White Rose Property Management homeowner Ruth Moriarty shares her travel tips for a great day out in Winter Park, Florida.

We’re really delighted that our homeowner Ruth Moriarty has kindly shared some more of her Florida travel tips with us. 

Her blogs about Bok Tower Gardens and the Lake Eola farmers’ market were really well received. And it’s so great to hear about day trips beyond the Orlando theme parks.

This time, Ruth tells us all about the wonderful shops, side roads and sightseeing to enjoy in Winter Park.

Winter Park, Florida by Ruth Moriarty

Winter Park is an old city just outside Orlando with lots of history. Its first inhabitants were regional American Indians (Seminole).

Later, the Europeans rocked up in the late 1850s. Today, Winter Park very much retains the feel of a small European town.

The railroad has been here since the 1880s and is still being used. The track runs straight through the central park and a very cute station. 

There are lots of small, winding brick streets to explore, plenty of trees to shade you from the hot Florida sun and lots to do covering a wide variety of tastes, prices and interests. 

The Saturday Farmers’ Market

When I lived in Florida, I used to do the almost 80-mile round trip from home to Winter Park once a month, mainly to visit the market! It’s bright and vibrant and there is so much to choose from.

There are stalls selling food, baked goods, plants, jewellery, local produce. It’s a very popular place for people to gather.

The unofficial parade of dogs and their humans is a delight for anyone who has a soft spot for our four-legged friends. Be prepared for dogs in buggies, dogs in tee-shirts, dogs in boots and being as or more groomed than their human counterparts.

Currently the Market is located in the West Meadow (150 North New York Ave.) from 8am-1pm.

Downtown

The town and surrounding area is well worth a visit and there is lots to see. 

At the centre of Downtown Winter Park is Park Avenue, a tree-lined, cobblestoned street full of eateries and some great shops. It is such a pretty place to wander around and there are lots of small boutiques, including one of my favourites, Peterbrooke Chocolatier.

Another great place to stop where you can try before you buy is The Wine Room. No need to say more.

Little cafés and restaurants are hidden away in small arcades, which are well worth exploring. Many eateries have terraces, where you can watch the world go by!

There is something for every taste and price. Winter Park is also one of the dog-friendliest places I have ever been to.  Dogs are welcome in many places and there are always doggy water bowls and people ready to make a fuss of your precious pooch.

If you need more retail therapy, Shops on Park, at the centre of Park Avenue, is an elegant, indoor centre with some big brand shops. 

Kraft Azalea Park

This is a stunning public park bordering on the lakes. It is a gorgeous place to go and take a picnic and sit in the shade on a hot day.

Here you can while away the hours people watching, admiring the boats and deciding which of the mansions that surround the lakefronts you could live in!

It’s one of more than 70 parks in Winter Park, each holding various events, festivals and celebrations throughout the year – so you have plenty of choice.

Scenic Boat Tour – East Morse Boulevard

This is one of my absolute favourite things here.

I suggest you go there first to secure your ticket as they get very busy even out of season.

It’s a fully guided tour, in turn relaxing and exhilarating. The one-hour cruise takes you through the some of the lakes and canals of historic Winter Park.

The boats go from a slow crawl through the tiny canals to whizzing across the open lakes to get from one side to the other.

The canals linking the chain of lakes were man-made by the Seminole hundreds of years ago and it’s easy to imagine them coming through these narrow waterways in their little dug outs – very atmospheric.

At the other extreme, you get to see the many million-dollar mansions (some of them worth $20,000,000). Your guide will have all sorts of local knowledge and information to share.

It costs $14 adult, $7 child (go with cash as they don’t accept cards) and runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every hour on the hour.  The boats are fine for anyone who is a little shaky on their feet, but I didn’t see anywhere for wheelchairs.

Croissant Gourmet Bakery

We chose not to go back to the main street as we found a little French café just up the road from the Boat Cruise after our hour on the water. 

We had a delicious lunch at Croissant Gourmet Bakery on East Morse Blvd. We did eat some delicious, healthy salads and savoury croissants but had to save ourselves for the beautifully crafted desserts (each cake was fairly divided into three!)

Why you should go

Go to shop, go to explore, go to people watch, go to watch an open-air movie in the Park or go for some culture too (I love the town’s museum – also worth a visit!).

You can find further information about Winter Park on the Visit Florida website.

About Ruth’s home

If you’d like to book your stay to enjoy Winter Park or other Central Florida attractions, please check out our homes here.

