About Stay in Lakeland
Your Guide to
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland deserves to be more than the town you pass on I-4 between Tampa and Orlando. That's the whole reason this exists.
Who We Are
Stay in Lakeland was created by Isa Ibars, a Florida Southern College graduate and Gamma Phi Beta alumna who studied Advertising before building a UX design career on enterprise AI and mobile experiences for PwC and UKG. Her years on Johnson Avenue turned into a lasting love for the city — the Frances Langford Promenade at sunset, Sunday mornings on Lake Hollingsworth, the swans, the Black & Brew booths. Stay in Lakeland is her way of giving back to the town that shaped her.
It started with our own short-term rental here in Lakeland. Hosting taught us how much great guest services and small experiences actually matter — a thoughtful welcome, the right coffee shop down the road, a swan walk at Lake Morton, the right table at Harry's. Sharing the city we love with guests turned out to be the most fun part of running a rental, and watching people leave genuinely surprised by Lakeland made it feel worth scaling.
So we extended that experience to every guest of Lakeland — and built a free offer for owners to support the homes and neighborhoods that make this city worth visiting. We curate the best vacation rentals from Airbnb, VRBO, and local hosts and pair them with the guides, events, restaurants, and insider tips that make a stay actually feel like Lakeland — not a generic interstate town.
For property owners, we get your rental into the guide every Lakeland visitor uses and give your guests a local concierge — so they have a better stay, and you get better reviews. We're Lakeland's local guide, not a property manager.
Our Mission
“Lakeland gave me four of the best years of my life. I want it recognized as a real destination — not a place people drive through on I-4. If we can connect travelers with great local stays and help our hosts deliver hospitality that feels like Lakeland, we're building something that's good for visitors, good for hosts, and good for the city.”
— Isa Ibars, Founder
What We Do
For Visitors
We curate the best vacation rentals in Lakeland and provide local guides, event listings, and insider tips so you can experience the real Lakeland — not just the interstate.
For Property Owners
We get Lakeland hosts into the guide and give their guests a local concierge — so guests have a better stay and hosts get better reviews.
Tourism & Community
Our newsletter and content promote Lakeland's attractions, events, restaurants, and culture — helping grow tourism and support the local economy.
The Lakeland Guest Guide
We produce a hardcover Lakeland Guest Guide twice a year, distributed free to every listed property — funded by local businesses advertising to vacation rental guests.
Isa Ibars
Founder, Stay in Lakeland