Some pages call the house a Villa and others a vacation home, what is it?

In the UK we call a vacation home a Villa, whereas in the States a Villa is often taken to mean a 'condo' or apartment.     

Our home is a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom detached property with a private pool and hot spa. A vacation home for those in the States, and a Villa for those in the UK and Europe!

How many people are allowed to stay at the Villa?

The property has been designed and furnished to sleep 8-10 people in 4 bedrooms and a Queen sleeper Sofa as a 5th Bedroom option. 

If you have a little one, there is also a cot provided at the house and the Queen Sofa bed is located in the living room for maximum flexibility.

How far is the property from the major Orlando attractions?

Disney World is around 4 to 5 miles (8-10 minutes) from your door.  Sea World, International Drive and Universal Studios take about 10-15 minutes.  Busch Gardens and the Atlantic Coast are approximately 45 minutes away.  

Bellavida is located on Oren Brown road which runs between the 192 and Poinciana Blvd, so all major attractions (and the house!) are easy to find and there are a lot of smaller attractions like Medieval Times, Arabian Nights, Gatorland etc that are all within a 5 minute drive.

What is behind the Villa - is it private?

Some other Villas back onto walls, fences, roads or worse still right onto other Villa pools.  Our Villa backs onto an amazing deeded conservation woodland area so you can chill out by the Pool and Hot Spa, without being overlooked or disturbed by traffic noise, ever!!

How do we find the Villa and how do we get in?

The Villa is in the Bellavida Resort just behind the Medieval Times Village and is very easy to find, we will send you full directions 2-3 weeks before your arrival.

The property has a Lockbox entry system so you don't need to pick up keys from the Concierge when you get to Orlando, you can simply drive straight to the Villa.

Do we need to bring bed linen and towels etc?

No, we don't expect you to take up your luggage allowance bringing towels etc.   The Villa is furnished and fitted out to a very high standard.

Hand, Bath and Pool Towels, are all provided for your use and all bed linen is professionally cleaned between guest visits. 

Hairdryers are also provided free of charge.

What about babies or infants in Orlando?

Taking your baby or small child on a long flight for the first time can be stressful enough without worrying about making sure you have everything you need and carrying it all through the airports.

We have tried to ensure the house has everything a family with an infant could need, including a crib (cot), high chair, infant drinking cups and bowls and some Videos / Dvds to keep the small ones occupied.

The pool has a mesh safety fence (which can be removed by the adults if you choose to).

If you have any additional or specific requests for equipment for your children please let us know as we may already have them and simply not have them listed or can get them in for your stay.

What about older kids and adults that refuse to grow up?

The house has a selection of both traditional and electronic toys to play with,  ideal for a rainy day or to keep the kids occupied when the adults kick them out of the pool.

We have the usual selection of board games and a fully equipped Large Games room with a 8ft Pool table, 6ft Electronic Darts, Playstation 3 (on-line) and other recreation items...   

If there is something you would like to see, just ask as we may have added it already and not updated this page, or we may be able to obtain something for your stay.

Are the pool and spa heated?

Yes, we have upgraded our pool heater to a very efficient 333,000 BTU gas heater (many homes only have a 250,000 heater or an electric model that will only raise the temperature by 20 degrees). We recommend you select pool heat from late September through to early May.

There is an additional charge for pool heat as shown on the booking form.  Whilst we have tried to keep the charge as low as possible, unfortunately it takes a lot of power to heat a large swimming pool and Spa!!

The maximum pool temperature allowed by Florida law is 85 degrees F.
 

What stores are nearby?

Orlando is a shoppers paradise.

For the supermarket you are unlikely to want to go any further than the large    24 hour Super Walmart which is approximately 300 metres from the entrance to the Bellavida resort or Super Target which is 2 miles from the property.

All the other major chains, Publix, Winn Dixie etc are all nearby.

While in Orlando, check out the Florida Mall and don't forget to visit the Premium Outlet Mall which is only 8-10 minutes drive away on John Young Parkway and has many designer label outlets, often at very low prices.

There are 1000's of other stores, many up and down the main 192 so if shopping is your thing, just remember to take an extra suitcase to take everything back home in (or buy one in Walmart - they are probably cheaper than back home!)

What about restaurants?

Everything from all you can eat to fine dining can be found within 5 minutes of the Villa, there are simply to many to list (we have listed some popular restaurants on our locations page). 

The resort complex will have a full concierge service available from May 2007, so if you are looking for fine dining and would like to book a table and a cab they should be able to help you.  All the advantages of a hotel with the privacy and convenience of your own home!

What if we get ill while we are away?

We recommend all visitors to the Villa ensure they have full travel insurance,  including medical cover as medical treatment in the States can be expensive. 

If you have the cover and you are unlucky enough to need to use it, call your insurance company first!  The insurance company usually take care of everything,  often getting a doctor out to see you or giving you details of the doctor you need to see.

For first aid, there are Walgreen pharmacies all along the 192, many of them are open 24 hours.

What services are provided at the house or on the BellaVida Resort ?

The house will be fully serviced prior to your arrival, it is cleaned to a very high standard by our management company cleaners.  The pool and garden are all kept immaculate by the resort staff which keeps the whole resort looking fantastic.    During your stay, the gardeners and pool maintenance company may visit to do their work but they will do everything they can to ensure this does not disturb your stay while at the resort.

The house will not be cleaned during your stay unless you request it, there will be an additional charge if you request a mid-stay clean.

What about the BellaVida Resort - what facilities are 'on-site?'

The BellaVida Resort has a large Clubhouse with a concierge service, cyber cafe, arcade, exercise room, staffed gated entry, walking trails, basketball court, sand volleyball court, Italian style formal garden areas, bocce ball, children's playground and a huge oversized zero entry pool.  Everything you would expect from a 5 star hotel but with the convenience, comfort and privacy of your own luxury Villa. 

How do we book?

Simply make an availability enquiry to check the dates you would like to book are available and to get a free confirmed quotation.

If you are happy with the quotation, just let us know you would like to go ahead with the booking and we will send you a booking form.

Is there a minimum booking period or rental start day?

During the peak season we do not normally accept booking for less than 7 days and more than 28 days.

For the majority of the year there is no specific start or end day as we understand the cheapest flights are quite often not on a Saturday, however during peak times we may impose a Saturday or Sunday start day.

Any more questions?

If you have a question we have not answered,  please feel free to contact us.