Ruth’s home is the very wonderful Sapphire Sky Villa at Orange Tree.  See more – and book – here.

Would you like to share your tips for great days out in Florida?

We’d love to share contributions from our guests and homeowners about great days out in Florida.  If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share on our blog, please reach out to our team. 

The devastating spread of the terrible Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for property owners to have in place a clear, concise and fair cancellation policy. An integral part of your Terms and Conditions of booking, this policy should both be competitive and have the ability to attract those essential enquiries, and convert them into bookings. It’s essential to provide a set of T’s and C’s to all of your guests, from wherever their booking comes; you must protect your investment!

First of all. the deposit; the down payment required to reserve your property. You may consider reducing this, temporarily, to offer the opportunity to book now with a much reduced deposit. This may boost bookings without reducing your total income; the risk being that you keep less money should the guest cancel outside your cancellation window.

The cancellation window is the period the guest has to cancel with little or no loss of deposit. You may decide to offer full refund 180, 90 or fewer days prior to arrival, offering guests some peace of mind that they will not lose out when booking. You should avoid dates too close to arrival so you have time to rebook the dates. Your payment schedule may also be adjusted.

Your payment schedule is the timeframe in which your guests have to settle the balance, following their initial deposit. Obviously, reservations made at the last minute must be paid in full at booking. Allowing some leeway on these dates may make guests feel more comfortable in booking during these times of great uncertainty; you should judge this based on season, length of stay and your property’s average lead time and cancellation fee.

A property’s cancellation fee is the amount charged in the event of cancellation; it can be done in time increments, increasing the closer it gets to arrival date, or a set amounts across the board. Flexibility and fairness is the key: your guests should always feel you’re doing right by them.

Attracting new guests in this challenging time for business is vitally important; your cancellation policy, and how you adapt and manage it to your guests’ requirements can be a vital tool in overcoming any concerns/objections they may have.

We at White Rose Villas are committed to offering our owners, new and old, a bespoke service to enable you to enhance your online presence and maximise bookings. To that end, we will provide a template set of Terms and Conditions, fully customisable, to each of our owners, on demand. These T’s and C’s can be uploaded to each online platform you use, and can be altered/tweaked to stay on top of your demand curve.

Please get in touch to use this unique service, we are available online or over the telephone to talk to each of you through what is required, and answer any questions you may have.

As Florida holiday rentals open up, flights and borders will hopefully follow soon. We at White Rose Villas would like to inform both past and future guests of the measures we have implemented to enable you to book and stay with confidence.

Times may have changed, and we’ve all had to adjust to a new normal, but your health, safety and security remain our top priority. To aid this we have developed a new cleaning protocol, following the VRMA SafeHome Pledge guidelines.

Here’s how your home will be prepared: 

Recommended sanitizing products will be used in our enhanced cleaning techniques prior to each rental. We will particularly pay attention to guest touch points e.g. interior and exterior door furniture, cabinet handles, remote controls, stove and light switches and other hard surfaces.

Staff have received additional training and been instructed to be extremely vigilant about frequent, thorough handwashing, and the need to self-isolate if any symptoms present.

Handwash will be provided in your kitchen and all bathrooms, and re-usable bottles of cleaning and disinfectant spray available for your use.

You, our guests, are of paramount importance to us and we can assure you that we are doing all in our power to provide a safe, secure environment in your rental property.

Virtual Meet and Greet Welcome Program.

In order to enhance guest safety and prevent the possible spread of Covid-19, with social distancing being the key, we have introduced a new initiative; a Virtual Meet and Greet Welcome Program. This will enable you to learn all about the great features your rental home offers in a risk-free, virtual welcome call, which you can schedule to suit you.

One of our friendly staff members will happily guide you through all you need to know.

Virtual Maintenance Assistance

To further avoid possible exposure we will limit on-site visits, with guests in occupation, to essential cases/habitability issues only. For staff and guests’ safety we will firstly troubleshoot issues through Virtual Maintenance Assistance, providing guests the opportunity to resolve any issues via audio or video chat. If a socially distanced visit proves necessary we will schedule it, with prior notice, from one of our technicians or partners. To protect all concerned we will insist on a safe distance of at least 2 metres, just over 6 feet, between guests and staff at all times. Minor maintenance issues will be dealt with following guests’ departure.

