Staycation #2: Palm Tree Villas on Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island

Photo courtesy of Bradenton Area CVB

HOLMES BEACH – As you make your way across the bridges on SR 64, the world seems to change before your eyes. The serene landscape of palm trees and and crystal blue bay waters dotted by fisherman and passing sailboats is perfect preparation for what awaits: paradise.

Like Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island is a long, skinny stretch of sand just off the mainland, accessible by two bridges, one on each end. Unlike Siesta Key, it has managed to preserve the majority of its old Florida charm through the recent waves of gulf coast real estate development.

Holmes Beach is one of three small towns on the island, along with Bradenton Beach and the city of Anna Maria, which house the bulk of the island's attractions. Perfectly situated between the two, Holmes Beach offers the perfect locale for those looking for a sleepy beach village, one without the kitsch and commercialism of stereotypical resort towns.

Perhaps nowhere is the charm of Holmes Beach so perfectly personified as the Palm Tree Villas, a quaint and comfortable eco-friendly resort, a few steps from the powder sand beach. Originally built as a small annex to the large Island Plantation beachfront resort, the villas have gone through three re-inventions without sacrificing a drop of character.

Current owners, Ashok Sawe and his wife Peggy bought the property in 2002 and have gone to great lengths to enrich the comfort factor, while maintaining the distinct personality of the small resort. Former Boston tech-industry professionals, the Sawes boarded their R.V. in 2000 and set about a countrywide journey, hoping to find a new home and slower-paced lives.

Along their travels, the couple saw many attractive communities and had begun to cultivate a list of potential favorites when they stopped by Holiday Cove in Cortez and took their bikes across the south bridge.

"Once we got to this island and saw the beach and the homes and the community, I just knew that this was it," said Sawe. "I couldn't even say exactly why, but when you've traveled to so many different places and seen so many beautiful towns and you get a feeling like that, it certainly says a lot."

The Sawes went on to finish their trip, but there was never any question as to where they would settle down. Once they had settled into their new lives, it was time to think about what came next. Looking to escape the stress of a fast-paced lifestyle, while settling into a semi-retirement, they set about finding a suitable resort property to buy.

"It was just after property values really started going up," explained Sawe. "Most properties on the market were not priced in such a way that a workable business model could exist. They were not selling the business, they were selling the land, which had become worth more."

Not to be dissuaded, Sawe literally began cold calling local hotel owners and inquiring as to whether they were considering to sell. The Palm Tree Villas presented an opportunity that the couple felt could work, though Sawe notes that the numbers still create a challenge.

He tells me that even at 2002 prices, the massive mortgage requires near constant occupancy and that the venture probably wouldn't provide enough, were it the couple's sole source of income. It is zoned for up to four properties, were it to be raised, and would no doubt offer a better return, but the Sawes are rare exceptions to the mentality that profit must dictate every course of action, and nowhere is that passion for what they do more evident than in their philosophy as hoteliers.

The theme of your stay at Palm Tree Villas is that it will be your home away from home and the couple's painstaking attention to detail fully delivers on that concept. When they bought the property, the first thing they did was stay in each unit and note any shortcomings.

Feather-top mattresses, high-end fixtures and opulent cabinetry replaced the more typical, hotel-grade accommodations. Soon came flat-screen TV's, granite counters, luxurious bathrooms and top of the line appliances. The effect is a pleasant surprise when you open the door to your quarters; understated on the outside, warm and homey within. From little touches like between-the-pane blinds and remote control air-conditioning, to the greatly appreciated convenience of beach wagons, fold-out chairs and chaise lounges for every unit.

Everything about Palm Tree Villas is about the guest's experience. I witnessed him see off several travelers and it is evident that he genuinely cares about those who stay and what they think. He provides complimentary laundry machines and wi-fi, as well as local calls, removing profit centers that tend to annoy people on vacation.

"At first I charged for local calls, simply because the previous owner did," he tells me. "But there you are, right as a person is checking out and the last thing they experience is you asking them for their five dollars for calls, or they are here and they have to search for quarters to do their laundry. It's counter productive to the kind of experience we are trying to provide."
      
That experience is central to everything about the stay. There is no maid service, sparing the intrusion as well as the annoyance of timing excursions around the room's daily preparations. Instead, guests are welcome to drop off towels and pick up new ones whenever they like. Everything that happens at Palm Tree Villas is invisible to the guest. Like the service at a good restaurant, you don't see it happening, but it's always there.

This isn't the first time the resort's winning recipe has been acknowledged. In 2007, Life magazine named the island as one of the eight best world-wide winter getaways and named Palm Tree Villas "the" place to stay. Sawe had no idea that the honor had been bestowed until he asked a Long Islander booking a trip where they had heard of his establishment and they named the world-famous magazine.  

Since it his first venture as a hotelier, Sawe draws from his years of extensive business travel, taking a bit of what he likes from different cultures and applying it to Palm Tree Villas. The kitchen sports Godiva coffee, delicious marmalade and key-lime shortbread, while the bathroom offers spa grade soaps and toiletries.

"When I would go to Japan, I would see certain things that while seemingly small, stood out when compared to service expectations here," he explains.

City Pier in nearby Anna Maria Photo courtesy of Bradenton Area CVB

Sawe, who is from India, said that the mindset of sustainability was ingrained in his upbringing. His remarkable commitment to environmentally responsible practices is prominently displayed in every aspect of the stay. From small touches like CF bulbs, the convenience of recycle bins at each unit, and the ability to re-use towels, to major investments in solar energy, the Sawes clearly put social responsibility in front of marketing.

Hot water is heated through solar panels on the side slope of the rooftops, while light is collected for electricity on top. Sawe laments that unfunded state incentives have left him without the promised re-reimbursements, but adds that he is glad to have made the investment, regardless of immediate return.

The villas range from efficiency suites and single bedroom units, to two and three bedroom luxury suites with full kitchens and large living rooms. Each is fully furnished with everything someone could need for a weekend getaway to a month-long vacation.

The only thing that stands between your villa and the Gulf of Mexico is the Beach Bistro, a Zagat rated fine-dining establishment with a water view. Walk the opposite direction, and you can have a cold beer at Decoy Ducks, a burger at Duffy's, see the work of local artists at Island Gallery West, or even grab a workout at Island Fitness.

The trolley stop is less than a block from your door and the free service will take you up to Anna Maria, where you'll find many more restaurants, shops and cafes. Head south on the trolley and check out the nightly live music at Cafe on the Beach or Bradenton Beach's historic Bridge Street, a bit further down.

If you'd rather keep a low profile, just settle into the peaceful serenity of your raft at the Palm Tree Villas' solar heated swimming pool and let your worries float away. This is truly a slice of paradise in your own backyard.