Clermont Cabanas

Clermont Cabanas sits right on the shore of Lake Minneola in the heart of historic downtown Clermont, and it is one of the few places in town where you can step out the door and be near the water in about a minute. Owner Nicola “Nicky” Dixon, a longtime Central Florida real estate professional known locally for founding Florida Plus Realty and the Central Florida 55 Plus community, built this small property as a personal project rather than a corporate investment, and that hands on approach shows in the details guests notice once they arrive.

The property is made up of two freestanding units, Cabana Verde and Cabana Azul, each about 450 square feet and finished with what Dixon calls a Key West touch: bright colors, breezy furnishings, and a wide wrap around front porch lined with rocking chairs that face the lake. Each cabana sleeps up to four guests with a bedroom and a sleeper sofa, and comes with a real kitchen rather than a mini fridge and microwave, complete with an induction cooktop, a Breville oven, a dishwasher, and its own washer and dryer. Guests looking to unwind outside will find a hand built pergola set up for grilling, plus lake breezes that make the covered porch a favorite spot for morning coffee or an evening drink.

What makes the location special is what surrounds it. Osceola Street sits directly on Clermont’s downtown waterfront corridor, within an easy walk of the shops, breweries, and restaurants along Montrose Street and the Clermont Waterfront Park. The cabanas also sit near the Coast to Coast Connector, the paved trail system that runs across Central Florida, so cyclists and walkers can roll out the door and be on the trail almost immediately. Clermont has built a real identity around its lakes and trails, and staying here puts guests in the middle of that scene rather than off on a highway strip near the interstate.

Because the property is owner operated rather than franchise managed, booking and communication tend to be personal, and questions get answered by someone who actually knows the property. Reservations run through the property’s own website and a standard hotel booking platform, with a two night minimum for nightly stays and options for guests who want to settle in for a week or a full month, which makes the cabanas a popular choice for snowbirds and remote workers spending extended time in Lake County. Pets are welcome for an added fee, parking and WiFi are included, and the property leans on a simple, relaxed philosophy that Dixon sums up with the phrase “Mi Casa Es Su Casa.”

For visitors who want a home base in walkable, historic downtown Clermont rather than a room off the highway, Clermont Cabanas offers a genuinely local alternative to the chain hotels clustered near Highway 27 and Highway 50. It is small by design, just two units total, which means availability is limited and advance booking is worthwhile, but that same small scale is exactly what gives the place its neighborhood feel and keeps it distinct from the larger resorts and timeshare properties out toward the theme park corridor.