Hi....Paul Again
It is with split feelings that I write this section. Perhaps this is the reason I have delayed its drafting for so long. I have always questioned the validity of testimonials from any company as my belief was that they pick the people/comments that best represent their products or services.
That said, I have decided that it is important to share with you the feedback we have received from our guests.
There are three main sources of feedback about our website and properties:
(1) Guest Satisfaction calls - we make to every guest the first or second day they are in our homes
(2) Paper or Web based "Quality Feedback" surveys that can be found in each of our homes in the "Guest Books" and on www.marcomagic.com
(3) Un-Solicited feedback from guests usually in the form of after visit emails.
Serenity (Renting from February of 2000)
Sharon - Florida, August 2003:
Dear Paul & Linda,
We would like to thank you for our wonderful stay at the "Serenity" from July 26 - Aug 2 2003. My family of 8 spent the glorious week in complete serenity. We are from the ages of 4 to 79 so we are very diverse and need space so accommodate us all. The kids & grandkids got to the house before we did. As we pulled up Haylie & Devin ran out to greet us saying the house was beautiful & bigger & better then their house. When we entered we found the house to be exactly as advertised. It was nice to have a full working kitchen. The four bedrooms were perfect for our family and we didn't feel like we were on top of each other. The covered lanai & pool area was very large and we seemed to live outside in this area. We brought our boat so the boat dock was perfect not only for the boat but for fishing. Of course my husband left his new fishing pole alone for a moment and we know there is a fish somewhere in the gulf lugging a pole behind him.
I want to thank you for your concern & attentiveness to our family to make sure we had a wonderful time during our stay. I have never rented a house in which the owner was as interactive. It was very comforting to know you were around without being intrusive. Usually were never get to meet the owners. When we had questions you went beyond giving us information to help us out. When the dryer needed fixing you took care of it immediately.
We would definitely recommend this property but most of all both of you and any property you would rent. We hope to see visit again soon.
Susan - Massachusetts, March, 2003: Well, what can I say! This house is even more beautiful than the pictures.... We didn't get here last night till about 10-the rental car they gave us at the airport had a flat tire and we had to wait around till they got us another one but finally we made it. Boy, was it worth the wait!
Right now I cannot even find the words to describe this place and how we are all feeling. We have all settled in nicely. You and your wife did a fantastic job setting up this place. It really does have everything one needs and more. I am sure this week will fly by for us, but we will try and soak up every ounce of serenity that we can. We are already talking about when we want to come back next year!
Well, thank you again for making this trip so easy to plan. It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you
Andrew - New York, April, 2002: My family and I would like to express our sincerest gratitude to you for making our vacation to Marco Island a tremendous success. It was with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to Serenity, for that was what she was - serene, peaceful, beautiful - a haven of rest.
Your home was magical, with nothing left out. Our compliments on the extensive thought you obviously put into furnishing your home. We thoroughly fell in love with the place, and wish we could stay forever. I am so happy that I made the choice to do business with you. Your kindness, assistance, and attention to detail are remarkable and explains why your home is such a hit.
I look forward to enjoying another reprieve at Serenity in the not too distant future. Again, our sincerest thanks.Kevin - Colorado, Jun, 2002: Paul, What a wonderful vacation ! You and Linda provided a wonderful home and the process and checking in and out was superb. I really loved the house and the kids practically "lived" in the pool. We talk about the house all the way home and vowed to come back during the winter.
Diana - Minnesota, Jan, 2001: We felt at home the minute we walked through the door - perhaps it is because we stopped in so many times as the house was being built. Its amazing that you were able to make it so warm in so little time.
John - North Florida, Apr 2001: This place is great....It has everything we need for our boat...And it was nice to be able to leave the kids playing in the pool/spa with my wife while I went fishing....I wish our home was equipped as completely.
Neal - England, Aug 2001: Your villa was so much more then we expected. Even with the unexpected rains there was plenty to do inside. We just came from a week in Orlando at another villa and god what a difference. That villa had nothing in it....It is obvious you put a lot of time and thought into furnishing you home.
Kim - New York, Jul 2000: The pictures on the web site don't do it justice. Everything was nicer then we expected....Thank you for taking the time to call and check in on us. It was such a comforting feeling to know you had people near by that could come to our rescue if we needed anything. (Kim and her mother traveled alone with Kim's two children to the island)
Giuseppe and Leslie, Texas, Jun 2001: We really enjoyed ourselves...The house is so well organized....Its a house that we would die for...You have very nice neighbors as well....Next time we come, we would love to go out with Capt. Jim. We are sorry that we ran out of time...Your dad is also very nice. We would highly recommend this vacation to our friends. Thank you for our stay.
Erik & Kim - Wisconsin, Jun 2001: Your property is great! Our kids really enjoyed the pool....thanks for the great vacation.
Marshall, Maine, March 2003: We all felt that you rate 10's right down the list, and we really enjoyed the house. We certainly will recommend Marcomagic to other back in Maine. Thanks for being great hosts...you've done a wonderful job creating a perfect vacation home. If we ever decide to return to Marco on vacation, we will definitely deal with you again
Karen, Florida, Jul 2002: You have a wonderful home...Looks like it has everything you could possibly need for an extended stay with children.
