Barefeet Vacation Rentals — Local services in Key Largo

Follow up - Barefeet Rentals called us within 24 hours, they were very professional and took responsibility for the miscommunication. They also plan on implementing a couple changes to prevent this from occurring again. As far as I am concerned, that is as accountable as it gets. Their rating just went way up in my opinion. I would definitely book with them in the future if we return to Key Largo.

Original review (Minus a couple lines due to length): Everyone here is very nice when you speak with them on the phone/in person and I truly believe they have the best of intentions. We booked Mariners club 114, great view and a wonderful vibe for us. Very nice place but, it has been well loved for many years. Unfortunately there were several items that were in need of repair when we arrived (broken cabinet door, broken blinds and the refrigerator). Not sure what the quality control is, but as someone who has rented property out to others on VRBO, it would have not passed our inspection. I would suggest that if issues like these are found on inspection and cannot be fixed right away, at least a note (by phone or email) should be left to the renters making them aware of the issues and to make the vacationers aware that Barefoot Management knows about these problems.

As for the refrigerator, we were told that the owner was coming out and was planning to replace it in two weeks (this really didn't help us since we were leaving in 5 days). When you have a known issue like a refrigerator not working properly and in need of repair, you need an alternative. I suggested in this situation, that ice and a cooler be provided. Unfortunately all of the food in the refrigerator spoiled with no way to keep it cool (we did not find out we had a refrigerator issue until after we purchased food for the week).

One other note: we were asked at one point if we called the 24 hour service number. Initially I said no. Barefeet explained that it was in our paper work and I should have used that. She was nice enough to point it out to me. Once I saw it, I informed her that we did use it. The 24 hour service number was a direct phone number to the one gentleman who does service for Barefoot Rentals. We called it twice, both times we left a message and our call was returned the next day. Maybe my communication style is different than Barefoot, but I would call this a service number during work hours not 24 hour service. To give proper credit, we were called before 11 AM the next day both times we called after 5 PM.

Barefeet Rentals also abides by their contracts and does not make exceptions, very standard in the industry. Just make sure you read the entire contract and ask questions before committing. Mariners Club is a quiet little community with some very specific CC&R's. If you plan on bringing a large noisy group, this place will most likely not be for you. There are very specific rules about how many people may occupy a dwelling and it is very quiet after about 10 PM other than the little watering hole with much character next door that plays live music but shuts down at 11 PM on some days (other days it shut down at 10 PM or before). Also plan on going to the store within the 1st 24-48 hours. Starter paper towels, bath tissue, kitchen detergents and soap are provided as stated in your paperwork, but you will most likely need more pretty quick.

Overall the property does have a nice relaxing feel to it and in my opinion a nice FL Keys charm to it. If we had stayed in this property when it was new, this review would have most likely been 5 stars and my take on Barefeet rentals would have been they are very nice, friendly people. Debated back and forth between 2 or 3 stars. When we turned in our keys at the end of the trip. We asked the front desk to pass along a message to have management give us a call. Since that did not occur, we settled on 2 stars. This rating would go up to 4 or 5 stars if there were more proactive solutions offered, there was better communication and...

Unfortunately, our family did not have the opportunity to stay at the property. After paying the deposit with Barefeet Rentals, we received a property rules list which included a 9pm noise ordinance. While booking this vacation we plainly explained to the booking agent at Barefeet Rentals that we were bringing 6 teenagers. We even asked about local activities that would be of interest. In the 48 hours that followed, we excitedly explored the internet for any and all local areas of interest and discovered a disturbing trend of reviews on multiple sites advising that Mariners Resort was not "teenage friendly." Concerned, we made a call to Barefeet Rentals to inquire about, reviews that outlined guards patrolling to enforce the 9 p.m. noise ordinance, and even tales of an 11:45 p.m. inspection of one of the resident’s rooms. The property manager brushed these concerns aside and said that the curfew was restricted to a single pool on the premises. I asked for the Barefoot Rentals agent to contact her broker check on waiving my $150 cancellation fee. She agreed and believed that I would hear back from her that very day. The next day I called again to get an update was told by a different agent, that indeed, this resort was more family oriented. She then went on to say that the $150 would likely be charged, adding “it’s just business.” I explained that our interest in using Barefoot Rentals to secure a new, more appropriate location, hinged on their intentions on waiving the fee. She then, also, said that she would check with her broker and call me back with their decision by the end of the next business day. Today I received no phone call, but instead got a copied and pasted excerpt from contract paperwork. It basically stated…”you checked the box”. But hey, my vacation is “just business” to them. ...

Barefeet Rentals ruined my family vacation!!! Five weeks before our set vacation ( days after we made our final payment) my family and I received an email from Barefeet that our rental was no longer available due to an error on their part (system showed 2020 dates instead of 2019) and essentially our rental was overbooked. After speaking with Debbie, she told us that she was going to resolve the issue that day and provide additional rental options. Minutes after getting off the phone with her, we received an email that Barefeet wouldn’t be able to assist us in finding other properties without us cancelling our initial vacation rental. We wanted resolution as soon as possible, so we did what they asked. Immediately following the cancellation, my family and I received a final email from Barefeet telling us they could no longer assist us and that we would need to connect with our travel agent to find additional properties?!?!?!?! In a matter of two hours, this is the ordeal we went through. What happened to making things right? I would have expected that they pull out all the stops to make this situation right as they are the ones who made the mistake. Now my family is left scrambling to find a...