[Lone Traveller]

I'm thinking about making my firrst lifestyle trip at the end of October. It sounds like they put you in somebody'd house; not really sure I like that idea. Are there any hotels in TV?

[livsea2]

Yes they put you up either in a rental house or if it is your first visit they put you up in a cottage that are REALLY nice specifically built for lifestyle previews. I would encourage you to go on a lifestyle visit rather than a hotel because they give you a Villages I.D. card which gives you access to all the amenities so you can experience the villages as a resident to get the full effect. There are hotels in the area but do yourself a favor and experience the full flavor of the villages by doing a lifestyle preview.

[Niels]

I would definitle second the recommendation to do the lifestyle preview program. Besides the Villages ID which gives you access to all the Recreation centers, pools and fitness centers they also give you a gate card which makes it a lot easier to go visit any of the neighborhoods.

My wife and I just returned from a lifestyle preview visit lat month and this is what they gave us:

With the lifestyle preview, my wife and I both received cards good for:

$12 Breakfast or Lunch at the Veranda Restaurant
$15 Lunch at the Palmer Legends Country Club
$20 Lunch or Dinner at the Lighthouse Grille
$40 Lunch or Dinner at the Cane Garden Country Club
$50 Lunch or Dinner at either the Cattle Baron Club or Katie Belle’s

2 movie tickets good at Rialto or Old Mill theatre
2 rounds of golf, championship or executive course
2 games of championship tennis
Championship Course: Large Bucket of Balls
20% off total of one purchase at the Market or Banner Mercantile
20% off one service at Tuscany Day Spa & Salon
20% off one service at Salon Fifth Avenue

The amounts they gave us for meals were more than adequate in most cases with the exception of Palmer Legends where we went over the allowed amount. In that case the restaurant just charges you the difference.

This allows you to try out the various restaurants and see the country clubs while you are there. It really is a good deal. Some of the places such as Katie Belle's or the Cattle Baron's are only available if you have the Villages ID.

[JohnN]

I stayed in a hotel the first time. Hampton Inn, same as all of 'em.

The Lifestyle Visit, we did stay in someone's home, but mostly these are newer and hardly used, and well decorated. More like a model home. We loved it - and bought.

Good luck.

[Russ_Boston]

I'll second the home instead of Hotel. I stayed in a neighborhood home instead of the LSL cottages. We wanted to get a feel for what it is really like to live there. The house was spotless. We rented a golf cart and made believe we already lived there. It sold us to become future villagers.

[rshoffer]

Don't stay in a hotel. Ask for a cottage in Sumter Landing.

[graciegirl]

I hear the cottages are wonderful! We asked for a designer home because that is what we had interest in. I was pleasantly surprised.

I know for a fact that if The Villages rent your home to a life style visitor, it has to pass very high and rigid standards first. (We have friends that do, during the time they are north) The one we had was decorated like a NEW model home, was immaculate and completely outfitted. I knew it belonged to someone only because there was an interesting guest book to sign and a note inside it saying that it was someone's loved home. I like nice decorating and cleanliness and I was extremely pleased. Needless to say, we left it in the same way we found it. I am told, and I could tell that they have a cleaning staff that is VERY particular.

It isn't used by a bunch of raucous teenagers, only us "PERFECT" grown up people.

Do not hesitate to choose a home here. (To rent for your visit or to live in Paradise) You will love it.

[l2ridehd]

In two lifestyle previews we stayed at the cottages near LSL. Both times the homes were designer models. They call them cottages only because of the close proximity to Lake Sumter and that the lots are quite small. As to the "cottages" themselves, ours were about 1800 sq ft, 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage homes completely outfitted with everything you could ever need. They had maid service and a neighborhood pool and within walking distance to LSL. There are probably 50 or 60 of these "cottages" for people on lifestyle previews. Paper delivered daily, walk over and rent a golf cart, (sometimes it is also provided) and enjoy the villages. I have also stayed at the Waterfront Inn and would recommend that over the Hampton Inn. Nice hotel and again within walking distance to LSL.

The Villages is all about the lifestyle you are buying much more than the home you are buying. To best experience that stay in the cottages.

[rshoffer]

One more piece of advice... begin to tell your friends, family and neighbors you are moving to TV... once you do the tour you'll have tasted the nectar, you'll be under the spell and you'll be a Villiger very soon.

[tankdvr1950]

ditto on everyone else's positive comments

we stayed in a rental in our first preview last Feb and are scheduled for another rental for our upcoming second visit in late Sept....the home we stayed in was perfect and we fell in love with The Villages (TV) by the end of our stay....its just a matter of time (the shorter the better) until we are TVers permanently

we rented a golf cart the first trip and will do so in Sept...we highly recommend that you do the same....its the only real way to get the feeling of what its like being a Villager, in our opinion

enjoy

[JohnN]

the cottages are fabulous, I'll agree.

yet we chose a villa to stay in, because we wanted to 1) stay in a neighborhood where people really live and 2) stay in a place more like what we'd purchase.