Reviews of Property: A piece of heaven on gulf with heated 80' lap pool

Our first vacation at "Heaven" was so enjoyable we decided after looking at other properties to go again.

The time at this unique home was nothing less than
amazing, sunsets, lap pool, amenities, cleanliness, and ambience of the home are not the typical rental.

If you plan to have fun and frolic while enjoying all there is
to do, Sponge Docks, restaurants, etc...like us you will
not be disappointed...plan another trip back in two years!

The owners were just the best hosts, so very helpful !

We (3 couples) spent a week here in early March and found the property and location great for our varied interests. The weather was absolutely perfect the whole time. Individually some of us would spend time in the hot tub or pool while others took walks in the neighboring park watching the abundant wildlife. Together we enjoyed Tarpon Springs and the many excellent Greek restaurants. We also spent a good bit of time just relaxing by the pool and watching the unobstructed sunsets. All of us especially enjoyed having music available both inside and outside.
The location is just excellent for biking which some of us did every day and some just a couple of days. Besides riding around the quiet neighborhood, the house is close to the famous 43 mile Pinellas Trail and also the 42 mile Suncoast Trail (both paved and both flat). Nothing back home to compare to the trails in Florida!!
There were a couple of minor equipment problems during our stay which the owner could not have anticipated nor easily prevented. Her response to getting them corrected quickly without inconveniencing us was above and beyond the call of duty. THANKS and thanks for a great week.

We have rented homes internationally. Not sure who voted this place 5* star... probably the owner. The view here is 5-star, but the house is not. The weather was cool, 40-70 F., avg. around 65-70 during the day. The owner only heated the pool to 78 F. (this in not warm!) about 4 days out of 14. Owner gave us a discount for staying 2 weeks, not for an unheated pool. We live in Calif. and Penn., and know that outdoor pools can be heated more than this. The interior of the house is borderline shabby. The couches and comfy chairs are worn and saggy, stained, and were covered in sheets, slip covers, and towels. The "oriental" bedroom had mold on the window sills, ripped, stained "Asian screens" held together with Scotch tape, and filthy rugs.The mattress pads were ripped and very old. I have the pictures to prove this. The 3rd bedroom had pillows behind it to brace it against the wall. Sheets and bedspreads (other than the master bedroom) were very old, thin, & worn. Mattresses are old. Many of the bath towels seem to have come from a local country club, where the owner sent us to use their heated pool. The throw rugs and white bedroom carpets were filthy. We tried to clean them. The kitchenware was old, mismatched, worn, and tired. The sink pads were disgusting. The kitchen chairs had black tape on the bottom, which caused black scrapes on the floor. The 2nd bathroom had mold around the shower doors. It appears that the owner moved out of the property 20 years ago and didn't bother to update, just rent it as is. The closets still had some of the owner's clothes inside. The pillows were smelly. The "fishing gear" provided was old and rusty. This property is not on a beach, as indicated in the"amenities."
We never saw "beach chairs" to take to the beach. The owner advertises this as a "low allergen environment".... this is certainly not the case. There was no cell phone service at the house unless you walked a 1/4 mile down the road. The ad for this property says that it is "in Clearwater Beach"...until you read the very fine print and find out that it is 15 miles north of CB. Location of the property to Anclote Marina, parks, fishing, Tarpon Springs, was good. I have never written a negative review, but felt that the truth needed to be told. The owner needs to spend some $$$ to replace linens, rugs, kitchen ware, couches, bedspreads, and interior design to make this place 5 star, inside AND out. It has that potential.

We read all the reviews and decided to spend our savings on A Piece of Heaven...we have travelled the World and there is no place to compare to this Oasis ! Gulf, lap pool etc. water surrounds the home..fabtastic sunsets and views!

We are now saving to return in 2010....highly recommend it ! The home has every comfort and just so romantic! dolphins, exotic birds, such ambience abounds !
Dianne is such a great hostess and tour guide.
Wine and shrimp were in the refrigerator as a welcoming gift. We were so amazed at the kind gesture !

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary in December 2008, so were looking for something special. We're very experienced in self-catering rentals and have stayed at dozens of unique places, from lighthouses through stately homes right up to medieval castles. This time we wanted a luxurious and idyllic retreat with the right mixture of isolation and proximity to amenities, never an easy task.

We found what we were looking for at Piece of Heaven. The owner, Dianne, could not have been more helpful, both in accommodating our needs at the outset, and making herself available throughout our stay.

The gulf setting is truly mesmerising. We live in a crowded urban setting so the panoramic views from the dock were wonderfully invigorating. Sunsets were of course glorious but we were surprised at how tame the cranes and pelicans were. Dolphins were also frequent visitors.

It doesn't get much better than relaxing in a hot tub overlooking the spectacular Gulf of Mexico!

There is plenty to do in the surrounding area and many restaurants in easy reach. Dianne has great contacts with local business people and gave us great advice on evenings out. The only problem with sightseeing is you might find it hard to tear yourself away from the house. We did!

We will definitely go again, this time with a bigger group!

What a wonderful location and a beautiful house, the setting, views and wildlife were all magnificent and we all had a fantastic time.

The kids loved the hot tub and pool and were particularly fascinated by the boat jetty complete with fishing and a 'crab pot .
Dianne was on hand at all times and was always helpful and very friendly.
We waited each evening for our heron to arrive and were fascinated by all the wildlife,we caught a glimpse of a dolphin which was lovely.
It most definately is 'a piece of heaven' .thank you for a wonderful week of relaxation.





We would confidently recommend this property

We spent two weeks in this stunning location with our children aged 18 & 15. They said it was the best holiday they had ever had!! This holiday is all about relaxing and taking in the breathtaking sunsets and magnificent wildlife. We needed the camera at hand to photograph the dolphins that swam just feet away and the many unusual birds that flew past.
Dianne couldn't have been more helpful and recommended many restaurants to us. A beautiful home, full of Dianne's unique treasures. Thank you so much for sharing your
fantastic home with us. We have so many wonderful memories of our holiday in, 'A Piece Of Heaven'.

Wait until you look out through the picture window - the view is truly amazing! Father and son had a great time fishing off the dock together and Mummy and young daughter loved playing in the pool. (The lap pool is fantastic for a dedicated swimmer too!) The sunsets over the bay are breathtaking. The variety of wildlife was something else from blue herons to dolphins who did come to play by the dock. WOW! The owner, Diane, is very kind and helpful and even returned my necklace for me. A great spot to stay where all the family will be happy. Thanks, Diane, you have a magical place.