Executive homes are more upscale. Each of these homes includes additional luxury amenities: Wi-fi, a

The laidback beach town sprawls across seven mile long Estero Island, no more than half a mile across at its widest point. On the Gulf of Mexico side, the island is rimmed with wide, flat, sugar-white sand beaches ranked among the world's safest for their shallow water and lack of riptides.
The east side the island is separated from the mainland by Estero Bay. Cruising or kayaking among mangrove islands in Florida's first aquatic preserve , you'll discount air adventure cruise travel see dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and five-foot-tall wading birds.
The beach trolley makes a constant loop from the souvenir shops and rollicking bars at Times Square (where they lower a beach ball on New Year's Eve) on the north end of the island to pristine Lovers Key State Park in the south.
"We're the only Rental Management Agency on Fort Myers Beach that exclusively handles homes . We don't have any condos," says Judith Lee, who runs Sun Palace Vacations with her husband, Ron Hemstreet.
Ron and Judith traded a high-stress life producing live events in Toronto, Canada, for the laid-back community feel of Fort Myers Beach shortly after buying a five-bedroom vacation home almost a decade ago.
Over the years they have assembled a collection of beach-basic duplexes, charming vintage beach cottages and luxe contemporary homes something for every taste and budget . Washed in beach blues, sunny yellows and sunset oranges, the Fort Myers Beach cottages and homes range from expansive, executive-level discount air adventure cruise travel villas with every creature comfort, to sand-on-your-feet casual tile and leather or rattan to one-of-a-kind. Sweet Dreams discount air adventure cruise travel , the former home of local artist Dick Sweet, discount air adventure cruise travel which is filled with original art, with an amazing seashell-studded fireplace at its center.
Many of these Fort Myers Beach cottages and homes are beachfront or no more than a 700-step stroll to high tide . (None is more than five minutes from the sand.) Most have private pools and hot tubs . A number of the Fort Myers Beach cottages are large several sleep 12 to 16 people. All (but one) are dog-friendly .
What may not be evident at first glance: the duplexes, cottages and homes are conveniently clustered to maximize options for vacationing families and wedding parties . It was a happy accident at first.
"When we started out, we had large homes and we didn't have any competition at that time," says Ron. "So anybody looking for a large home for a family reunion or a wedding or multi-generation get-together ended up with us." It didn't take them long to realize they had carved out a great niche. "We started to focus on growing discount air adventure cruise travel our clusters," Judith says. "We have three clusters of homes two sleep up to 45 and one sleeps 50 and we're building discount air adventure cruise travel another cluster closer to the pier/tourist area."
The beach is so nice that all the people from Miami and Fort Lauderdale come here to vacation," Judith says. Sun Palace Vacations manages two groups discount air adventure cruise travel of 12 Beachfront Rentals with stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico from second story decks and living areas. Sea Breeze Cottage is closest to the water 25 feet closer discount air adventure cruise travel than other homes on the beach and has the most stunning views from Sanibel to Bonita.
Half a dozen Island Cottages are a (short) one- to five-minute walk to the beach. Mermaid's Lagoon , the farthest from the beach, discount air adventure cruise travel has a lush, tropical wraparound patio with a lovely private pool and spa that ends in a boat dock on a canal.
Two- to six-bedroom Beachfront duplexes and cottages on the sand are furnished with beach-basic tile floors and new leather or rattan furnishing with vivid, tropical print cushions. Many of the Island Cottages combine vintage Key West character , including cupolas and hurricane shutters, discount air adventure cruise travel with a sharp, contemporary decor .
Every rental has cable TV(s), broadband Internet access (most have Wi-Fi), stereo and telephone, as well as a well-equipped kitchen, laundry facilities, a charcoal or gas grill, lounge discount air adventure cruise travel chairs and outdoor dining furniture, hairdryers and beach towels and toys.
Executive homes are more upscale. Each of these homes includes additional luxury amenities: Wi-fi, a gas barbecue grill, beach chairs, umbrellas and a cooler and a cart to carry everything. Some have free long distance and i-Pod docks.