Pool Safety – according to the Center for Disease Control there is no evidence that Covid-19 can be spread through the use of pools or hot tubs. However, for guests’ comfort, cleaners and technicians will wear protective gloves when undertaking any maintenance in these areas. Finally, we will require you to adhere strictly to the departure time of 10 a.m. This will allow our team sufficient time to carry out the necessary enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of the property, as outlined above.

We are constantly monitoring the ongoing situation, and will instantly respond to any and all measures stipulated by the authorities. With this in mind we’re sure that, when you stay in one of our vacation homes, you may rest assured that all possible has been done to ensure your comfort, safety and peace of mind. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at admin@whiterosevillas.com

Trisha is one of our homeowners from the UK.  She lives in Yorkshire with her partner Mandy.  Together, they own the beautiful Anchor’s Away property on the Tuscan Ridge community in Davenport.

Browse Trisha’s home here.

We caught up with Trisha to ask her about being the owner of a vacation home in Florida and what she loves about her home and the state of Florida.

What made you decide to buy a holiday home in Florida?

We were looking in Spain originally, but then a friend told us about a company selling houses in Florida.  They flew us out for a week and showed us a load of homes.  We fell in love with the second one we saw, right on the first day.

How long have you had your home in Florida?

We bought it in 2003 and we’ve never looked back!  When we bought it, it was brand new.  We bought it with the intention of keeping it for five years, but we’ve had it now for 17 years.  We love the house and the area and we absolutely love Florida.

When did you first fall in love with Florida?

I went for the first time in around 1989, I think.  We’d been a couple of times in the 1990s.  But now it’s a home from home that we really love.  When it was my sixtieth birthday, we went out and stayed for a month.

Did you always know where you wanted to buy?

Osceloa county is Disney county and the homes there are much more expensive.  We bought just over the county line in Polk county.  At that time there was quite a few neighbourhoods going up and it was a lot cheaper to buy in Polk county.  What I love about it is the close access to the I4.  Within fifteen minutes of leaving our home, we are driving under the Welcome to Disney arch.

What is the area like?

When we first bought the home, there were just a few restaurants nearby.  Now, there’s everything you could want right on the doorstep.  There’s an English café that serves English food like Sunday roasts.  We love Bob Evans and Mani’s Chop House and Longhorn Steakhouse.

It’s just five minutes onto the Interstate and, from there, you can explore the whole of Florida.

Did you always know you would rent your home?

If we can’t rent a home, we won’t buy it.  This home has been great for us, especially with White Rose Villas managing it. Every year it’s already booked up for most of the next year!

How did you find White Rose Villas property management?

We had various nightmares with other property management companies.  We were even robbed by one of them!  But White Rose Villas property management is the best we’ve ever had.  Everything gets done if they say its going to get done.  They go above and beyond; we can’t fault them.   After all the nightmares we’ve had, White Rose Villas property management is like a godsend – they’re absolutely the best!

Do you have any advice for other people thinking about buying in Florida?

You need to be aware of all the financials.  You need your own accountant because you have to be IRS registered.  If you are going to rent out your home, you’ll be paying tax.  You have to consider the admin and the community charges, the homeowners’ association fees.  And the utilities cost a lot more than they do in the UK.  Get the right advice before you buy.

Have you got any tips that guests should know before booking your home?

We’ve tried to make it a home from home – so that nobody ever thinks ‘I wish this home had…’. It’s got everything you might need.  The only thing we don’t allow is barbeques because it can really stain the covered area around the pool.

What is the best thing about your home?

What’s the best feature – besides the pool?  I think the games room we’ve created by converting the garage.  There’s table football, pool, ice-hockey, a big TV with games. 

White Rose Villas comment: the heated hot tub on the pool deck is another superb extra.

Have you got any advice for anyone considering a holiday in Florida?

Everybody should go!  It’s every child’s dream.  And once you’ve been, you’ve got the bug!  I know two or three people who’ve bought a home there after going there on holiday.  It’s a fabulous place.  Last November, one of our guests went swimming with manatees!

We love to take our granddaughters to the parks.  When you watch the Disney parade with the fireworks over the castle afterwards, it has brought tears to my eye every time I’ve watched it!

We also love St Augustine.  It’s about an hour and a half to St Augustine but the drive is really interesting.  We’ve been to Anna Marie Island and Key West.  Miami is 240 miles away but it’s like a different planet altogether!  It’s so fabulous!  We’ve been all over, but we like Clearwater and Treasure Island.  We just book overnight at a cheap hotel and go and explore.