Ken, England, July 2002: A home like this one in our area would be $750,000 or more....Truly spectacular.
Chris, England, August 2002: Simply Incredible!....I hate to admit it, but I like this home even better then Serenity which we stayed in last year. You really out did yourself this time.
Phil, Georgia, August 2002: We loved your home and enjoyed meeting your dad. The layout of the home was perfect....We hope to be returning to stay with you again. Tiger Tail Beach was such a treat. My kids and I really enjoy watching all the birds, dolphins and even a manatee or two. Your home was the highlight of my summer. I didn't want to leave.
Randy and Heater, April 2003: Paul, sorry we didn't get the chance to meet you. We really enjoyed your home and found it to be perfect. We will recommend your properties to our friends. I'm sure we will be visiting Marco again and we will be certain to contact you! Thanks, Randy and Heather
Steve, April 2004: We are leaving about 8am. We had a wonderful time on Marco and at your home. I cant think of anything you left out when building and furnishing your home. Everything was perfect. We really enjoyed the pool and spa area. I am certain we will come back and stay with you again.
Again, thanks for a wonderful week
Bill, Michigan, March 2003: Thank you, for the bottle of wine. Your attention to detail is amazing, right down to the flashlight by the key box. The house was beautiful and worked out great for our family. We had absolutely no issues with the house, pool, etc. which is how it should be, but has not always been the case at our previous Marco Island rentals. The computer worked out great for keeping up on business, I didn't expect that and didn't even pull out my laptop.
Paul and Jessica, Massachusetts, May 2003: Just wanted to thank you again. Paul & I had a wonderful time at the house. The home was immaculate and extremely comfortable. We will definitely contact you again if we plan to return to Marco Island and will not hesitate to refer our friends to you. We had a wonderful week and can't thank you enough. Everything was wonderful; however, we returned to cold, rainy weather!!
Carolyn, April 2003: Just a quick e-mail to let you know how much we loved the house on our vacation in April and May. (Radiance). We are coming back next year and tentatively penciled in April to May as our dates.... We really loved the house and all it had to offer. the pool was great and floating in the pool was so relaxing
Janet, May 2003: We just wanted you to know how thrilled we are with Radiance. We arrived safely and were instantly impressed with the house. It is, as I'm sure you say on the site, even better than the photographs suggest. As you also say: you have tried (and succeeded) to think of everything. Thank you so much for the bottle of wine also - a nice gesture.
Eddie, Texas, August 2002: We have had a wonderful stay in your house. Your new home is beautifully designed and comfortable. Our children love the swimming pool and being able to go fishing right in the back yard. This is our first time on Marco Island, and we found the Island and beaches really beautiful. We hope to come back again soon, and to stay in your home again. We rented a boat one day and it was nice to be able to dock it at the house. Our children were very excited when we came across a family of dolphins that kept swimming around our boat. The weather has been hot and sunny every day, so we have had a terrific time at the beach. We've had a great stay!!"
Zelah and Danny, Florida, Sept, 2002: We have had the best vacation ever! We have totally enjoyed your beautiful home and want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to relax, eat, and enjoy the perfect weather. We have stayed on Marco at least 15 times over the years, and have stayed at some very nice places, but this stay has been very special to us. It has been seven years since our last "real vacation" and we really needed this stay to recharge ourselves. We are hoping to make this a yearly event!
Trixy the dog, Sept 2002: Hi, my name is Trixy. I want to thank you for letting my "mom and dad" bring me on my first vacation. It was fun running up and down watching the birds and the fish.
Alice, Anna, and Karen; Sept 2002: We had a great time here on Marco Island. We planned to rest, get some sun and do some shopping. We accomplished all of the above in the exceptional comforts of this home. This home provided everything we expected and more. We would definitely like to plan a return trip.
Jerry and Yen, Oct 2002: We got here two weeks ago to start our honeymoon. We had a very good impression when we got into the house. Very soon after the first day, this house became our home-away-from-home on this beautiful island. Thanks to you, we have started our marriage life in such a cozy and personalized home. Two weeks on Marco Island in your home will be one of our wonderful vacation memories. Thank you, again, for your hospitality.
Deborah, Jan 2003: We had a great time staying here! The house is beautiful. The floor plan works really well for a family. The kids spent lots of time in the pool. We had many family water-volleyball games. They also played some ping-pong. We rented a pontoon boat one day and had a great time going up and down the canals, stopped at coconut island and did some shell collecting too. We saw several dolphins. Took a trip to Captiva Island. Had lunch at the "Bubble Room" Fun place with really good food too. All in all, this was a wonderful vacation and staying here really made it special. What a fantastic way to start out the new year! Thank you!
Frank, Lori, Bailey, and Parker, March 2003: This is the last day of our 2 week stay. We have had the best time. This is such a wonderful area to vacation. We were especially happy with your home. This was our third time to Marco and the third home that we have stayed at. We truly loved this home the best. We would definitely stay here again. Your home was equipped with everything you would possibly need for a long or short stay. Thanks again!
