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MI Happy Place Sand Castle 1 · Pet-Friendly · Manatee Beach

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Pool
Room
Pool
Living area
Outdoor dining

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 6140.5 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View map
Holmes Beach, FL
  • Place, Bradenton Beach
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, AMI Paddleboard Adventures
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Manatee Public Beach
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Airport, Sarasota, FL (SRQ-Sarasota-Bradenton Intl.)
    ‪27 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Other Space 1

1 Double Sofa Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden

About this property

MI Happy Place Sand Castle 1 · Pet-Friendly · Manatee Beach

VRC19-000209

2BR · 1BA · Sleeps 6 · Pet-Friendly ($150 Fee) · Across from Manatee Public Beach · 2024 Renovation · Shared Heated Pool · Beach Gear Provided · 1-Gig WiFi · Boat & Trailer Parking · Shared Laundry · Dead-End Street

Manatee Public Beach is directly across the street. The shared heated pool is steps from the unit. Two trolley stops are one block away. Sand Castle 1 is a Holmes Beach vacation rental on a quiet dead-end street where the beach, the pool, and the island are all within easy reach — and where guests come back year after year. Some for four consecutive years running.

The unit was completely renovated in 2025. New granite kitchen with modern appliances, fully tiled walk-in shower in the renovated bathroom, fresh coastal décor, and new furnishings throughout. The semi-private deck has beach gear storage — chairs, umbrella, and wagon included for trips across the street.

Two bedrooms sleep six. The master has a king bed with its own TV. The guest bedroom has two twin beds. The living room sleeper sofa handles the remaining guests. High-speed 1-gig WiFi. Fully equipped kitchen for meals at home. Shared laundry on the property. Linens and towels provided.

Dogs are welcome with a $150 non-refundable fee — the dead-end street and the resort layout make this one of the more comfortable pet-friendly setups in Holmes Beach.

Cafe on the Beach, Skinny's Place, and local dining are within easy walking distance. The free island trolley stops close by for exploring all of AMI without a car. Boat and trailer parking is available on-site.

Sand Castle 1 is one of four renovated units at MI Happy Place — all on the same property, sharing the heated pool and grilling area.

Sand Castle 1 requires a one-week minimum stay with parking for two vehicles.

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Holmes Beach

Located in Holmes Beach, this holiday home is near theme parks and near the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Bradenton Beach and Bean Point Beach. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at LECOM Park or IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Break out the clubs and hit the links on a nearby golf course, or seek out an adventure with horse riding.
View more Holiday homes in Holmes BeachOpens in a new window
Map
Holmes Beach, FL

What's nearby

  • Bradenton Beach - 1 min walk - 0.2 km
  • AMI Paddleboard Adventures - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • West Coast Surf Shop - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Manatee Public Beach - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Anna Maria Sound - 6 min walk - 0.5 km

Getting around

  • Sarasota, FL (SRQ-Sarasota-Bradenton Intl.) - 38 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Ugly Grouper - ‬18 min walk
  • ‪Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Wicked Cantina - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Smoqehouse - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Anchor Inn - ‬16 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Beach Steps Away - Pool, Pets, Renovated 2BR! pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at MI Happy Place Sand Castle 1 · Pet-Friendly · Manatee Beach?

As of 28 March 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at MI Happy Place Sand Castle 1 · Pet-Friendly · Manatee Beach on 13 June 2026 start from NZ$336, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at Beach Steps Away - Pool, Pets, Renovated 2BR!?

Limited spots are available.

What time is check-in at Beach Steps Away - Pool, Pets, Renovated 2BR!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Beach Steps Away - Pool, Pets, Renovated 2BR!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Beach Steps Away - Pool, Pets, Renovated 2BR! located?

Situated near the beach, this holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Manatee Public Beach and Bradenton Beach. West Coast Surf Shop and AMI Paddleboard Adventures are just steps away.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 31 out of 36 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 36 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 36 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 36 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 36 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jami W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beach Trip

Great location to beach, property is so cute and cozy!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Magda C.

Muy buena

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Siempre buena
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Heidi O.

MI Sand Castle 1

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Excellent
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

reggie s.

Paradise

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: 4th year in a row we've stayed here. Couldn't ask for a better stay.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Heidi O.

Sand Castle

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Loved our stay. Would recommend to a friend Thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Maidy Y.

Muy bueno

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Me siento como en casa
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jessica P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Will Stay Again!!

Our family of 6 stayed for spring break. House is very clean. Beds were very comfortable including the pull out couch. There were plenty of extra linens and beach towels. We were just steps away from the ocean. There were sand toys, a wagon and beach chairs available for us to use. Our 4 boys loved the pool. Great stay!! We hope to be back again with more family to rent out the additional units!! Great spot for multi families to stay!!
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2024
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Carol T.

My Happy Place

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Very impressed with attention to any problems that arouse. Need to replace tv remotes!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

robert l.

