Fontana Condo

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Apartment |1 bedroom |Sleeps 4

South Beach in Miami Beach

from £86 / night

£596–£1192 / week

3 nights minimum stay

Changeover flexible

4 out of 5

4 reviews | Write a review

Key info  Swimming pool, beach or lakeside relaxation, air conditioning, car not necessary, no pets allowed

Check availability and book

About the home

Hey, thanks for popping by my advert. My apartment is my "second home" in Miami and so, unlike many properties aimed solely at the rental market, you'll find comfy sofas, designer furniture and a fully equipped kitchen equipped with 2 x drawer-style dishwashers, oven, full-scale american refrigerator, freezer, wine cooler, microwave etc. The apartment is ideal for a couple of persons plus kids or up to a maximum of 4 adults, with a "UK style" mattress pull-out sofabed (W150). The living and dining areas are open-plan, off this area is a private toilet/washbasin and a door leading to the main bedroom.

The main bedroom has a king size bed and a door leading to the huge bathroom/shower room. This area has a giant bathtub (with unlimited hot water to fill it!) as well as a rainfall shower in a separate cubicle and a half-screened WC.

Within the bathroom area are also storage cupboards and wardobles (screened with frosted glass) as well as a hotel style mini-safe.

Outside, the property has an atrium and a small swimming pool along with some sunbeds and also a dedicated parking space directly outside the front door to the property.

The Fontana comprises about 20 apartments which are almost all-owned by non-US owners, most of them Italians from Milan and the property is rarely occupied by more than 5 - 10 properties at any time, this (and the v. high maintence fees I pay, grr) mean that it is as pristine and beautiful now as when I first purchased it four years ago.

Although South Beach is famous for it's night life, it's also good to get a good nights sleep when you do eventually get home. This property is ideal because it's just 2 blocks from Lincoln, so you can sleep peacefully without being interrupted by the party animals. Both the living room and the bedroom have both 50% visibility blinds and 100% blackout curtains so you can sleep daytime etc too!

I regularly replace worn linen with new and the property was repainted completely in Summer 2010.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The apartment is fully air-conditioned, this is the real-deal built into ceilings etc so it's quiet and unobtrusive. The main living room has a double sofabed (with a sprung mattress) plus a two-seat sofa plus an armchair. There is a dining table with Phillip Starcke "Ghost" chairs and bar stools and a big kitchen including the "defacto" american fridge-freezer with ice maker etc. I am a real foodie, so you will also find utensils/pots pans etc to be able to cook in as you wish : it's great not "having" to eat out every night despite the choices!

There are two bathrooms: a toilet & wash baisin located just off the living area and the main bathroom which has a rainfall shower and a huge bath tub. Hot water is heated by the complex so it's available in abundance without any issues affecting in-apartment boilers etc. The bathroom area also has large wardrobes where you'll find a safe, washer-drier, ironing board & iron etc. I have also a fold-down cot which I put in for some previous guests suitable for babies/kids up to say 3 years old. There is no linen for the cot by the way!

All bed linen is 100% cotton, there are firm and soft pillows and organic cotton towels in abundance. All the linen is professionally laundered prior to each rental and I generally chuck it all out and replace it about once a year or as soon as I notice it's looking worn.

Further details outdoors:
Outside, you'll find a swimming pool in the central open-air atrium in the complex. This area is "closed in" so there is no unauthorised access from outside so ideal for kids to spash about in.

Outside, I have a dedicated parking space (like gold dust in South Beach) which is right outside the front door. The apartment is located on the ground floor near the pool so access with shopping/pushchairs etc is easy.

There are lots of shopping/food options close by. There is a gourmet deli/food store called EPICURE which is about 100m from the complex which closes at 7pm every day. Literally straight out the back door of the complex there is a small group of stores including a 24-hour food supermarket called COMPASS. This is a bit more limited (think 7-ELEVEN) but perfect if you arrive late and want to get some croissants/coffee etc in for the morning. In the same complex there is also a 24 hour Dunkin Donuts and nearby are a Starbucks, Macdonalds and a Pizza Hut ... no chance of going hungry then :-)

There is also an very well equipped (though rough-looking) gym called CRUNCH just along from Epicure - they don't officially do short memberships but I have purchased a week pass there before. **update the Gym has now been refurbished and is super high-tech, $99 for a weeks pass last time I was there.

Further details

One of the things that used to annoy me when staying in hotels in Miami (apart from the astronomic prices) was you'd arrive (exhausted) to find your hotel rooms still not ready and then, on departure day you'd be checking out by 11am with an evening return flight.

