Family Friendly Destin Florida Vacation RentalsEASY STREET VACATION RENTALS
‘Squeaky Clean’ Destin Florida Vacation Rentals Steps from Destin’s Talcum Power-Soft Sands -- Welcoming One (or More) Four-Legged Family Members
-Crystal Beach
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After 30 years as a high-powered corporate executive, Rick Scali was looking forward to a laidback life playing golf and traveling with his wife, Debbie. But on the way to “easy street,” he stumbled across an unfilled niche in the travel market he couldn’t ignore. "I always had a devil of time finding any pet-friendly homes that would accept my two dogs. When I did find, they were nasty and stinky,” he says. “It dawned on me, there must be other people who’ve adopted their pets as their children and want to stay in nice places—places they’d want to stay in even if they didn’t have pets." While scouting for a retirement home, the Scalis fell in love with the sugar-sand beaches of Destin, an upscale enclave on Florida’s Emerald Coast between historic Pensacola and party-on Panama City. "Take your shoes off and walk on the sand. It gets up between your toes and it feels so good, because it’s powder-soft!" The water is Caribbean-clear and the east-west orientation of the Panhandle coastline ensures gorgeous sunrises and sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. So the Scalis bought their first vacation rental -- a sweet, three-bedroom cabana in a quiet cul-de-sac a short stroll from a private beach -- and established Easy Street Vacation Rentals. “Easy Street is where I always said I wanted to live when I retired,” Rick jokes. In the beginning, people told Rick he was crazy for accepting pets -- and not just one, but any number, any size and any breed. For one thing, Destin beaches don’t allow dogs, even on a leash. But seven years down the road, Easy Street Vacation Rentals is crazy successful. The 20 Destin Florida vacation rentals in a three-block radius are booked solid during the busy summer high season. About 65% of the guests return year after year -- many the Scalis call personal friends. Guest books in each one of these Destin Florida vacation rental are brimming with heartfelt stories of multi-generational family vacations including Rex, Gizmo, Toby, Scooter, Brutus and Honey and many more. Although Rick and Debbie were new to the vacation rental management business, “We know what people are looking for, because it’s what we were looking for,” Rick says. Their "formula" for these Destin Florida vacation rentals is simple: "squeaky clean" homes, most with a private, heated pool and separate fenced yard, perfect for pets and kids. Thank Debbie for her cool tropical style and sharp attention to detail. Everything matches -- from the linens to the silverware. Every surface gleams. White picket fences and porch swings give these Destin Florida vacation rentals an idyllic charm that’s anything but cookie-cutter. 
Easy Street Vacation Rentals … in a nutshell How many homes? 20 freestanding cottages and homes and attached town homes
How many on or near the beach All 20 rentals are located within a three block radius of Destin’s popular Crystal Beach. Most are an easy walk to the sand -- some only 300 feet away. Homes that are three blocks away include free use of a street-legal golf cart in the rental fee. Type and size Three- to six-bedroom idyllic cottages and Caribbean-style homes are tucked into a quaint beach neighborhood north of Scenic Highway 98, which runs along the Gulf of Mexico. Think pastel exteriors, wraparound verandahs with rocking chairs and porch swings, pitched roofs and decorative gables, gingerbread trim and white picket fences. Inside of these Destin Florida vacation rentals. you’ll find hardwood or tile floors, crown molding and sharp color schemes ranging from sunny yellow and sunset coral to bold lime and intense blue. Each home has Wi-Fi, multiple cable TVs, DVD/VCR players with small movie libraries, telephones, a patio with gas BBQ grill, a fenced private heated pool (a few homes share a community pool), a separate fenced grass yard, outdoor shower and off-street parking (some include street-legal golf carts and garages). Some homes have Jacuzzis, jetted bath tubs and lighted water features. Price Unlike South Florida, Destin’s high season is summer. Prices are highest from Memorial Day through the first week in September and the week of Spring Break. The late spring (April and May) and late fall through winter (November through February) “shoulder” seasons are nice alternatives. Winter nights can be nippy, but the days are sunny and warm and you don’t have to worry about hurricanes. Minimums Per night Per week Fees?: $150 cleaning fee and additional pet fee (see below) If you’re booking Destin Florida vacation rentals during hurricane season (roughly August through October), vacation rental insurance? is a good idea. It covers trip cancellation, interruption, travel and/or baggage delay, medical expense and