Big Family House Close to Beach, Heated Lagoon Pool, Infant/Pet friendly

Stay at the home of a NY Times best-selling food writer and her tech husband! Pet friendly, lots of space and charm, great location (2 blocks to beach) with private lagoon-style heated pool amid lush landscaping and beautiful rock waterfall. Chef-outfitted kitchen with new appliances, 60-inch Sony HDTV, Italian leather reclining sofas, BBQ, beach gear, comfy beds, lots of infant and kid stuff. Plenty of space for friends or families sharing. Updated bathrooms with great showers. Ground floor, so no stairs!

Thanks to Mike, my architectural designer/tech consultant husband, plenty of detail and love have been poured into this large, comfy island home for the pats 20 years.

Our beautiful pool is completely surrounded by lush landscaping, so it's completely private. You'll love the real rock grotto waterfall. We keep at a warm 88F/31C degrees+ year-round. We recently updated our front yard so it offers another outdoor hangout area, complete with outdoor games such as corn hole.

Our unique home offers four bedrooms with an optional fifth offers plenty of space for extended families, two families sharing or a friends retreat. Three of the bedrooms have king beds. We've got everything you need for infants & kids, including multiple Pack N' Play cribs, a baby monitor, etc.

We want you to feel like you're staying at a friend's beach house, not just a vacation rental, so we supply a lot of extra amenities and many small touches, like a welcome basket on arrival and more towels than you'll ever need. Our unique layout is great for two/extended families sharing, or a friends retreat.

Cook big meals in our fully equipped kitchen remodeled in 2019 with all new appliances. Plenty of dishes, loads of cookware and even big serving platters provided. Eat inside or out under palms on the deck; both tables can seat a big group. Help yourself to anything in the cupboards, which we keep stocked with spices, oils, vinegar, condiments, etc. for cooking great meals. Two kitchen islands means lots of space to hang out and cook, eat or just drink wine together.

We provide plenty of beach stuff, including chairs, umbrellas, a large canopy, boogie boards and enough sandcastle gear to build a fortress. Help yourself to dozens of books, DVDs or more than 20 board games. I've even hand-picked a half dozen Florida- and seafood-focused cookbooks for your use (plus a couple of beach cocktail titles... should you be interested).

Our goddaughters grew up coming to this house, so families, we've got you covered: kid dinnerware, a high chair, two folding cribs, a toddler cot, soft infant toys, baby linens, indoor toys, pool toys, a baby monitor, sound machine and a beat-up big-wheel stroller we call the Baby Dune Buggy (so you don't ruin your own). We also have "high locks" on all the pool-facing doors for safety.

Our bathrooms have been renovated in the past couple of years and feature great custom tile showers with European fixtures and cool pebble floors. We updated the "Beach Bathroom" in 2021 with amazing wall jets and a rainfall shower that just has to be experienced. The "River Rock" bathroom has a Toto bidet toilet. There's also a high-quality outdoor shower as you enter the property so you can wash off sand from the beach.

We provide all guests with a 25-page guide to the house, island and local restaurants. I grew up on the island and I'm a Paris-trained chef, so I can give you insights on the best places to eat, buy local seafood and even where to find the local farmer's markets.

We have been renting our home to select guests for 15+ years. We have hosted thousands of guests. We love the island and pride ourselves on providing a great experience for all our guests. You won't find a better value or more dedicated hosts anywhere on the island.

We have earned 100% five-star reviews for the past five years here on VRBO and another well-known rental platform. We know that selecting a place to stay isn't just about money, but valuable time to make memories with family and friends. We make every effort to assure you have an extraordinary experience.

We manage our home ourselves and it is our only rental on the island. We have guests who return year-after-year who have become part of our Twin Palms Family. Maybe that will be you?

Frequently Asked Questions
(Yes, this is longer than most listings. I write books, remember?)

Q. How big is your pool?
Our custom lagoon-style kidney-shaped pool was installed in 2014. It's about 23 feet x 12 feet. It is not a lap pool. The compact size allows us to keep it at around 88F. It features a real rock waterfall, lush landscaping. Seating is spread out over three deck areas. Our outdoor deck table can seat ten at once, while the entire deck can seat up to 18. We keep our pool at 88 degrees+ all year and have it professionally serviced twice a week for optimal cleanliness.

