William John Howey (January 19, 1876 - June 7, 1938) was an American real-estate developer, citrus…read moregrower, and Republican politician from Florida. He founded and served as mayor for the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida where he developed and sold citrus groves, becoming one of Florida's greatest citrus developers. He was one of the first citrus growers to send fruit from Florida to England. In 1921 he opened Florida's first citrus juice plant. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 1928 and 1932. Mr. Howey's prominence led to many distinguished guests visiting the Howey mansion, These included Lord Bathhurst of England, H.B. McNeal, publisher of Golfer's Magazine, golf master Chick Evans, Kansas Governor Alfred Landon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillip's of petroleum fame, and President Calvin Coolidge who was guest of honor at an all-male dinner party in February 1930. Mr. Howey's former home near Lake Wales, Florida became the site of Florida's Bok Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens. In 1925 Mr. Howey commissioned a 20 room mansion in the town he founded. The architect was Katherine Cotheal Budd. During WWI she designed temporary lodgings known as hostess homes for women who were visiting their husbands at military training camps. Budd is credited for creating 72 lodgings with a homelike atmosphere and the Howey House is one of a few existing examples of her work. The Howey Mansion was designed in the popular Mediterranean Revival style. The house is set back on a wide lawn with wrought iron gates and a long horseshoe drive. The entrance to the home features an elaborate, two story bas relief frontispiece .The massive front door and the woodwork on the first floor is made from peaky cypress. Leading to the second floor is a graceful curving stone stairway with a wrought iron banister. Other features of the home include three large fireplaces, a ballroom-size drawing room, enormous beamed ceilings, and a servant call-bell phone system. There is even a hidden passage behind a sliding bookshelf panel in the library. The original 15 acres grounds of the mansion were called The Park and included many botanical plants and shrubs. On March 6, 1927 The Park was the host site for an open air concert performed by the New York Civic Opera Company bringing the top opera singers of the day to the mansion for a concert for the community. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Place on January 27, 1983. On April 12, 2017 it was listed for sale at $480,000. The new owners are Brad and Clay Cowherd, Orlando real estate investors who have made period-accurate restoration of the house. I visited the Howey Mansion for the Founders Day Festival. Admission for tours of the home was discounted to $10. The Howey Mansion is available for private rentals like weddings while historical tours are also available Monday through Friday at 11am. The Founder's Day event included a local market, food trucks, live music, and family activities. I enjoyed visiting the tents and touring the mansion including the hidden bar in the basement that was created during prohibition. Behind the mansion, is a trail through the woods that will take you to the Georgian marble mausoleum where the Howey family is interred including William J. Howey (1938), daughter, Lois Valerie Howey (1941), and Mary Hastings Howey (1981). This year Centennial Founder's Day Celebration, marked100 years since the town's founding in 1925.

What an incredible place! We really enjoyed the tour Fran and Mercy gave us. They were extremely…read moreknowledgeable about the property and you can tell they love what they do. The property itself is gorgeous. If you're looking for an event space, you're in luck they rent it out for weddings and other events.

Place is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. Service is excellent and food was magnificent!!! The steak and…read morechimichurri was simply mouth watering and the mac and cheese....GOOD LORD!!!! Fantastic spot for a wedding, 50th, Quinceañera, anniversary, etc.

Breathtaking water views from every direction. Who could imagine a 55 acre island in the middle of…read moreFlorida, that instantly transports you into paradise. Fruit trees, pineapples, ancient oaks & wildflowers just to mention a few are everywhere. We even saw fireflies at night! Amanda and Dioni ensure every detail is perfect. Plenty of room for everyone, plus ample parking. World class catering; variety & quality exceeds expectations. The best part is they are easy to work with & understand/overcome challenges of big events. Would gladly hold events here in the future.

My son's wedding was planned for Sept. 23, 2017, at Sabina's Grove, but Hurricane Irma came through…read moreand made a mess, so we changed our plans and cancelled. Although we cancelled in accordance with the terms of the contract, they said we would have to "go through the courts." We sued. We won. They still have not paid us. I have tried repeatedly to contact Dionicio Colorado and Amanda Underwood, the owners, to sit down and have a conversation, but they will not return calls. I have been patient and until this point have not said anything bad about them, but I think everyone should beware of planning any events at this place.

What an incredibly beautiful park! Ive driven but many a time, today 1/1/26 I stopped in…read more It was a little chilly, but we were delighted to see such an amazing sand volleyball court, nearly 30 nets! That competition must be incredible. The hall on the water is simply splendid, and has amazing views of the lake. Its a great benefit to the people if they rent this out weddings here must be incredible. The docks were nice and had a few folks like me braving the bracing wind. The light was wonderous. Golden hour there is pure magic.

Super clean park area, sand volleyball courts are perfectly kept and those bathrooms are amazing!…read moreThey even have the lights that are energy saving by motion!

Hands down the best choice we could have made! Ty & Craig were both so wonderful and helpful…read morethrough the whole process. The venue is drop dead gorgeous. My wedding day was perfect because of them! They host several open houses throughout the year which helped me pick all my other vendors. Ty is so kind and wonderful, and has built really good friendships with a lot of other people in the industry. The inclusive package is wayyy worth it. We saved so much getting the Rose package! The getting ready suites were spotless when we arrived. Perfect areas for getting ready photos. Literally the whole property is a dream and they have done a lot of work over the last year making it even better! I will never stop recommending them!!

I recently spent a weekend at the Mission Resort and Club. The property is gorgeous, the staff is…read morehelpful and knowledgeable, and the food is fabulous!! I highly recommend this property if you want a true "old Florida@ experience.

Service!!!!!!!! All areas of service contact are unwelcoming and unfriendly. With the exception of…read moreAndy, (shuttle drier) who was friendly and I believe the only person we encountered who smiled. Lobby staff seemed unorganized. Restaurant staff unfamiliar with what was offered, wasn't sure what a sparkling water was? Steak ordered med rare and presented well done. Breakfast buffet staff argued over who was going to serve our table. Staff behavior demonstrates low wages, poor management or both. Oh and the bed was terrible, very sunk in the middle. Pro shop staff did not know how to give cash change back so I had to use a CC. Requested high floor got a ground room facing a yard with a broken kids play tower. So disappointed in this establishment! The grounds are beautiful but a drive thru is enough.

Absolutely love this gated community that John Travolta lives at. Visited a friend that was in town…read morefor business and thru a party it was my birthday.

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