The Blue Heron Riverfront Retreat

We had the best time at the Blue Heron Riverfront Retreat! Our family of 6 and my in- laws stayed for a week and we all agreed we would come back!! Katie was very helpful and always answered any questions promptly. All the bedrooms are up stairs. There are 4 bedrooms - 2 share a bathroom, perfect for our 2 sons and girlfriends. The master suite with balcony was beautiful! Enjoyed coffee on balcony in the morning . The other bedroom is up another set of stairs with an amazing view- no bathroom - used one on main floor as it had a shower. Also have a bathroom right by patio/pool area. Everything in kitchen is labeled making it easy to find whatever you might need. The patio and pool area was our favorite!!! The view is amazing and so peaceful. The pool was refreshing after being in the hot sun. There is plenty of seating by the pool and the 2 chairs in the water were very comfortable . The hot tub turned on at night from 6:30-9:30 ( I think you can have it adjusted) Our sons enjoyed fishing and caught a variety of fish - missed a big one:( On our last day we even saw dolphins off the pier!!! There is also so much to do at the house if it should rain - ping pong, pool, darts, foosball and a cupboard full of games. The outdoor tv was a hit for watching sports while in hot tub and the patio furniture was comfortable with plenty of places to sit for all 8 of us. Great location with lots of restaurants, shops and things to do with in a hour or less.

Location was great, convenient to everything, good fishing off the dock, lots of activities at the house! House was more than big enough for 6, patio, pool, fire pit and spa were perfect!

The pool and hot tub were a huge hit with our family (21 month-53yrs), included heat schedule made it enjoyably warm for March, we did not need to add extra heat. Dock fishing was slow but entertaining, saw dolphins, manatees, puffer and small rays (no sharks to our 5 years olds disappointment lol). Water clarity as expected for location (dark). The home itself was better than described - pictures don’t do it justice more than adequately stocked with items from toiletry products to towels & bedding to dining to comfy seating - indoors and out. Beds and home temps comfortable and nicely preset-automated controls. Host was kind and responsive. Neighborhood was quiet, felt safe, and close to dining and essentials. Great quiet, relaxing family destination.

Our group of 8 adults has been going to the Bradenton area for spring training baseball for over 10 years. We have stayed in many nice homes, but this was one of our favorites. Katie was wonderful to work with, and her home is lovely.Katie has thought of everything - well appointed kitchen, every day comforts (beds, towels, TP, comfortable chairs, etc.), every form of entertainment that you could want, beautiful outside and inside areas. We couldn’t think of a thing that we could have wanted that the house didn’t have. We found a stocked s’mores kit on the kitchen counter - lovely touch! The knives in the kitchen were actually sharp - they actually cut through limes with ease, not like using a butter knife. While the location may be a bit out of the hub of activity, we actually found that we preferred the location over being on Anna Maria Island or on the other side of the Manatee River. If you happen to be going to Lecom Park, this is a much quicker drive. Detwiler’s Market (and other grocery stores) are very close by. It’s an extremely quiet area, which we appreciated. We couldn’t recommend this house enough - just don’t take “our week”!

We had a fantastic stay here. The house was perfect. We had a dinner party and our guests loved the property. The view was so tranquil and relaxing, the pool and hot tub were great and my husband enjoyed fishing off the dock. The kitchen was extremely well outfitted and we were able to host 8 people for dinner easily there were plenty of serving dishes and tableware. The games and movies that were available are a nice touch. The bed in the master is very comfortable and the view is exceptional. Katie is a fantastic and responsive host. We we were even able to go fishing and get picked up on the dock. The labeling throughout the home was so helpful and there were so many nice and thoughtful touches throughout. We would definitely stay here again and highly recommended this home.