Frequently Asked Questions

---

QUESTION. How many people can stay in your Orlando Vacation Home?

ANSWER. Our 6 bdr Villa is licensed to accommodate 12 people. We have six bedrooms comprising of the downstairs master suite with a super king sized bed, full bathroom and his/ hers walk in dressing room. Upstairs overlooking the lake Bedroom two has a queen bed, full ensuite bathroom, and a walk in wardrobe. Bedroom three has a super king sized bed. Bedroom four has a full sized bed. Bedroom five has twin beds. Bedroom six has twin beds. Each bedroom is carpeted and tastefully decorated with high quality linens besides having a television with built in DVD player, thus adding to the wonderful ambience making your stay enjoyable and as comfortable as possible.

Our 7 bdr villas can accomodate 15 people, 10 adult and 5 children. The 7 bedrooms comprising of the master downstairs with walk-in closet and king size bed. Upstairs you find another king bedroom with walk-in closet and double-sink bathroom with shower over bath. Next is our twin bedroom with 2 twin beds. In the Harry Potter themed room you find a twin over full bunkbed, while the Disney room has twin beds. Our second king bedroom upstairs have a shower over bath, while our queen bedroom has a walk-in shower. Each bedroom upstair is carpeted and while the master bedroom, the living and family room downstairs has wooden floor.

QUESTION. Are you close to Disney and the other parks?

ANSWER.

Disney World                  7 Miles

Sea World                        6 Miles

Universal Studios         10 Miles

Orlando Prime Outlet    5 Miles

Cocao Beach                  45 Miles

Clearwater Beach          74 Miles

QUESTION. How far away are the airports?

ANSWER. Orlando International airport is approximately 12 miles away. Sanford Airport is 40 miles away. The journey to the Villa is mainly on Highways which make it easy for first time drivers abroad to get used to the roads. Although Sanford is further away, it is a much smaller airport and therefore quicker to get through immigration and collect your hire car.

QUESTION. Is your Orlando Vacation Home near any Shops/Evening Entertainment Venues?

ANSWER. Lake Berkley is situated about two minutes drive from “Medieval Times” which offers an evening’s entertainment jousting dinner show and a 24 hour Walmart supermarket is situated to the other side which sells practically everything including food, drinks, clothing, electrical goods, sporting goods, household items, games, souvenirs & Disney merchandise( there’s even a McDonalds in there in case you get hungry while shopping).

Within a 2 mile radius, on the 192 there are many shops and entertainment venues such as golf shops, crazy golf sites, souvenir shops, sport shops, bowling alley’s clothes & shoe shops. For shopping Centres, there is Osceola Mall, Orlando Premium Outlets Mall, Florida Mall and if you’re feeling a bit flush Millenia Mall is only at the top of International Drive.
 

QUESTION. Is your Orlando Vacation Home near any good restaurants?

ANSWER. There are most chains of restaurants as well as good independent restaurants very close by on the 192. Fast food restaurants are exactly that, fast mass produced, cheap and cheerful which includes MacDonald’s, Wendys, Long John Silvers, Burger King and a number of others, whereas IHOP, Dennys, Perkins, Bob Evans and the like are mid range American diner’s – great for breakfasts & lunches. There are also a number of “All You Can Eat” type restaurants, Ponderosa, Cicis and our personal favourite, the Golden Coral. A little more up market but still reasonably priced, are restaurants such as Tony Roma’s for Chicken & Ribs, The Olive Garden for Italian and the Bahama Breeze for Caribbean, although our favourites are “Outback”for steaks and Crackerbarrel for home style cooked food but bear in mind portions can be huge so think twice before ordering that starter/appetizer.

QUESTION. Is your Orlando Villa non-smoking?

ANSWER. Yes absolutely, smoking is not allowed within the Villa which is fitted with smoke detectors, however smoking is permitted outside on the pool area as long as your cigarette ends are disposed of responsibly.

QUESTION. Does your Home Owners Association allow pets?

ANSWER. No, Visitor or Guests Pets are no longer allowed on Lake Berkley, no matter how well behaved.
 

QUESTION. How often is the pool cleaned & do we need pool heating?

ANSWER. The pool is maintained on a weekly basis. We recommend pool heating for the months October through to April; this is available at an extra cost and must be ordered on booking. If you choose to pay for pool heat, to maintain a constant temperature it is advised you replace the provided plastic pool cover each night.
 

QUESTION. What temperature does the pool reach with electric pool heating?

ANSWER. The pool temperature is set to approximately 85 degrees (if you follow the above practice of replacing the pool cover nightly.

QUESTION. Do the Florida Holiday Homes have pool area alarms?

ANSWER. Yes all exit doors/windows onto the pool deck from the main house have mandatory alarms.  Please note that there is no fence around the pool from the pool deck, so supervision of children at all times while outside, is advised.

QUESTION. Is the pool area overlooked?

