Northwest Florida Getaways 2008 - (Page 15) northwest getaways a property management company. It rents out stand-alone houses and condos on behalf of independent property owners. ResortQuest oversees more than 3,000 such offerings in Northwest Florida, from Perdido Key all the way to Panama City. Offerings range from studio suites to 10-bedroom luxury beach “cottages.” “The main difference between vacation rentals and just going to a hotel is space,” says Warner. “You have more than just a bedroom. You typically have a few bedrooms, plus a kitchen, plus a living area. You can spread out. There’s [typically] more than one TV, so the kids can watch what they want in one of the bedrooms, the parents can watch in the living room. You don’t have to eat every meal out. There’s a kitchen.” Patricia Hardiman, marketing director for Southern Resorts Vacation Rentals, concurs. The company manages more than 400 properties throughout Northwest Florida, virtually all either beachfront or within walking distance of the Gulf of Mexico. “People just want the space,” says Hardiman. “What if you want to have a party? That’s hard to do in a hotel room. With us, you have complete privacy.” Southern Resorts’ rental stable runs from one-bedroom beach-access condos to eight-bedroom beachfront extravaganzas. As you might imagine, there’s quite a price spread. But more significant for some is the array of styles available. Whether you prefer the stand-alone, classically cozy beach cottage or the modern, minimalist high-rise beachfront condominium, these vacation rental companies are happy to match your taste and price. Their websites offer photos, virtual tours and those cozy-cute cottage names given by owners. A sampling from ResortQuest includes: home near Seaside boasts porches upstairs and down. o Moondance: Situated a short walk from the beach, this Santa Rosa property is the quintessential Florida beach cottage. It boasts a private pool, screened-in porch, outdoor shower and lots of greenery. Southern Resorts offers a similar array of properties, including: Here, a cottage in Destin’s Frangista Beach from Southern Resorts. o South Beach: These beige-andwhite condos sit directly on Fort Walton Beach and offer their own wet bars. o Splash: A resort on Panama City Beach with luxury condos available for rent. Splash offers beachfront pools, a water park, poolside bar and grill and kids’ play pools with waterslides. o Garden Cottage: This house, situated in Destin, looks like a Florida fairytale hideaway – think white picket fence and plenty of palms. Affordable and private cottages Architectural diversity. Privacy. Space. By now you may be wondering about how these rentals affect your wallet. The Yellow Parrot is a special stand-alone property located on Seagrove Beach, and managed by ResortQuest. With Gulf views, its “Bedazzled,” Emerald Sun Properties, Seaside. own pool and lake, spa and upstairs and downstairs balconies, you can understand why, in high season, the place (at press-time) commands $904 per night. But you can exhale. The house boasts eight bedrooms. If you’re looking for a getaway with a big gang, expect to spend only $113 dollars per bedroom per night. And if you want someplace slightly less palatial, know that the two-bedroom condos at Seagrove Place run from $240 per night in high season; the three-bedroom Moondance cottage, from $330 per night. But there are ways to get an even better bang for your buck. Consider traveling during the winter and “shoulder” season (roughly spring and fall), when prices drop dramatically. (The Yellow Parrot can be had for less than $650 per night when the mercury drops; One Seagrove Place, $120; Moondance, $200.) Stay-two-nights-get-one-free deals are plentiful. And the price per night continues to drop for guests willing to stay a week or more. Property amenities are sometimes a deal in themselves. Verify a property’s o One Seagrove Place: This 21-story condo complex rises like a series of sunset-hugging monoliths along the Gulf in the artsy town of Santa Rosa Beach. o Tupelo Honey: This two-story Old Florida-style Northwest Getaways 15
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