Why should I stay in a villa and not in a hotel?
Comfortable hotels in the Disney area can be expensive, and if you’re travelling with kids, or in a group, it’s nice to have a bit of privacy in a space of your own at the end of a long day, instead of all being stuck together in the same hotel room, arguing over who gets to watch what on the telly! You could pay for an extra hotel room, but renting a vacation home gives you a whole house, with 4 bedrooms (cable TV in each), 3 full bathrooms, a comfortable lounge, kitchen and laundry facilities, offering security, privacy, and the added luxury of a private heated pool and spa, for your exclusive use. A home away from home! Compare the costs, and then decide which is the better option.
Why should I choose your villa in preference to others?
Our villa is ideally located, as close as possible to the major attractions – you can’t rent a villa closer to Disney than this!Do you really want to have to travel miles along US Hwy 192, US Hwy 27, or I-4 – in what is quite often very heavy traffic – to get to and from the attractions? Orlando is not only a busy holiday destination, it’s also a major business hub. What if you want to pop back home for a siesta or a dip in the pool in the early afternoon, the hottest part of the day? Being only 3 miles from the Disney property, and within 20 minutes of all other major attractions, makes this very easy if you stay here!
The villa is fortunate to overlook a tranquil lake at its rear, visited by a variety of local wildlife all year round. The back of the property faces west, with open views to the south from the pool deck, so you’ll have a great view of the sunset, and although it isn’t directly south-facing, this is not as important as you might think – the sun shines directly onto the pool and spa from about 10:30am every morning, and then you’ll have it right through until the end of the day – and because Florida is on the trailing edge of the US Eastern time zone, sunset is around 8:30pm in the summer months, and 6pm in winter!
When selecting a villa for your vacation, you should make sure you check the location before booking. Some well-known holiday companies offering Orlando villa rentals can’t or won’t tell you the location of the home you’ll be staying in until you arrive at the airport. Or if they do, they’ll charge you extra to select one in advance. Why take the risk of being allocated a villa that is many many miles away from all the attractions? If privacy is important, you need to also be sure when you book that the villa you are renting isn’t directly overlooked by others, or in the middle of a building site, and that there isn’t a busy, noisy highway right next to it. You won’t have any of these problems if you book our villa! Rolling Hills is an established community with no active building work, and the villa is situated on a quiet residential street, and backs onto a tranquil lake.
We believe our villa offers the best possible combination of location, amenities and privacy. Before deciding where to rent, make sure you compare the closeness to the attractions, the amenities offered, and the price – this will allow you to make an informed decision. Our aim is for you to enjoy your stay so much, that you’ll tell your friends and relatives how good it was, and they will want to follow in your footsteps!
How far is the villa from the airport?
The villa is less than 30 minutes drive from Orlando International Airport, and about 1 hour from Sanford International Airport (bear in mind that Sanford is about 20 miles to the north-east of Orlando city center, and all of the holiday attractions, hotels and villas are between 10 and 25 miles to the south-west of Orlando, so whereever you stay will involve a long drive from Sanford Airport!)
What are the check-in and check-out times?
The villa is available for occupation from 4pm on the day of your arrival, and you must leave by 10am on the day of departure. It may be possible to arrange extensions to these times, but it depends on whether the villa has other guests leaving or arriving on the same day, immediately before/after you, because we have to allow sufficient time for the cleaning and maintenance staff to be able to do their jobs properly on a changeover day.
Where do I collect my key?
This villa uses a keyless entry system, so you can go there straight from the airport! Once we receive full payment, you will be sent a Villa Information Pack, including detailed directions to the villa, and your door key code, which you will use to gain entry to the villa for the duration of your stay. A different key code is used for every party of guests. Many rental properties require their guests to collect a key from their management company’s office, which may involve going several miles out of your way, but we think you don’t need that kind of hassle just after you’ve got off a long flight!
What deposit do I need to pay when booking?
A reservation deposit of 20% of the total rental cost is required to secure your booking.
We will send you details of payment methods after you send your booking request.
A security deposit of £150 or $250 will be required – this can be submitted either by cheque in advance (this will be returned to you within 21 days of your departure), or by a credit card authorization taken by our management company when you arrive in Orlando. We recognize that 95% of our guests behave responsibly, and do not abuse the property, but we have to guard against the actions of the other 5%, and this deposit is taken to offset any damage, breakages, theft or excessive use of utilities during your stay, as detailed in the Rental Terms and Conditions. We will not cash the cheque (or charge your card), unless the property inspection performed after your departure reveals loss or damage, and you will be notified of any charge on the security deposit before the cheque is cashed, or your card is charged.
How can I make a reservation?
Please contact us directly, by using the Booking Request Form.
Do you allow smoking in the villa?
We ask that our guests refrain from smoking inside the villa. We strive to keep the villa in top condition, so that other guests will enjoy it as much as we know you will. We find that many guests prefer a smoke free environment, and this is why we request that you do not smoke in the villa.
Do you accept pets?
Sorry, but pets are not allowed at the villa. Too many of our guests suffer from allergies, and we want to keep the villa as clean as possible to avoid unnecessary irritation.
How many people may stay in the villa?
Rental Homes are governed by the State of Florida’s Department of Hotels. Just like hotel rooms, there is a maximum number of people that you are allowed in each rental property. Our villa is licensed for a maximum of ten guests.