ANSWER. Absolutely not. We enjoy totally unrestricted views over the 14 acre lake, there is privacy hedging to protect you on both sides of the neighbouring properties and as our Villa nestles between two single story properties there is no possibility of being overlooked either from above or the side, so you are totally secure in enjoying your privacy (although a word of caution – outside nudity is not allowed on Lake Berkley).

QUESTION. Do I need to bring my own towels?

ANSWER. No, both bathroom towels and pool towels are provided along with a large selection of bed linen. The beds will be made upon your arrival but if you wish to change the sheets during your stay then the laundry facilities of a washing machine and tumble dryer are available for your use.

QUESTION. My flight arrives late so can groceries be provided for our arrival?

ANSWER. Yes we can offer a welcome pack of groceries at $20 plus the shopping receipt price.  Our management company is happy to obtain a basic shopping list at your request and have it available in the Villa for your arrival. However, as Lake Berkley is directly behind a 24 hour Walmart you may choose to collect your own supplies as you pass.

QUESTION. How do I find the Vacation Rental and gain access?

ANSWER. On receiving the full balance,( which is due 12 weeks before you arrive) we will e-mail you with full directions and address to your Holiday Home approx 2-3 weeks prior to arrival.  This will also include all the information to gain access to the Villa, so upon arrival you just go straight to your Holiday Accommodation and there is no need to visit our management company.

QUESTION. Is there a BBQ?

ANSWER. There is extra large Park charcoal BBQ, outside the pool cage overlooking the lake for your personal use. On the pool deck you find a 4 burner gas BBQ.  This must be cleaned after use if not our management company will apply a $50 cleaning charge from your pre paid deposit.

QUESTION. Who do I contact if I have any questions/problems during my stay?

ANSWER. Our responsive management company are just a phone call away and available 24 hours a day in an emergency and 9-5pm for general enquiries.  You will be provided with their contact number prior to your stay, but their details can also be found in the Villa just to be safe.

QUESTION. Is the Villa fully licensed?

ANSWER. Yes, our property is fully licensed for Short Term Rental.

QUESTION. What is E.S.T.A.?

ANSWER. ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. All travellers to the USA are required to complete an online ESTA application prior to travelling. This replaces the US visa waiver program and without it you won’t be able to enter the USA. To apply, visit the official ESTA website on line.

QUESTION. How do I book your Villa?

ANSWER. Contact us via email or phone us as shown on our contact page.

QUESTION. What phone service does the home have?

ANSWER. The home has unlimited free local and nationwide USA and Canadian calling facility.

QUESTION. Does the home have Internet Access?

ANSWER.  Yes – the Villa has wireless broadband internet access for you to use free of charge. You will receive a user ID from us which will enable your laptop/handheld device to access the internet from within our home. Please consult the user guide of your laptop/handheld device on how to access a user ID or SSID (service set identifier.

QUESTION. What Clubhouse amenities are available to us free of charge?

ANSWER. The use of the Clubhouse fitness room, heated spa & pool, children’s splash area, tennis courts, billiard/pool table, volleyball courts, barbecue area, foosball table, children’s playground, outdoor fitness area, basketball court and access to the lake are all free to use.

QUESTION. Can you fish in the lake and what type of fish are there?

ANSWER. Yes. You can fish from the back of our home as well as from the dock. (There are many  Bluegills, Large Mouth Bass, Channel Catfish and  Tilapia as well as turtles).

QUESTION. Do you need a license to fish in the lake?

ANSWER. No, you don’t need a license to fish since the lake belongs to the resort and is considered private property. We even provide you with a number of fishing rods and reels etc free of charge if you stay in our home (you will find pamphlets on fishing tours in the clubhouse).

QUESTION.  How do you accept payment?

ANSWER.  We accept cheques, direct bank transfers and also Paypal.

QUESTION. Do you accept cheques in pounds or dollars?

ANSWER. we prefer direct bank transfers or checks in US currency.

QUESTION. Why don’t you say anywhere what the exact address of the home is?

ANSWER. Our home is managed by an on site Management Company, should you wish to contact them to verify the home’s owner and existence, once we have secured information from a prospective renter and have received their deposit; we then provide the exact address of the home as well as other important information about the Villa and the resort. We do this for your security as well as the security of those presently within the home. We are proud of the logical security steps we have in place and satisfied with the steps taken by Lake Berkley Resort to ensure you have a pleasurable stay. Safety and security is a matter we take very seriously.

QUESTION. Imagine if we are on vacation, we don’t read or listen to the news…a hurricane is approaching…what will we do?

ANSWER. Once the hurricane season begins in Florida, we are literally on “high alert” all of the time. We monitor & track any storms that may be approaching Florida or that have developed “nearby”. We do not disturb your vacation unless it is absolutely necessary. Should there be a chance that a storm may be approaching which could place you and your family in jeopardy, our Management Company will notify you one way or the other in plenty of time, so that you can plan accordingly.

QUESTION. Where do the owners of the home live?

ANSWER. We live in Singapore. We manage the care taking of our Florida Villas with the help of our Management Company and make regular trips to the Villas ourselves to ensure these are well maintained and updated.