2021 Spring Break at Sand Castle

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Sand Castle was great! Everything we needed was supplied. We loved the location. We loved having the pool. The guests in the other units were great. Everyone was respectful of others.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

A guest from Mechanicsburg, PA

Beautiful

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We really loved our stay at sand castle. The home was clean and had everything we needed to have a comfortable week away. We loved that the beach was so close and loved the cooled temperature of the pool. We met one of the owners, Jim, who was there doing repairs while we were there and he was so welcoming and friendly. The only thing we wished we had was a vacuum for 2 reasons. The first was to get the same out of the grout of the tiles of the floor and the 2nd was we had brought our things in vacuum seal bags and we couldn’t shrink them to go home. Overall the home was beautiful, clean, and comfortable and perfect for our week.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Jackie C.

Excellent stay at MI Happy Place

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: This was our second time staying at this property, we choose this place for location and yard for our basset hounds. MI Happy Place has always been very clean, great amenities and quiet dead end street. We were not really planning on AMI this fall but when the great rates showed up in an email.... I booked! We love AMI and this property has stayed reasonably priced unlike some other areas on the island. We will return & recommend this property!
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Sherrill S.

Sand Castle

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was more than happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Nice location, centrally located. Last unit, sits right on the curve in the road to Holmes beach. A fence should be considered to cut the traffic noise down. Furniture was outdated and uncomfortable. The place was clean. I definitely would recommend renting a car...so much to explore. The Ugly Grouper was our favorite place to eat. Publix supermarket was nearby for your grocery needs. I couldn’t get the grill to light, so that was a no go.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Jean S.

Sand Castle

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Sand Castle at Mi Happy Place was in such a great location. We could walk across the street to the beach, walk to supermarket, restaurants. Very comfortable space. Communication with Island Vacation properties was great. (Via texts) I hope to return next year. Thanks for the great memories. Only negative is - Sitting outside is a bit loud due to traffic.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2023
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Jody K.

Great stay at MI Happy Place!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We had a great time on Anna Maria Island and couldn't have been in a nicer little place! Convenient location and very nice accommodations!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

A guest from Hale, Mi

Great Place!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: It is a nice, clean rental. Everything from the pool to the location of the property was great. I wouldn’t think twice about staying here again.
From a partner site

6/10 Okay

Magda C.

Magda Castillo me gusta la casa y la playa cerca

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Mejoren la limpieza , lámparas ventilador mucho polvo , mesas de lámpara polvo , pelos y polvo detrás de camas , nevera baño , piso alfombras de entrada muy sucias y mal estado . Haga de su residencia algo sencillo y acogedor sin exceso de adornos , las personas apreciamos hogar limpio no cargado ; volveré pronto . Gracias
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gladivett F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing property

We had a great time. The location of this property is perfect. We could walk across the street to the beach and it had all the gears needed for a beach day. Walking distance to restaurants and bars. The pool was always nice and clean. Coming back for sure!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2022
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Jayme L.

Excellent Place to Stay

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We loved everything about this place! It was a perfect location and provided everything our family needed and more. It was super clean and well thought out. The pool was a huge plus! We would definitely stay here again!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2022
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Molli J.

A great place to get away!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Adorable little condo right across the street from the public beach. Cute yard out front with picnic table. Nice pool, laundry in little hut on the property. You can tell the owners are trying to give you a relaxing experience. Would like to return and rent all 4 villas with my family!
From a partner site

8/10 Good

David And Leslie K.

A lovely quiet place to stay

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was more than happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We ended up loving the location. It was located on a street where there was no through traffic. The condos across from us were lovely and beautifully landscaped. It was a great neighborhood for walking and biking. Our pool was great although not always as clean as possible. Being in Unit I we caught more road noise especially as there was an unnecessary gap in the landscaping. There is safer, convenient access to the cafe on the beach just a short way off site so that gap is not needed. Our deck was also smaller than the other units. But I loved the kitchen and the master bedroom. The bed was very comfortable. We would rent there again if we could get a unit other than #1. The units are very quiet. You get no noise from your adjoining neighbor.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Janet K.

Close to public beach

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was more than happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Rented a cute 2 BR cottage that has a beach theme and recently updated. Would have been better with 2 bath instead of 1. Busy street next to cottage although trees did buffer some noise. Needed to walk down to stop lights to cross street to beach. Very clean unit. Renting unit in 2021.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

A guest from Lake Odessa, MI

MI Happy Place, A Very Happy Place!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We enjoyed our trip to Anna Maria Island. From booking to check out, the process was simple. The condo was well-stocked. The linens were fresh and clean, and the king sized bed was one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept on. It was too chilly to use the pool, but we noticed that it was spotless and with chairs and a BBQ grill available. Thank you for the excellent experience. We already booked for next year. Same time, same place!! Happy, Happy.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Jaimmie H.

Wonderful

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We have stayed there twice now and its always been great! Prefect location, very clean comes with everything you need.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Marci M.

Great Little Get Away

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: This location was very quaint and cute location! We enjoyed our time spent! Well decorated and clean! Pool was nice as well!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Donna D.

Great place

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We had a great time. Rental very clean and had all the amenities you needed. I would absolutely rent it again

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