The condo is nicely furnished and spacious with comfortable sleeping arrangements. It’s a short walk to the beach—5-6 minutes, and lots to do and see on the island—lighthouse, Historic Village, JN Ding Darling Wildlife Reserve, C.R.O.W, Sea Shell Museum to mention a few must-see places. Loads of bikers and walkers, and Captiva Island is a short drive away—a visit to the Mucky Duck is a must. We did have some issues that are detailed below. All-in-all the condo was a nice space, and without the issues would have rated our stay higher.
The kitchen has been remodeled—granite counter tops and new cabinets, however, the stove was probably not replaced during the remodel. Two of the burners did not heat correctly and the oven did not heat properly. (We stayed for 3 weeks so ate meals in the condo quite often.) The coffee maker was very old--the heat plate was rusted and did not keep the coffee well heated---also took a while to brew a pot of coffee. We battled sugar ants on the kitchen counters & around the refrigerator during our stay (even found some in the bathrooms—they congregate around water); had to spray at least 3 times, put out ant traps, & cleaned counters each night with bleach spray (per Google advice). We had to keep the food that did not need refrigeration on the dining room table to keep it away from the ants.
The speed of the WiFi was a problem when surfing the internet or watching Amazon Prime (I imagine Netflix and Hulu would be the same)—the WiFi would buffer several times while watching a program…annoying. Also, the internet would go off and on intermittently. We worked with the owner (he’s remote in another state) to get it fixed, even went to the cable company store to pick up a new router and install it, but unfortunately the speed issues were not resolved. The owner said the entire building was WiFi-challenged—other tenants also confirmed the WiFi in the building was not optimal—sounds like a service call is in order for the entire condo complex.
While the condo was clean, there were some minor issues in the kitchen and bathroom. We found some mildew…not surprising since Florida is hot and humid—also the bathrooms are not equipped with fans to pull the humidity out when bathing. (The bleach spray came in handy again!) I imagine the cleaning crew doesn’t have lots of time to do thorough cleanings in between tenants, but would be a good idea to schedule one. Again, if not for these issues, would have rated our stay higher.