You can have your own Florida adventure by booking Trisha’s home.

View Anchor’s Away here.

Or browse all homes managed by White Rose Villas property management here.

We’re so pleased to bring you tips from our homeowners about their favourite days out in Florida.  The first blog in this series has been kindly written by Ruth Moriarty.

Why should you go?

If you are searching for a complete change of pace from the Parks, space to breathe and quietly appreciate nature, then Bok Tower Gardens awaits.  The gardens are centrally located in Lake Wales between Tampa and Orlando in Polk County and they have been welcoming visitors since 1929.

What can you expect?

You quite simply relax and slow down.  The stunning gardens cover more than 7 acres and include a 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion to visit and the unique Singing Tower Carillion, from where you hear the tinkling of bells drifting through the air as you wander around. 

You can also sit and appreciate a free half hour concert at set times of the day. The Tower is located at the side of a Reflection Pool and creates fabulous opportunities for taking photos or watching the Koi Carp as they gently swim around in the tranquil waters.

How much does it cost?

Entrance per day costs $15 per adult and $5 for children aged 5-12… quite a bargain when you consider entrance to many other places in Florida!

Who should go?

Bok Tower Gardens is for everyone.  If you are looking for something a little quieter than the theme parks, you will love this day out.

Is Bok Tower Gardens accessible?

There is good access for people in wheelchairs or scooters and a little “train” runs from the Tower back to the entrance for those whose feet may be a little tired and who may be in need of some refreshment.

Will children enjoy Bok Tower Gardens?

There are all sorts of active and creative things for children as well.  Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden incorporates cooling water features, a boardwalk, play areas with climbing features, a stage for little performers, paintings and plenty of space to dig, create and explore.

On arrival at Bok Tower Gardens

When you arrive you pass through a gate with the founder, Edward W Bok’s grandmother’s words inscribed on it: “make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it”.  You then pass into the most peaceful of spots and one of my favourite spots in Central Florida.

Owner’s visit: Ruth’s day out at Bok Tower Gardens

We had lunch at the Blue Palmetto Café, where there is a wide choice of light lunches and ice-cream! I had the Avocado Tuna Salad, which was delicious and filling but there are burgers, dogs, sandwiches, wraps etc… oh and did I say ice-cream?!

The Shop at Bok is a lovely way to end your day, to collect a few souvenirs.  There is a good choice, many items are a little out of the ordinary if you are looking for a slightly different gift.   You don’t have to walk through the shop to get out of the gardens, which I liked, but it didn’t stop me going in and buying a couple of things.

We came away from Bok Tower Gardens feeling refreshed, revitalised and inspired.  It’s a very special place and I recommend it highly for people of all ages.  Take your time, slow down, sit a while and think a little about the ethos behind the gardens: Make the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.

Ruth’s “don’t miss” attractions at Bok Tower Gardens

• Pinewood Estate – view from the back of the Mediterranean-style mansion.

• The Tower and Reflecting Pool – there are tantalising views of the Tower from many areas of the garden – the Carillion bells were tinkling as I took this photo – which was quite magical.

• The beautiful flowers and trees – these photos were taken during my visit in January 2020.  If you enjoy taking photos of nature, then you couldn’t come to a better place.  There are so many varieties of flowers and trees and everywhere you turn there is somewhere to sit, to think and to Be.

Coronavirus update: What is the situation at Bok Tower Gardens concerning COVID-19?

As with so many places, the Gardens have been closed due to COVID-19.  They are rescheduled to open as of 1 June, though do check the website for updates.  As I write this, they will only be accepting pre-booked entrance tickets.  Find more details here.

About Ruth’s home

If you’d like to book your stay in Florida to enjoy Bok Tower Gardens and central Florida’s other wonderful attractions, please check out our homes here.

Ruth’s home is the very wonderful Sapphire Sky Villa at Orange Tree.  See more – and book – here.

Would you like to share your tips for great days out in Florida?

We’d love to share contributions from our guests and homeowners about great days out in Florida.  If you have tips or ideas you’d like to share on our blog, please reach out to our team. 

The global Coronavirus pandemic has changed many aspects of life in just a few short months.  The travel sector, in particular, has been profoundly impacted.

Restoring people’s faith in travel is going to require sustained and careful effort to reassure staff, guests and travellers.  It is our belief that this restoration of faith must be achieved without creating any misplaced confidence and must be built on safeguarding all involved in the best possible way.