emergency medical transportation. Easy Street Vacation Rentals offers it for 7% of your rental fee. Staff Rick and Debbie run the company together. “I like being hands-on and dealing with my guests on a one-to-one basis,” Rick says. Debbie handles the accounting. Together they have established a system that allows their small staff to operate with almost military precision. Two full-time people handle bookings and schedule cleaning by four housekeeping crews. Two maintenance people help Rick with anything that needs fixing on Saturdays between 10 a.m. check-out and 4 p.m. check-in. Meanwhile, a part-time high school student is exchanging dirty linen for clean and checking the yards and level on the propane tanks for the BBQs. In addition to regular pool and landscape service, maintenance people are on call 24/7. Concierge services • Free cooler on wheels and wagon to carry beach gear (and kids) to the beach. Crystal Beach rents nice, sturdy beach chairs and umbrellas. (Bring your own beach towels.) • Free street-legal golf cart included in fee for any of these Destin Florida vacation rentals that are three blocks from the beach. You can also rent a cart. Prices range from $225 a week ($35 day) in the winter to $575 a week ($75 a day) in the summer. Services for families Single-story cottages and fenced yards with grass are great for active toddlers. All pools have safety gates. There are high chairs and children’s toys in every rental or available on request. Some of these Destin Florida vacation rentals have separate guest quarters or studio suites. The cluster of three homes in the cul-de-sac where the Scalis bought their original vacation rental can accommodate up to 24 people (not including babies under age two and plenty of pooches). There are connecting gates between the yards and plenty of room to stage a great Easter egg hunt. Pet-friendly homes? All of these Destin Florida vacation rentals are pet-friendly and 15 of the 20 rentals have separately fenced pet yards that are perfect for active dogs. A non-refundable fee of $150 per week covers any size or breed (except pit bulls). Add $75 for each additional pet. This includes free use of a kennel (crate) for each pet (while you’re away from the home) and standard cleaning. (Extra fees kick in for excessive shedding and cleaning up the yard.) You must certify that your pet is up to date on shots at the time of booking. While pets are not allowed on the beach, the sidewalks along Scenic Highway 98, which runs parallel to the beaches, are great for walking leashed pets. Guest references? The website and guest books spill over with heartfelt thanks from previous guests -- many who say that Easy Street Vacation exceeded their expectations during multi-generation family reunions, gatherings of friends or moms and daughters and couples celebrating honeymoons or milestone anniversaries. Some people said they’d been coming to Destin for years and their Easy Street vacation rental was their favorite. Perhaps the best testimonial I saw: "Quite honestly, I would like to stay here forever." Discounts? Three Standout Qualities 1. Pet-friendly and Squeaky Clean As dog-lovers themselves (the Scalis have two adorable miniature schnauzers named Baxter and Lacey), Rick and Debbie knew that other pet-owners would make great renters. “We felt if we had strict guidelines and pet owner renters knew the rules, the property wouldn’t suffer. We have a tremendous repeat ratio among pet owners. They’re so thrilled to find a pet-friendly home that takes one or more pets, that’s clean and well maintained that they want to make certain that they don’t abuse that privilege.” While Destin is not as pet-friendly as other beach town, Rick is an active advocate for allowing pets on the beaches and opening a dog park. 2. ‘Nicer than the Pictures Convey’ “We did not want for anything except one more week.” "It's obvious you'll have put a lot of thought into including everything a family would need." “So many special touches inside than pictures could even convey…” “It tickles us when we hear guests say they could not find anything we did not have,” Rick says. Rick and Debbie have stayed at too many vacation rentals with mismatched dishes or silverware and dented, burned or missing pots and pans. In the kitchens of their Destin Florida vacation rentals, everything matches. You can expect a full set of pots and pans, including a crock-pot and lobster pot. Attention to detail in their Destin Florida vacation rentals extends to every corner of each home they manage. Light switches are labeled. Pillows are changed every few months and air filters are changed on a regular schedule. “We try to be proactive. We believe our quality and attention to detail far exceeds our competition,” Rick says. “The most common comment we receive from our guests is that our homes are much nicer than the pictures portray.” Back to the top of Family Friendly Destin Florida Vacation Rentals
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