- How can I book a beach house for my vacation?
Our beach houses are available on all major travel websites and beach house rental booking platforms. For pricing & availability, search your favorite travel platform for “Stuart", "Jensen Beach", and "Ft. Pierce FL”, and use the map feature to navigate to the oceanfront.
- Where are your beach houses located?
Beach Houses in Paradise is located on the southeast coast of Florida, within a one-hour drive north of the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach metropolitan area, and within a 2-hour drive south of Orlando, Disney World and other Orlando resorts.
We represent virtually all beach houses that are available for rent for a 20-mile stretch between the towns of Stuart FL and Ft. Pierce FL.- Will there be anyone around to show me how to operate the coffee maker or warm up the hot tub?
Our professional staff is local to the area and is available to you 24/7. Although we are not a hotel chain, and therefore do not offer hotel amenities such as room service, all staff at Beach Houses in Paradise—from the property manager to maintenance personnel to cleaning personnel—live within the same neighborhood, happily provide their contact information and telephone numbers, and are always just a few minutes away.
- What is the community like near the beach houses?
The beach homes are local to the towns of Stuart FL and Jensen Beach FL, and are situated in Martin County FL. The towns are large enough to support significant cultural attractions, including numerous museums, nature exhibits, and even live theater, while at the same time small enough to offer that small-town "Mayberry" charm. Our area offers a special and unique blend of southern hospitality in a modern and civilized setting. For a list of popular area attractions visit our Local Area Guide.
- What does the term "Ocean to River" mean on your listings?
Ocean-to-river properties are rare. An ocean-to-river residence is a home that has the ocean as its "back yard" and has a river as its "front yard". It's a home where you can go ocean surfing in the morning, and fish off your riverfront dock in the afternoon. And in even rarer cases where the river is a WIDE river, an ocean-to-river home provides stunning sunrises that rise above the water AND magnificent sunsets that set down against the water.
The beach houses offered by Beach Houses in Paradise are extremely rare jewels -- there are only 60 ocean-to-river, wide-water and warm-weather beach houses in the US that offer private docks and access to the ocean within just a mile of the home. Most of them are in Florida, and many of those are far away from the nearest major airport or population center. (Florida keys, for example). Only Beach Houses in Paradise offers ocean-to-river beach-house vacations that are convenient to major airports and population centers like Orlando (Disney) and Miami.- Can I bring my pet?
All Beach Houses in Paradise homes are pet-friendly, and our beaches are pet-friendly, too! You'll find several pet amenities at your beach house, including pet gates, pet walk area, bowls & beds, and our favorite, a "Pet Spa" outdoor wash-down station that's great for everything from rinsing off sandy paws to a fast and- easy full-fledged bath.
Note: Our owners configure a non-refundable $95 fee per pet, which is passed on to the cleaning-and-restocking company. This fee covers the cost of extra post-stay work necessary to revert the property to its normal dander-free condition (which is sometimes required by guests who have allergies and require a 100% dander-free indoor experience)
- Is early check-in or late checkout available?
- Beach Houses in Paradise is unusual in the vacation-rental industry, inasmuch as our occupancy rates run at nearly 100%, due to our lower rates and higher service standard. This means that another family or group is checking out of your beach house at 11am, on the same day that you arrive at 5pm. Because it ordinarily takes the cleaning/restocking company 6 hours to properly clean, prepare, restock and sanitize the beach house for your arrival, early check-in is almost never available. For similar reasons, late checkout is also unavailable.
However, owing to flight schedules, sometimes you may find yourself on flight that lands at a nearby airport several hours prior to check-in. (Or a late departure flight that doesn’t depart until late afternoon or evening). For these scenarios, each of our owners offers an economical solution: The half-day rate. With a half-day rate, you can check in to your beach house as early as 7am. (Or check out of your beach house as late as 11pm). In either scenario, the owners take the home off the market for the corresponding night, such that the cleaning/restocking company can prepare the house a day prior to your check-in (or the day after you check out).
The half-day rate is exactly 50% of the rate for the night that will be taken off the market, to accommodate your early check-in (or late check-out). To take advantage of the half-day rate, please inquire for details. - Is there a list of the contents of the beach house?
The property is fully stocked, both inside and out. For example, everything from beach towels, coolers, beach chairs and umbrellas, to water toys (like kayaks & paddleboards), snorkel gear, bicycles and fishing gear. Inside, you'll find bottled water, coffee, tea, Nespresso machine and fully supplied kitchen, as well as bathroom linens, shampoos, bath robes, slippers ... even extra 'emergency' toiletries like toothbrushes & toothpaste.