I try never to do a same-day turnaround on my apartment so you can stay until you are ready to leave. Go have a last lunch down on Lincoln, and just take a cab back to the airport when you're ready to leave. Believe me, arriving at Miami Airport relaxed and freshly showered makes a big difference before a long flight home!

The apartment is aimed specifically at non-US guests travelling long-haul on pre or post cruise stays. In addition to free parking, you can check-in from 12pm on arrival day and depart as late as 6pm on the day of departure.

You will be checked-in and out by my local agent personally. For arrivals and departures Mon - Sat 18.00 - 21.59 there is a fee of $50.00. Mon - Sat 22.00 - 08.00 and all day Sunday $100.00 payable locally. Please note if your flight is delayed, you will be met at the property without problem.

I will only accept bookings with proof of age and nationality of the main renter. My local agent will also check this on your arrival. The apartment is suitable for couples or families. It is NOT marketted for stag/hen nights etc.

Conditions

I often get asked about payment conditions so, this is how it works. I require a 500 USD deposit to make a booking. If you need a couple of days "courtesy hold" in order to arrange flights etc please just ask, not normally a problem.
The balance is due 30 days prior to arrival.

**FORCE MAEJURE** - since I have been renting this property we have had a bunch of wierd things happen like exploding volcanoes, cabin crew strikes, massive snowfall etc. So, to make things easier this is my policy on cancellation. If you cancel your booking at any time prior to 30 days before arrival, I will refund all/any payment made, less the 500 USD. If you cancel at any time from 29 days before arrival until the day of arrival (or need to leave early) then 100% cancellation charges apply. If you don't pay the balance on-time (ie before 30 days before arrival) I will consider this cancellation also. However,

IF the cancellation is caused by Volcanoes, airline strikes or airport closure due snow (and ONLY these three cases and I will require proof from your airline), I will refund all monies for the unused days and carry the deposit forwards against another rental at the time of your choosing. I think this is pretty fair, don't you?

Finally about payment method, all payments are made via credit card and are made in the UK and charged in US Dollars. Please bear in mind that the final conversion to sterling or Euros (if these are your "home" currencies) will vary on a day-to-day basis.

Photos

 

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On the right, computer and workstation

 

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Living area

 

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Dining table between Living & Kitchen Area

 

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Dining

The Florida / Florida Gold Coast region

Florida is the sunshine state - and Miami Beach (and South Beach in particular) is all about fun and night life. The beaches are stunning - the best ones in the area are Haulover or SOFI (South of Fifth) at the bottom of South Beach so a car is ideal during the day. America's biggest shopping mall Aventura Mall is located about 30 mins north of South Beach. For designer shopping try Bal Harbour shopping which is about 15 minutes north of the property.

The Miami Beach / South Beach area

South Beach is famous within the US for it's huge Cuban population. Spanish is as spoken here as English and the favourite language is Spanglish - both at the same time. You'll find staggeringly good night life. The area around Lincoln (where the apartment is located) is bustling full of restaurants from "top end" Cuban designer food through steaks and brasseries, Italian restaurants through to home-made Italian Pizza (Roseta is $5 a slab mmm) and Italian Gelatarias selling freshly made Ice Cream.

How to get there

What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Map showing the South Beach areaReset Map

This property is located in South Beach, at the southern tip of the island that makes Miami beach. The nearest airports are MIA-Miami International, approx 20 mins distant and FLL-Fort Lauderdale which is approx 60 mins distant. FLL is a very comfortable well designed airport so check fares through this as an alternative to MIA which can sometimes be more pricey. Orlando Sandford is 5 hours away by car on a 90 minute flight - not really an option unless you fly.

Rental cars are easily available at Miami Airport however, these are all located off-airport with coaches etc. Having done this myself I would recommend that you get a taxi ($25) to from the property and then rent a car with collection in South Beach, both Hertz and Thrifty have offices close to the property. The Hertz office is literally 100m from the front door. Either way I use www.carjet.com to get good rates for walk-in or collection at the airport. The closest walk-in station is 50m from the property at Hertz (www.hertz.co.uk) Address 1619 Alton Road, Miami Beach, Florida Tel : 786-276-1121. If you can do your car before you fly even if you go direct to Hertz. Rates are cheaper and insurance deals are better.

The property has it's own designated parking space directly outside the buildings front entrance which is a god send - parking in Miami (apart from a 1 hour parking metre) is heavily patrolled and expensive.

British Airways (www.ba.com), Virgin (www.virgin-atlantic.com) and American Airlines (www.aa.com) fly from the UK to Miami direct from London Heathrow. In high-season (Nov - Mar) these rates can get pricey so always shop around (www.opodo.co.uk) will give you the best long-haul rates, often being cheaper to fly with a connection than going direct. Also very good value from the UK is IBERIA via Madrid so check them also (www.iberia.com).