Is the pool heated?
If you require the pool and spa to be heated, it is best to request this in advance, when placing your booking. It is also possible to arrange for pool heating during your stay, by contacting the management company, although there may be a delay of up to 24 hours before the water reaches the desired temperature, depending on the outside air temperature. Pool heating is normally necessary from November until April, when the pool temperature is at the mercy of the air temperature, and can fall below 75F at night. It may also be necessary to heat the pool on some days in May and October. The daily/weekly rates are quoted on the Rental Rates page. Pool heating must be purchased for a minimum of 3 days.
I don’t know how to care for a pool! Won’t that be a problem?
The pool pump operates on a timer, and our management company takes care of the pool cleaning, maintenance and chemical balance, so you don’t need to worry! Contact information for the management company, and instructions for operating the spa will be included in the Villa Information Pack.
Are all towels and linen provided?
All the necessary clean towels and linen are provided, but you will need to bring your own beach towels for use in the pool area, or at the water parks.
Is there a maid service during our stay?
The villa and all bed linens are cleaned before the arrival and after the departure of each group of guests. The villa is self-catering accommodation, and it is not serviced daily in the same way as a hotel, but extra maid service during your stay can be arranged, at an additional cost, by contacting the management company. Notice may be required, and it is not always available during busy holiday periods.
Is there a telephone in the villa?
Yes, the villa does have its own telephone, which you can use to make free local calls and toll-free (800) calls, so you can order a take-out, book tickets, or contact the management company. Any long distance calls will require you to use a pre-paid calling card (available from many stores), or use one of the credit card calling services (eg, 1-800-COLLECT). The villa’s telephone number will be provided in the Villa Information Pack, which will be sent to you after full payment is received.
How do I access the Internet?
The villa has its own secure High Speed Internet (DSL) connection, which is available to our guests free of charge. Please note – the villa does NOT have its own PC, because maintaining a PC to keep it free of viruses, spyware, etc… is difficult to do from the other side of the world! You must bring your own laptop computer to access the Internet from the villa – both wired and wireless connections are available, but if your laptop is not wireless-enabled, you will have to bring your own network cable to plug into the router. If you are not bringing a laptop with you, free high speed Internet access is available at a local public library.
Air Conditioning / Televisions / Washer and Dryer / Cooking and Cleaning?
The villa has a central air conditioning system. There is a large cable television, DVD player and video recorder in the lounge, and each of the 4 bedrooms has cable TV and a DVD player. The standard set of more than 70 cable channels is available on all televisions. You will also find the following in the villa:
- Sony Playstation 2, two controllers, games
- Microsoft Xbox, two controllers, games
- Clean bedding, linens and towels for the maximum number of guests
- Washer, Dryer and Clothes Horse
- Fridge & Freezer
- Oven and Cooking Range
- Microwave Oven
- Dishwasher and Garbage Disposal
- Full sets of Cutlery and Crockery for up to 10 people
- Dishes, Pots and Pans for average size meals (there are no large roasting pans or baking dishes)
- Coffee Maker, Kettle, Toaster, Food Blender, Mixer
- Iron and Ironing Board, Mop, Broom
- Starter supply of soaps, toilet tissue and paper towels that will last for at least the first 48 hours – this is a self catering villa, so you should expect to have to purchase these extra items from a local supermarket (eg, Winn Dixie at Formosa Gardens Shopping Plaza, only 2 minutes away by car)
What don’t you supply?
- Extra-large beach/pool size towels
- Food items, coffee filters, extra toiletries
- Extra garbage bags
- Laundry and Dishwasher machine soap
What if I have a problem during my stay?
Staff from our professional local management company are available to deal with any issues that may arise during your stay. Their office is only a two minute drive from the villa, and they also operate a 24 hour emergency contact number. All of the villas under their management are in the same area, within a one mile radius, and their maintenance staff are working in the area all day every day, so help is never far away! Contact numbers and location information for our management company, the local police department, and nearby hospitals are all provided in the Villa Information Pack, which will be sent to you after full payment is received.
Are there any restaurants nearby?
There is a good selection of restaurants around the Formosa Gardens Plaza, only a 2 minute drive from the villa, including TGI Friday’s, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and a variety of Italian, Chinese and Japanese restaurants (delivery available). There are also many many more restaurants spread along the Hwy 192 strip, within two miles of the villa. We are certain that you’ll be spoilt for choice! We personally recommend “Uno Chicago Grill”, which is a bit further away – about 5 miles east along Hwy 192, for great value Italian-American food!
How far is it to the beaches?
The Atlantic Coast beaches are about 1 hour away to the east, along the Bee Line Expressway. The beaches of the Gulf Coast are a bit further, around 2 hours away in the other direction, west along Interstate 4.
Is there any building work going on nearby?
Rolling Hills is a peaceful, established community, and you will be pleased to hear that there is no building work being carried out on the estate, although there is currently (2006) other building work ongoing on some other communities in the surrounding area.
How many vehicles are permitted at the villa?
A maximum of 4 vehicles are allowed at the villa. There is space for two cars in the garage, and two on the drive. Motor homes, campers or caravans are allowed, but there is not enough space for trailers or boats. Commercial vehicles are not permitted. Local ordinances prohibit the parking of vehicles on the street at night.