At Beach Houses in Paradise, “We stock heavy, so you can travel light". Since our homes are so fully stocked—intended to provide you with no-hassle, turnkey beach-house vacation – it’s easier to share with you the list of what isn't stocked at your beach house.
- No fresh produce or groceries – As groceries are subject to personal taste, and are perishable, we leave that to you. (At Beach Houses in Paradise, you'll find nearby big-box grocery stores like Publix Supermarket and The Fresh Market.
- No personal clothing – You won't find sunhats, sunglasses or other articles of clothing, but you will find an assortment of river shoes / sandals (in varying sizes) that are very handy for walking on hot beach sand in the summer time, or walking in the river near docks (there can sometimes be stones or barnacles near the docks). You'll also find snorkel gear (with flippers & masks) in assorted sizes at the home, plus water safety jackets in assorted sizes, from infant/toddler to 4X large.
- No personal toiletries & grooming items – Although we supply his-and-her personal toiletry kits in every bathroom, these are meant as safety nets in case you left your toothbrush/toothpaste at home (or deodorant or other essentials).
- I’d like to ship something to the beach-house ahead of our arrival. How can I do that?
- At most of othe properties, the owners have configured forwarding addresses with UPS and the carrier services, so your package will likely get routed to the owner in another location.
For the few homes that don’t have forwarding addresses, there’s another challenge: With occupancy rates at nearly 100%, it is very risky to ship anything directly to the beach house, lest your package arrive at a time when another family or group is staying at your beach house. (When guests have attempted to do so in the past, the other guests who may be in the home will sometimes mistakenly open those packages or even accidentally take them home when they check out).
Here is the good news: There is a UPS store very convenient to your beach house. We recommend that you ship to the UPS store, and pick up the package as you drive in, or during your stay.
The UPS Store is on the drive to your beach house from the airport or other area. It’s located on the mainland, just before you cross 2 large bridges to reach Hutchinson Island. The address is 2336 Ocean Blvd, Stuart FL 34996 (Phone: 772-221-9300) - Can food or groceries be delivered to the house ahead of check-in?
- For grocery deliveries, InstaCart.com will delivery from the nearby Publix Grocery Store. However, the cleaning/restocking companies in our area are required to provide “contact-free check-in” and appropriate social distancing (covid-19 precautions mandated by our local tourism & health authority). During the six-hour period between your 5pm check-in and the preceding group’s 11am checkout, the cleaning/restocking company is required to lock down the property, block all parking spaces, and turn away all visitors to the home, including early-arriving guests and grocery-delivery companies. They are unable to handle groceries or packages.
NOTE: InstaCart & Publix work together in such a way that deliveries are not always punctual. It is not unusual for groceries to arrive an hour or two early, or late. Please plan accordingly, and if you are scheduling groceries for the night of your arrival, we recommend scheduling the delivery for 7pm or later, to ensure that groceries do not arrive before the 5pm check-in and spoil in the hot Florida sun. (Perhaps dinner your first night at the home can be takeout, or a nearby restaurant). - What type of coffee maker do you have?
- The home's hot-beverage station features a Nespresso machine, complimentary assortment of Nespresso "shot" capsules, conventional drip coffee maker, ground regular & decaf coffee, selection of Bigelow hot teas, plus all the condiments.
- How does the grill work? Do we bring our own charcoal or propane?
- The grill is a propane gas grill. We pre-stock the grill with a full propane tank, provide a spare tank, and provide all the grilling & cleaning utensils. The grill is cleaned before each guest stay. (At some homes, there are two such grills; one on the oceanside and another on the riverside.)
- Do you have a “Pak-n-Play” or other amenities for toddlers/infants?
We stock the Pack ‘n Play line of portable cribs, as well as highchairs, booster seats, safety gates, child-sized water-safety vests, and more. We can set these up in advance of your stay for you (Let us know in which room you’d like a ‘pak-n-play’ staged, and we’ll do so the day of your arrival).
Note: Owing to insurance reasons, the homes do not carry infant “cribs”, strollers, baby swings, bicycle seats, or car seats. Such items can be rented through area companies. A local south Florida company that is familiar with our beach houses is A Baby’s Choice or dial 772-220-8188. (Deliveries can be scheduled for anytime after 11am on your arrival date.)- Is daily or periodic maid service available?