One final tip : fare to New York are often 50% lower than flights to Miami. On several trips I have flown into JFK first then picked up www.jetblue.com which is a great low-cost carrier to Miami. There is also a hidden advantage in connecting to Miami rather than flying direct; Miami is notorious for it's slow and chaotic Immigration "funnel". New York is generally fast and courteous so well worth considering since you'll arrive into Miami as a domestic passenger and miss most of the gorillas at MIA.

Activities near Miami Beach

Reviews

Review: 1 to 3 of 4

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25 Mar 2013

“Perfect” We really enjoyed our stay. The apartment was bigger than we thought. We will recommend it. Plus: there is a umbrella, sunshade Min: we did not succeed to use the babycot, please check if it is still ok. The walls are thin so bring your ear plugs. The pans don't have an anti-stick coating so making pancakes was impossible. And we mished some 'baking dishes' in the kitchen. The pool is too cold to use and not quite clean / full. The apartment is centrally located and its very easy to have your car to see the surroundings.

02 Apr 2012

“Vert Nice place !” Very Nice condo located in the heart of Miami Beach. Nice furnitures, very usefull kitchen, bathroom,... The parking place was very usefull too. I definitely recommend this place if... more

14 Feb 2012

“Just like the pictures but...” I was in Miami for a conference and brought my wife and 11-month old son with me (cot bed provided) for a 10-day stay. Our first impression was terrific. Good location, well equipped and appointed condo with all the necessary amenities including a huge ensuite with luxury walk in shower. It is the details and, dare I say, the local management company that let us down. In his defence the owner was clearly apologetic and refunded us nearly a third of the cost of our stay - kudos to him. Most of our complaints are resolvable so my advice is to make sure the various issues are corrected before you book. If I only had the noise from other flats to complain about and everything else was okay I would actually rate this condo very highly, 4-4.5 stars. First, on closer inspection as we got unpacked and settled into the condo, the floors and carpets were dirty (crumbs of food and sand on the carpet) and the dishes and cutlery were filthy (grease streaked and food on them). We complained and the management company brought a cleaner in the next day. The cleaner vacuumed again but didn't notice that the vacuum wasn't actually picking up any dirt. I inspected the (bagless)vacuum and discovered that the filter was clogged and probably hadn't been cleaned in a very long time, with the result that the vacuum made a lot of noise but couldn't suck up a grain of sand. The cleaner also wrapped a wet towel around a broomstick in order to wash the floor, which was pretty ineffective. So my wife and I wound up cleaning the condo ourselves. Second, the air conditioner is probably the loudest I've ever heard besides an industrial installation. It kept the place cool but it was deafening. Third, despite seeming to be a relatively new build the Fontana is actually timber framed, with the result that when the neighbours are in you can hear absolutely everything above and to either side of you. This made putting our little boy to sleep at 7-8pm and keeping him alseep very challenging. Next we discovered that not one but both of the big flatscreen TVs didn't work so we went without television for 10 days. They were not repaired or replaced while we stayed. We had unseasonably warm weather and it would have been nice to use the pool but unfortunately it was very dirty and was not cleaned once whilst we were there. The water had a layer of grime and dead bugs on it. To cap everything off on the very last morning we were at the condo a roach scurried across the kitchen counter. We kept the kitchen clean and removed the trash regularly so we weren't to blame for that. But then it's a big city and big cities get roaches. That was actually the least of my complaints.

Review: 1 to 3 of 4

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Review: 4 to 4 of 4

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03 Aug 2011

“Absolutely fantastic” We loved staying in this apartment. It was beautifully decorated and had everything we needed. It was a great location. Near to everything yet quiet. The swimming pool was lovely - great to cool... more

