Top 5 Tips For Renting a Beach House

I cannot think of a better post Christmas getaway than a week in Florida at a beach house. We flew to Tampa from Philadelphia (only a 2 hour flight) and spent a day in Sarasota before checking into our beach house. 5 adults and 6 kids, what could go wrong?!?! I decided to give my favorite tips for renting a beach house, as I would like to consider myself a pro! Sit back, relax, and grab your favorite beach drink….

Spend ample time researching the best house for your needs. We used VRBO.com on this trip (and always have) and this house turned out the be amazing. I always sent out a few options to the group who is coming and then book the house. I have never had any problems with VRBO and will continue to use it in the future. I love a beach house that has enough bedrooms/bathrooms for everyone, amazing outdoor space, good location, and updated amenities. This is the exact house we stayed in and I would do it again. https://www.vrbo.com/2347064ha

2. Have a plan. I like to spend some time right before the trip or on day one making a rough schedule and a menu. When feeding 11 people, it really helps if someone takes the lead and makes a menu for the meals, plans restaurants, and makes a big grocery/liquor store run. We did this on day one and it was so helpful. Not to say that we didn’t also make several other liquor store and grocery runs, but having the big one out of the way made things go a lot smoother.

3. Have a few activities for the kids. The main source of entertainment was the pool and hot tub, which were amazing and why we chose Florida. It was also helpful to have board games (we loved Uno and Mexican Dominos) and we also did some fun family challenges thanks to my 10 year old nephew who is doing the presidential fitness program in gym class (sit up and plank challenge anyone)??

4. We had a good mix of pool time with a few activities outside of the house. We did dinner out twice and went to the beach one day. It was a great mix of being home and getting out. I would highly recommend The Boathouse Grille and Tiki Bar for a fun outside venue on the water.

5. Rebook! If you loved the location and the group you were with, don’t hesitate to start planning your next trip! Getting 11 people together around the holidays is not easy, but fantastic memories were made and we are already talking about our 2023 vacation. Enjoy a few pics of us having fun!