.  It’s perfect for when you want that quick fix without any faff.

Want something cold?  The refrigerator has chilled, filtered water on tap.  And ice.  Cubed ice for your drinks and crushed ice for when the clock ticks to margarita time.

Or how about a milkshake or two?  Throw some ice, milk and any leftover fruit into the Magic Bullet and blend yourself a lovely smoothie.  Or how about some ice, some banana, chocolate ice-cream, chocolate milk, and a squirt of chocolate syrup to give the complete chocolate milkshake overload.  Then take it out by the pool and enjoy every delicious second of it.

The best bit?  The most crazy gadget ever invented.  The kitchen roll holder with USB power.  It might sound bonkers but it’s so handy you’ll wonder why every house doesn’t have one.

Games Room

The big plus about the games room is that it’s inside the villa.

It’s worth taking a step back to talk about this for a moment.  Heaps of villas have their games rooms in their garage.  Garages that aren’t insulated, aren’t air conditioned, and because they are external to the main part of the villa are more accessible to Florida’s creepy crawlies.  The big deal is the lack of air conditioning.  Through the summer it’s easy for a garage to sit way over 100 degrees with a relative humidity also approaching 100%.  It makes garage based games room to all intents and purposes unusable.

Knowing this you can take no worries with you about whether you’ll be able to get in the odd game of pool or snooker.  We have a professionally installed, professionally lit 8′ Old World slate bed pool table with matching pockets, Aztec fabric, and full size pool balls.  Forget anything rickety.  This is a solid table, perfectly level, that’s a joy to play on.

If you want a longer game we also have a matching set of snooker balls.  Grab a beer, put some sport on the wall mounted TV, and enjoy yourself.