Dennis and Carolyn, May 2003: We had a wonderful time in this beautiful house. We love Marco Island and this house made it seem like home for over 2 weeks. We felt like we were living here on this great island. We had many days at the beach, walks in the park, and good places to eat. We spent time at the beach and all watched the sunset. We love this home and hope to be back again."
Paul and Jessica, Mass, May 2003: We had a wonderful, relaxing week here on Marco Island. This trip was our first. It was a much-needed break from the cold winter we've had. Your house is beautiful, with all the comforts of a home! We've enjoyed our stay so much and most of it is due to our wonderful stay in your home. The warm sunshine, the beautiful beaches and relaxed atmosphere did us some definite good! Thanks so much!Janet and Bernard, England, June 2003: We've had a wonderful two weeks. Your home is such a beautiful place. The pool, the decor, the furniture, in fact, EVERYTHING has been perfect from start to finish. Paula and Bill, you have a lovely home, thank you for sharing it. Linda and Paul, you've been so easy to deal with and have been the perfect hosts. Thank you. As vegetarians, it's often hard to find great variety when eating out, but this was great. A truly marvelous holiday!"
Steve, Kelly, Stephen, Rachel, Ed, and JoAnn, Texas, June 2003: This is my family's 14th vacation spent on Marco, and each year gets better and better. Until this year, we stayed at a hotel. We decided to try something different and it was great. We enjoyed the feeling of being a "resident" instead of a tourist, even though it was only for a week. Having two avid fishermen in the family, the private dock was great. The weather was a little rainy, so we cannot imagine what it would have been like to have been stuck in a hotel room without the comforts of a home. We were all in awe at the spectacular home you have, and quite impressed that you allowed us to share it.
Pat, Jeff and Abigail, England, July 2003: The house surpassed all expectations and its location was perfect. We made full use of the pool, as well as the videos and DVDs. We were lucky enough to be here for 4th of July fireworks on the beach and it was spectacular. Sorry to be leaving so soon.
John, Fiora and family, July 2003: All of our family has really enjoyed our weeks stay here at your superb villa. We all enjoyed the pool and had several exhausting games of volleyball together. The videos and DVDs were also well enjoyed in the evenings. The sun scorched us all throughout the week and some lovely tans were gained! Having a swim and soaking up the sun at Tigertail Beach was excellent as well, but a highlight was going out for a three hour cruise to a deserted beach, seeing dolphins and sea osprey on the way. Thank you so much for sharing your home!
Jeremy and family; England, August 2003: The kids have loved having a house with a pool and have spent many hours enjoying the luxury. Tigertail beach is fabulous, especially when you wade across to the coastline itself. We took a great trip on a catamaran (3 hours) to a small island to do some shell hunting. Not only did we collect some beautiful shells but also met a sting ray -- MAGICAL! Another memorable experience was to happen upon the Pelican Bend bar - what a beautiful and quiet place this is. The kids have had a great time experiencing all sorts of things American. The standards of restaurants, restrooms and beaches is very high and commendable by our standards, and we have met only friendly and helpful residents. Thank you!
Lephus - Florida, August 2003: Paul, the place was great and you were an excellent host. Although, it rained on us, we still had a great time on the boat. Thank you for helping make Wesley's birthday special. We will definitely be back..
Alan - Canada, March 2004: Dear Paul, Thanks once again for having us, you and your family are truly wonderful people, and we just loved meeting you, the kids had a blast on your boat, and wished they could have spent more time with yours. I got back to Toronto and the Jimmy Buffet song " changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes" is still ringing in my head. People are so stressed out and frankly bitchy here as compared to your lovely island it makes me want to move. Too bad my license wont work down there. I didn't have time to fill out your form but you know our feelings about the place. We hope to come back many times....All the best Alan
Jason - - UK, June 2003: Thanks, we all loved Marco, although it took me about 4 weeks to get off 'island time', its the pace that life should run at. There is no doubt we will be back, we just wish it is sooner rather than later.
Robert - Florida, July 2003: It was a great experience. The house was out of this world. The children had a great time in the pool and it was so quite that we cannot believe it. We come from Miami where everyone is on a hurry and there is no time to waste, and it was a great break for us and for my parents as well. They spent a great time with the grandkids and we are looking forward to staying again next year.Ebet - Florida, July 2003: It was truly my pleasure. In the future, you can be sure the I will chose your homes when I am looking for a vacation home to rent. Thank you again.
Michelle - Florida, July 2003: Thank you for everything... we enjoyed very much our stay at your house at Marco Island and are really taking into consideration coming back for our next vacation we will not hesitate to refer our friends to you either. We had a wonderful week and can't thank you enough. Everything was wonderful!!!
Sandra - Maryland, April 2004: Dear Paul & Linda,
We wanted to thank you for our terrific trip to Marco Island. You both said we would love it and you were right. Everything we needed was there. I wasn't sure when I booked the home if I'd rather be on the beach...Now I know!!! Nothing could compare to the canal view and having our boat there to explore the island. It was the perfect place for a family get together. We hope to vacation in Marco Island again
and we will definitely return to one of your properties.
Sandra
We will keep you posted....