Tip: Look at the shoulder seasons late April (after Easter) to June and November (excluding Thanksgiving) through Christmas for the no crowds-good weather-discounted prices Trifecta. ( Cheeseburgers at The Sand Bar are $2 during the off-season; a rack of ribs at South Beach ? $5. No waiting.
Sun Palace Vacations has multiple seasonal rates that vary over the calendar year. The least expensive time to come is from late August discount air adventure cruise travel to early October (Columbus Day). The high value shoulder season is from mid-April up to Memorial Day in late May and from early October up to Christmas (excluding Thanksgiving).
Accidental Damage Insurance Fee In lieu of a refundable security deposit of up to $1,000 charged by many management companies on the beach, discount air adventure cruise travel Sun Palace Vacations assesses $75 per rental for an accidental damage insurance policy with up to $1,500 accidental damage coverage.
discount air adventure cruise travel Optional Vacation Rental Insurance: Basically trip insurance, this covers trip cancellation, interruption, travel and/or baggage delay, medical expense and emergency medical transportation. It is highly recommended during hurricane season: August through October.
"This is also a great option if you have elderly relatives, uncertain job issues, pre-existing medical conditions, large groups of people traveling, or are flying from a snowbound destination during winter," says Judith. "The policy we offer covers everyone on your guest list. They will be reimbursed for any days booked that are not occupied."
Judith and Ron and full-time reservationist, Danielle, run the show with help from a trusted local cadre of local cleaning and maintenance people. Pools are serviced twice a week and someone is accessible 24/7 .
• Sun Palace Vacations is always scouting discount air adventure cruise travel special deals for guests . For example, Sunday mornings during the off-season (May through discount air adventure cruise travel October), you can rent a boat for three hours bay cruise for only $50. "We've been working with a marina that has a boat that holds up to 45 people. We're going to arrange to do sunset tours for the larger groups of people," says Judith.
• Preferred vendors/suppliers for special events. "Most weddings are low-key," says Judith. "We can put guests in touch with a local florist, photographer, even a minister who does nondenominational weddings on the beach for a 25-guest wedding." discount air adventure cruise travel The local beach photographer also specializes in family portraits.
"We're definitely more family-oriented," Ron says. "Most of our properties are just south of mid-island away from the traffic and Spring discount air adventure cruise travel Break craziness and close to the grocery store, a dine-in movie theater and churches. It's residential for the most part. But there are still activities and things to do within a very close range."
With easy beach access and the beach trolley to take you from souvenir shopping to Back Bay kayaking, you really don't need to move your car at all in these centrally located rentals. But Fort Myers Beach itself is centrally located within southwestern Florida. And it would be a shame to miss some of the Fort Myers Florida attractions and activities nearby. Everglades National Park makes a fascinating day trip. Sun Palace Vacations can offer you discounts on guided tours of the Everglades that are seriously memorable experiences.
"In the last months, I've seen a real shift in the volume of inquiries by families and other groups," Judith notes. "People are getting together in one or two of our Fort Myers Beach cottages. They're spending money at the local grocery story and staying in. They take turns making dinner, so we make sure that kitchens are especially well stocked. We also have a lot of wedding gatherings , girls getaway weekends and on average one group a month comes to grieve . The beach is very healing."
The only agency on Fort Myers Beach that only handles discount air adventure cruise travel homes, Sun Palace Vacations has convenient discount air adventure cruise travel clusters that are perfect discount air adventure cruise travel for groups of up to 50. "When people call, we ask a lot of questions to match the house to the guest's needs ," Judith says. "We don't want them showing discount air adventure cruise travel up and being disappointed. If they want a beachfront cottage and can't afford it, they might be comfortable with a house with a private pool a block from the beach. People are always surprised that we know each home down to the smallest detail ."
"We try to be perfectionists about everything from buying hotel-grade sheets to replenishing soaps, cleaning products and tin foil to showing up to greet every guest in person. We want people to feel that they're getting everything they have at home or more. I think we have the highest level of décor and cleanliness. We like to think we have the best cleaners on the beach. If you go to FlipKey responses, people comment on how clean out Fort Myers Beach cottages are and the great personal service they receive."