Essential Coronavirus cleaning measures

White Rose Villas has implemented safer cleaning regimes since the news of the pandemic first emerged.  We have been following advice to leave homes empty for 24 to 72 hours between bookings, depending on size of the home and the quantity of bedlinen available. 

We have provided staff with personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves.  And we have asked them to stay at home if they show any signs of symptoms, as per the official guidance.

As always, our routine inspections are in place to ensure that your vacation rental meets all expectations.  

Our cleaning commitment

Our cleaning programme ensures all guests can enjoy a thoroughly cleaned villa by including such practices as washing and drying all towels, sheets and comforters at high temperatures. Staff will use new gloves when handling clean and disinfected items.

Our housekeeping team will also pay extra attention when cleaning high-touch surfaces.  High touch areas include (but are not limited to):

• Doorknobs
• Stair railings
• Telephones
• Remote controls
• Television buttons
• Sliding door handles
• Touch screens
• Kitchen appliances and fixtures
• Light switches

All of these surfaces will be cleaned with hospital-grade, EPA-approved disinfectants to ensure that they are thoroughly cleaned to the highest standards.

To give further confidence, we are now following the new SafeHome scheme.

The SafeHome scheme for vacation rental properties

The Vacation Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP) and the Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) have launched a new SafeHome initiative to help members adopt safe cleaning standards.  In many cases, these standards exceed those mandated nationally, state-wide or locally.

Since these enhanced precautions have been developed to keep guests and staff safe and healthy, we have decided to adopt these enhanced cleaning standards.

The SafeHome recommendations include:

• Disinfection and sanitation techniques
• Proper use of personal protective equipment
• Recommended products, cleaning agents and equipment
• Updated cleaning and inspection processes for soft surfaces, upholstery and linens
• Waste removal and maintenance processes
• Communicating the new, expanded cleaning processes to guests

VRBO President Jeff Hurst said, “Making families feel comfortable enough to travel again after this pandemic is a must for the entire vacation rental industry.  Adopting these new cleaning guidelines will reassure travellers that vacation rentals are safe places for their next vacation.”

Self-catering can be the safest way to enjoy travel

Toby Babich, the president of VRMA, also highlighted how the launch of the SafeHome scheme will help to restore confidence.  He said, “We can count on our professional community to rise to this occasion and restore confidence within our local governments and guest populations that staying in a professionally managed vacation rental is the safest way to enjoy travel.”

We agree.  That’s why we welcome the news that we can reopen our homes in Osceola county to bookings from across the USA (provided the guests are resident in U.S. states with COVID-19 case rates less than 700 cases/100K residents).  For your information, CDC information on COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population by the state can be found here.

The new changes we’re making to White Rose Villas cleaning processes

As part of the implementation of the SafeHome guidance, you will notice some major changes to the way we clean your home. 

These changes include:

• Dining tables and breakfast bars will no longer be set.  Plates, glasses, etc. will be washed and put away with the other dishes in the kitchen.
  
• Throw cushions and throws will be washed and put away in the closets.
  
• Handwash and extra soap will be left for guests on arrival.  In addition, cleaning spray and cloths will be left in the home for guests’ use.
  
• We will be training all staff on approved VRHP courses about the new cleaning procedures and how to enact safe social distancing rules.
  
• In light of the new guidance, owners won’t be allowed to clean the home as this needs to be carried out by professionally licensed cleaners.
  
• Additional pillow protectors, pillows, mattress pads/protectors, blankets, comforters should be purchased, as possible, so they can be easily changed and laundered.  If choose not to purchase additional linens, we will continue implementing the 72-hour delay between bookings.

Procedures after cleaning has been completed

We have introduced a new detailed cleaning checklist to outline the new procedures and help our staff to embed them.  We are happy to send any of our owners a sample checklist for review, if you wish.  If you’d like us to do this for you, please get in touch.

From now on, all cleaning reports will follow this new extended format and you will receive a copy of it after every clean, as per normal.

Once homes have been cleaned, our usual pre-arrival inspections will be performed to confirm that the villa meets the standards we have set.  This final inspection confirms if a villa is show-ready and able to welcome its newest guests, making our procedures as thorough as possible.

Do you have questions?

As always, our team remain on hand to answer your questions.  If you would like any further clarification about these changes, or have any questions at all, please call or email the White Rose Villas team. 

Thank you for your support.