Maid service during your stay isn’t commonplace in the vacation-rental industry, but we are happy to arrange for such service. The most common arrangement is typically two cleaners for two hours, working together in a two-hour shift, at a rate of $25 per hour per cleaner ($100 total). Service hours are typically between 12 noon and 2pm. Services typically include the following:
- Bring Fresh bedroom & bath linens
- Make beds
- Bathrooms
- Load Laundry
- Kitchen / Dishes
- Floors
Availability: During peak travel seasons (Spring Break, Summer, holidays, or other intense travel periods); mid-day service is typically available on weekdays, but not on Saturdays and Sundays.
If you would like to schedule daily or periodic service, please let us know your preferences and desired cleaning date at least 10 days prior to that date, and we can make the arrangements.
- Is there an airport transfer service or “car service” that you recommend?
- Ride-hailing service such as Uber and Lyft are available but the level of service inconsistent. If you would like a professional SUV / “black car” service to bring some of your guests and luggage from the airport to your beach house, we recommend Carey Worldwide. Carey is a five-star service operating in all 50 states and most countries. The service is staffed by professional drivers with proper chauffer insurance, chauffer drivers’ licenses and successful background checks. The service is not cheap, but if you want your beach-house vacation to start off on the right foot, we recommend Carey.
- I read in your listing that jet skis and boats are available. How does that work?
All the human-powered recreational items presented in our photography is included for free with your rental (including kayaks, bicycles, paddleboards, snorkel gear, fishing gear, beach gear and much more). For any motorized items that you see in our photography – items subject to State of Florida registration decal/license-plate requirements (such as RVs, cars, jet skis and boats) -- these are available in three different ways. Here’s how it works with jet skis and boats:
- Bring your own: Often, guests already have their own jet skis, and bring them to the beach house on a trailer. (At all Beach Houses in Paradise, there is room to park your trailer right at the beach house, and you can moor your jet ski on the dock, or beach it on the sand)
- Rent locally in your area, and bring to the beach house: Often, guests will rent a jet ski –and trailer, in many cases – from a local company where they live and bring them to the beach house on the trailer.
- Rent locally, near your beach house: There are a few different providers in our area that are popular with our guests. These include Feet Wet Adventures and Salty’s Water Sports.
- What restaurants do you recommend in the area?
Check out our local Eat and Drink Guide for popular area restaurants. Note: We do not endorse and have no financial relationship with these local businesses.
Almost all restaurants in the area will delivery, via one or more of the delivery services companies. DoorDash, BiteSquad, and DeliveryDudes offer good service coverage, and most restaurants participate with one or more of the above services. - Do you work with any private chefs or catering companies?
There are a few private chefs that have experience preparing meals in our beach houses, and have been highly reviewed by guests, including Chef Kenny Weintraub, Chef Ryan Liepa, and Chef Moaz Levita.
- Do you recommend any fishing charters?
- A great way to start the week and learn the area from a diverse group of experienced anglers is to book a half-day trip on “Lady Stuart”, a “fun for all ages” group charter that sails twice daily from a convenient location very close to most of our beach homes.
If you are looking for a smaller and more intimate private charter that can provide both freshwater (river) and saltwater (ocean) adventures, check our Captain Chris White at Sweet Relief Charters. - Do you recommend any area photographers?
Check out Danielle Love Photography. We’ve watched her shoot everything from beach weddings to family portraits on the beach; she and her team are very professional, and are familiar with many of our properties.
- Do you recommend any wedding planners or event experts?
Check out Wedding Bells & Seashells in nearby Jupiter Florida. They are small planner that specializes in beachfront events & special occasions, and are familiar with our properties.
- Does the beach house have a safe, where I can store my valuables?
Yes, you’ll find a safe at every beach house. It’s the same type of safe that is used at most five-star hotels and resorts. Because Beach Houses in Paradise is not responsible for any lost personal items or belongings, we strongly advise you to use the safe we provide to store your valuables during your stay.
- Are boats and jet skis included?
- All human-powered toys you see — from bikes to kayaks, from paddle boards to snorkels — are included free with your rental at Oceania. (Note that surfboards tend to be highly specialized items that many of our guests bring themselves. If you would like to rent surfboards, they are available from several providers.) Motorized items — such as jet skis, boats, cars, or RV’s — can be rented from nearby providers.
- Do you have a lost-and-found?
Any and all “foreign objects” that are discovered in the home by the cleaning-and-restocking company are labeled, secured and sent to our warehouse location. We hold on to these lost-and-found items for a period of 3 months, after which any items are donated to local churches and charities. If you feel you’ve left something behind at a beach house, please use the beach house rental platform you used to book your reservation to contact us and indicate a return mailing address to which any such item(s) can be shipped.