Q. How close are you to the beach?
We're located about 250 meters from the beach, about two blocks, a five-ish minute stroll, a 90-second drive in a golf cart or two minutes by bike. We lobbied our local city council and have the only official crosswalk with lights on this part of the island so you never have to wait for traffic. We have a heavy duty cart and a small trolley to carry all your beach gear. We provide plenty of towels for both indoor use and beach/pool use, a new front-loading washer/dryer combo with 20-minute wash setting and supply all laundry detergent.

Q. Are you kid-friendly?
You bet! We're completely set up for kids, with a high chair, two folding cribs, a folding toddler cot, inflatable toddler mattresses, baby monitor, sound indoor toys, beach toys, kids books, kids plates/bowls/cups, family friendly DVDs, etc. We also have high locks installed on the doors near the pool, plus a special portable pool alarm available for guests. We are better set up for infants than probably any other home on the island. Our guide provides a complete listing of all the gear we have on hand so you don't bring anything we've already supplied.

Q. Are you pet friendly?
A. Yes, we have a small terrier we love and adore. We can accommodate one dog up to 35 pounds per guest party, and guests must tell us about their dog in advance. We regret that our house isn't the right fit for guests with large dogs. We supply information on the local off-leash park, pet-friendly restaurants, plus other important info and provide food/water bowls. We do not charge a pet fee, but instead ask guests to leave a cash tip for our awesome cleaning team.

Q. What is the bedroom situation like?
The house has four bedrooms plus the Lido room which can be used as an optional fifth bedroom. The setup is great for two families or multiple generations sharing.

Here's how they break down:
- Captains Quarters (king bed), 42'' smart TV
- Shell bedroom (king bed)
These two share a newly remodeled shower with body jets and a waterfall shower. There is a door from the living that transforms those rooms into its own little two-bedroom suite area. The Shell bedroom has a new Vant upholstered wall system - it's super comfy. There is a rocking chair in the Captain's room for parents.

- Waterfall (California King)
- Lido Room (two twins, 55'' LG Frame TV)
These two rooms have French doors opening directly to the pool area, and they share a bathroom with a waterfall shower with river rock floor (soothing on sore feet). The doors have "high locks" to prevent kids from getting to the pool undetected. Both have blackout blinds.

Lido has two twin beds that are made up as daybeds with super comfortable plush upholstered triangle pillows that can be moved around for reading, playing video games, etc. The TV can accommodate play with console devices; let us know if you plan to bring one and we can send the online manual. This room can be used as an extra hangout area or close off the heavy wood bypass doors and its a fifth bedroom.

The bookcase off Lido is stocked with board games, Texas hold-em sets, puzzles, kids coloring stuff, etc. and lots of family games.

Hemingway (queen)
This bedroom on its own off the dining room. We recently upgraded it with a queen bed that is set up as an oversized daybed with headboard pillows all around it. It is now one of our favorite rooms in the house. It has a cool custom-made barn door and a desk overlooking the wood deck area. (I use it as a writing office.) Teens love this room; it's also good for single adults. It has blackout blinds.

Q. How do we get keys?
A. No keys! We use coded locks only. Arrive at any time after check-in using a secure code unique to you, generally the last four digits of your mobile phone number so you can remember it easily. Check-in is completely contact free.

Q. Is there a dedicated work area?
A. Yes, there is a desk just inside the entrance in the house in a small bedroom we call the Hemingway Room. It has a barn door and is private but not sound proof.

Q. Do you allow events?
A. We only allow parties that are essentially family gatherings. We have had families host small wedding brunches or dinners as we are set up to serve a large group of diners.

Q. Do you have a minimum age rental?
A. Yes. Due to the special nature of our home, we restrict rentals to guests 25 years and older. The individual renting the home must be on-site with the group.

Q. Do you offer a guide to the house and island?
A. Since the owner is a writer who has worked on guidebooks and as a restaurant critic, you will get an overly detailed guide to the house and island. Hopefully, no matter what you're looking for, we'll have answered it. Where to rent a golf cart? Check. Where to get sushi? Check. What kinds of small appliances will I find in the kitchen, and do you have a Keurig? Check and check.

Our goal is for you to have the best possible time on our beloved and beautiful island.

Rental license #VRC20-000330