Review: 4 to 4 of 4

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Rental prices

Prices for group size 4
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Spring 2010	7 Apr 10	1 Jun 10	900$ 900	250$ 250	300$ 300	3 Nights
June 2010	1 Jun 10	26 Jun 10	1000$ 1000	350$ 350	300$ 300	3 Nights
Summer	26 Jun 10	1 Sep 10	800$ 800	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
September	1 Sep 10	1 Oct 10	900$ 900	250$ 250	300$ 300	3 Nights
October	1 Oct 10	1 Nov 10	900$ 900	250$ 250	300$ 300	3 Nights
November	1 Nov 10	1 Dec 10	1200$ 1200	350$ 350	350$ 350	3 Nights
December	1 Dec 10	27 Dec 10	1200$ 1200	350$ 350	350$ 350	3 Nights
Post-Christmas	27 Dec 10	16 Jan 11	1200$ 1200	400$ 400	400$ 400	3 Nights
Jan/February	16 Jan 11	1 Mar 11	900$ 900	350$ 350	350$ 350	3 Nights
March/April	1 Mar 11	18 Apr 11	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
Easter 2011	18 Apr 11	28 Apr 11	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
May/June	28 Apr 11	1 Jul 11	900$ 900	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
Summer	1 Jul 11	1 Sep 11	800$ 800	200$ 200	250$ 250	3 Nights
September	1 Sep 11	1 Oct 11	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
October	1 Oct 11	1 Nov 11	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
November-Dec	1 Nov 11	20 Dec 11	1100$ 1100	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
Christmas 2011	20 Dec 11	5 Jan 12	1500$ 1500	400$ 400	400$ 400	3 Nights
January 2012	5 Jan 12	1 Feb 12	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
February 2012	1 Feb 12	1 Mar 12	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
March 2012	1 Mar 12	1 Apr 12	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
Easter 2012	1 Apr 12	10 Apr 12	1500$ 1500	350$ 350	350$ 350	3 Nights
April 2012 (post Easter)	10 Apr 12	1 May 12	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
May-June 2012	1 May 12	1 Jul 12	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
July-August 2012	1 Jul 12	1 Sep 12	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
September 2012	1 Sep 12	1 Oct 12	900$ 900	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
October 2012	1 Oct 12	1 Nov 12	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
November 2012	1 Nov 12	1 Dec 12	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
December 2012	1 Dec 12	23 Dec 12	1200$ 1200	300$ 300	300$ 300	3 Nights
Christmas 2012	23 Dec 12	5 Jan 13	1800$ 1800	400$ 400	400$ 400	3 Nights
January 2013	5 Jan 13	1 Feb 13	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
February 2013	1 Feb 13	1 Mar 13	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
March 2013	1 Mar 13	1 Apr 13	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
Easter 2013	1 Apr 13	10 Apr 13	1500$ 1500	350$ 350	350$ 350	3 Nights
April 2013 (post Easter)	10 Apr 13	1 May 13	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
May-June 2013	1 May 13	1 Jul 13	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
July-August 2013	1 Jul 13	1 Sep 13	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
September 2013	1 Sep 13	1 Oct 13	900$ 900	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
October 2013	1 Oct 13	1 Nov 13	1000$ 1000	200$ 200	200$ 200	3 Nights
November 2013	1 Nov 13	1 Dec 13	1200$ 1200	250$ 250	250$ 250	3 Nights
December 2013	1 Dec 13	23 Dec 13	1200$ 1200	300$ 300	300$ 300	3 Nights
Christmass 2013	23 Dec 13	5 Jan 14	1800$ 1800	400$ 400	400$ 400	3 Nights

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday and Saturday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

I often get asked about payment conditions so, this is how it works. I require a 500 USD deposit to make a booking. If you need a couple of days "courtesy hold" in order to arrange flights etc please just ask, not normally a problem.

The balance is due 30 days prior to arrival.

**FORCE MAEJURE** - since I have been renting this property we have had a bunch of wierd things happen like exploding volcanoes, cabin crew strikes, massive snowfall etc. So, to make things easier this is my policy on cancellation. If you cancel your booking at any time prior to 30 days before arrival, I will refund all/any payment made, less the 500 USD. If you cancel at any time from 29 days before arrival until the day of arrival (or need to leave early) then 100% cancellation charges apply. If you don't pay the balance on-time (ie before 30 days before arrival) I will consider this cancellation also. However,

IF the cancellation is caused by Volcanoes, airline strikes or airport closure due snow (and ONLY these three cases and I will require proof from your airline), I will refund all monies for the unused days and carry the deposit forwards against another rental at the time of your choosing. I think this is pretty fair, don't you?

Finally about payment method, all payments are made via credit card and are made in the UK and charged in US Dollars. Please bear in mind that the final conversion to sterling or Euros (if these are your "home" currencies) will vary on a day-to-day basis.

Smoking :

Absolutely NO WAY ZERO-TOLERANCE NO SMOKING. If the apartment smells of smoke on check-out (even a tiny bit) you will be charged USD300 from your deposit for deep cleaning Grrr. :-)

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anyway No. of adults No. of children Message * Send me ideas on where to stay

4 years listed You are contacting Stephen Doran Landline 44 0207 8711791 Mobile n/a Payment accepted Credit cards accepted Languages spoken The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2008. This apartment has received 4 reviews from previous guests.

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