Hot Booking: Harbor Villas Luxury Suites a Home Run for Brevard Dads
Local entrepreneurs Brandon Howard and Nathan Doyle met 15 years ago playing softball and then went on to coach their son’s baseball team together. The two were friends for a long time before they decided to go into business together.
Their first real estate venture, Harbor Villas, seems to be a home run. Opened for customers in January, the villas are unique luxury suites available for both short and long-term rentals. They are designed to be a home away from home for executives on lengthy work assignments, traveling medical personnel, residents waiting on a new home build, or even snowbirds looking for a little sunshine during the winter months.
But the project all started with a joke.
Doyle has been in the real estate business for over 20 years, and owns a vacation rental property management division with his twin brother. Howard had always shown an interest in that industry, often asking questions and telling Doyle he might entertain buying investment properties if the right opportunity came along. And then Doyle found just the right one.
“Brandon is a huge Florida State Seminole fan and his wife, Courtney, is a huge Florida Gator fan and there is no love lost between them come football season,” Doyle said. “About three years ago, we found two rental houses in West Melbourne on Seminole Boulevard that I showed him, at first as kind of a joke. But he ended up buying them.”
The friends have a long history of playing practical jokes on one another. Doyle even framed his own acceptance letter to Florida State and gifted it to Howard’s wife at the closing of the Seminole properties, replacing his name with hers.
“So when this new complex came up on Seminole Boulevard,” Doyle said, “I sent it to Brandon, saying we have to buy these and work together. Now all of your property will be on Seminole!”
Though this was their first joint project, the longtime friends quickly discovered a strong working relationship.
“Working together has been fun and challenging and aggravating and a learning process all in one,” said Howard, owner of J&M Trucking and Tractor Service. “But as friends, we can sit around and talk about things and come to a solution. It’s a good partnership. Nate loves his spreadsheets and he is very by the book, while I am more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of guy.”
Comfort and Convenience
Harbor Villas’ seven units range from studio apartments to two-bedroom units, each with a fully stocked kitchen. The pet friendly property sleeps 24 comfortably, also making it an ideal location for hosting large groups, be it for a family reunion, wedding, corporate retreat or other occasion.
The Villas are conveniently located in the heart of the Space Coast, close to Interstate 95 and three blocks from Melbourne Orlando International Airport. Guests have easy access to some of Brevard’s best restaurants, as well as golf, shopping, and nightlife. And the beach is just a causeway away.
“Being in the growing area that it is, right around the airport, there is going to be a lot of need for these types of higher-end, executive rentals,” Howard said.
Harbor Villas is four blocks from the Holmes Regional Medical Center and less than a mile from L3Harris, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.
“In Brevard County right now, there are so many companies that have a footprint here, but they have executives coming in from other cities all the time,” said Cindy Hunt, director of member relations and development for the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. “And their time is tightly budgeted, so this location near the airport does make a difference. This is a really nice alternative to a hotel, from both a comfort and a cost perspective, and it is something that hasn’t been available here before.”
Harbor Villas is much more than a long-term stay hotel or vacation rental.
“What the local hotels are offering cannot compare to what we are offering. Each of our units is like a small custom home,” Howard said.
An interior designer themed each unit after a different Florida town or famous Floridian, providing unique experiences. The cozy units come with a fully stocked coffee and tea bar plus high-quality towels and bed linens, designed to give guests a luxurious, spa-like experience throughout their stay. On-site amenities like laundry facilities, self check-in, ample parking, and Wi-Fi make life easy for the busy professional.
“We went the extra mile and tried to streamline the whole customer experience,” Doyle said. “We want to be as accommodating as possible. We want people to remember the unit and want to come back. Referrals and repeat clients are always the goal.”
“From the moment you arrive until you leave, you feel right at home,” AirBandB guest Kimberly wrote in her review of Harbor Villas. “I will definitely be staying there again.”
Learn More
Harbor Villas website
208 West Seminole Ave., Melbourne, FL 32901
Brandon Howard: Brandon@spacecoastexecutiverentals.com, 321-508-8423
Nathan Doyle: Nathan@doyleinvestmentteam.com, 321-695-4175
Links to the Villas
- Winter Park 2-bedroom, 3-bed, 1-bath unit
- Palm Beach 1-bedroom, 1-bath unit
- Sanibel Island studio, 1-bed, 1-bath unit
- Destin 1-bedroom, 2-bed, 1-bath unit
- Hemingway 1-bedroom + 1 sofa bed, 1-bath unit
- Marco Island 1-bedroom, 2-beds, 1-bath unit
- St. Augustine studio, 1-bath unit
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