About My Galveston Getaways
In 2004, the owner of My Galveston Getaway, Cathie Harrison, purchased her first Galveston condo. It was supposed to be My Galveston Getaway”. At the time, I had an 11 year old son and a 12 year old daughter at home. Both great students, and busy athletes – the place that was Cathie’s dream as an every weekend getaway from Houston just didn’t quite work out that way. So she started to rent it. And it would never be available when she was able to go, so she did what any smart mother of teenagers would do – she bought another one. Verse two of the same song; so guess what? Just before Hurricane Ike hit Galveston (literally 2 weeks before) she bought her third. While walking distance to the beach, there was no view so she figured this one wouldn’t rent well. Then came Ike, and that condo had power restored within a week – the phone started ringing from contractors needing interim housing as they would be working long term with the island restoration projects. She never spent a night in that condo! Soon after the island was back to life & vacationers, other owners started asking Cathie to manage their properties. The reinvention of Cathie began with obtaining her Real Estate license; which is a requirement to manage the property of others if there is a guest there 30 consecutive nights or longer and My Galveston Getaway “the company” was born. Those “kids” now hold multiple degrees and Cathie is blessed with 3 gorgeous grandchildren (so far).
The company and its practices have evolved a lot since those days of carrying 7-10 individual paper calendars everywhere she went to keep track of reservations, to the automated systems in place today, and many of the changes have come about at the requests of owners and guests alike. And we will continue to evolve – the only constant is change.
One example is the always evolving “goody” bag and soap bags that we provide. Started with toilet paper, paper towels and coffee supplies – based on guest requests and owner recommendations we now provide both dishwashing tablets and liquid, sponges, trash bags, soap, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion in addition to those first offerings. These starter supplies are provided at each property we manage and guests comment frequently about how glad they are to have these starters as while they would seem obvious – there are many folks who just don’t provide such things.
Properties and rental philosophies morph as well. Many of our vacation rental properties become mid-range or long-term rentals in the off season between the Winter Texans who come to escape brutal winter climates, traveling medical professionals, those who work in industry either on or near the island and sometimes military (there is a Coast Guard base on Galveston – did you know that?) and even sometimes a non-traditional college student.
My Galveston Getaway can lodge those in need of corporate housing in Galveston and the surrounding areas. Corporate housing leases are handled on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us today to discuss your specific needs, and we will find a solution that works for you.
Guests have also come to expect from us and receive exceptional service from first contact through check-out (and re-booking) exceptional customer service, clean, well kept and maintained properties, and personal attention. We have hosted and assisted with celebrations from gender reveals and engagements, anniversaries and birthdays, and even end-of-life celebrations for families. We have housed “victors” of Hurricane Harvey – our neighbors whose homes were damaged or destroyed, medical professionals who worked at our local hospitals during the pandemic which affected so many, and multiple patients receiving extended treatments at UTMB and Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Galveston – as well as scores of vacationers.
We host champions! Galveston is host to a plethora of competitive events from sports tournaments to cheer & dance, to a Triathlon event each year, Sandcastle building competitions, and festivals throughout the year. We have hosted many competitors and many champions! We love it when they send us pictures of their team/group with their trophies, and we’ve been known to show up and hoot and holler for these teams as they travel so far away and may not have anyone to cheer for them.
Looking to book that next perfect trip to Galveston island but want human interaction? Call us at 409-744-4258 or email us at mygalvestongetaway@gmail.com and we’ll assist you in finding exactly the right spot for your stay!
Many of our guests have become repeat guests, some of them we call friends now. They book with us exclusively because they know we manage only the highest quality properties and provide the highest level of service. Whether you’re looking for a weekend away from Houston, a winter escape from the cold of the Midwest or Northeast, or a long-term lease, My Galveston Getaway can help you with your lodging needs. We will find the right lodging for you, even if it means looking outside of our own portfolio – making people happy in Galveston, sharing our love for our slice of paradise, brings us great joy!