Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Property

Guest: RentKing (Norman OK)
Date of Stay: 05/14/12 Review Submitted: 05/21/12

Our group really enjoyed this home. Top notch furnishings and great location even though its not on the beach!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Incredible

Guest: CH (Sandy, UT United States)
Date of Stay: 03/24/12 Review Submitted: 04/04/12

04-04-12 My family and friends stayed at this house in Destin, Florida. The experience was better than our wildest DREAMS. All of our expectations were met and we will plan this trip every year and stay at this phenomenal house.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful Experience!!!

Guest: S.M. (CA)
Date of Stay: 08/14/11 Review Submitted: 09/04/11

My family, 12 in all (including children) rented this beautiful home for 6 nights. When we arrived, the house was immaculate and well stocked with dishes and cookware. The furnishings alone made us feel like we were in a five star hotel. I have never slept better outside of my own bed. All of the beds were plush and dreamy. The house is located near the lagoon pool, though not too close. The community is right across the road from The Destin Commons shopping area which was a very fun place to shop and hang out in the square. We went to the beach near The Crab Shack, just a very short drive. The community golf cart shuttle takes you to this beach as well. I suggest you bring your own beach towels so you don't have to keep washing the house towels. We took the very big canopy, the owner provided, down to the beach and rented extra chairs. We had so much fun swimming in the warm pristine waters. Don't get me started on the sand-- oh, the wondrous white sugary sand!! :-). We didn't eat out very much and bought all of our groceries from Publix which carried some organic and speciality foods at reasonable prices. The house was big enough for all of us and we will definitely be staying there again. The owner was very helpful and a really nice person. Thanks, Tony, for sharing your beautiful home with us. It was a special time that my family will never forget.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

One Fast Week!!

Guest: Honey (Trophy Club, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/31/11 Review Submitted: 08/07/11

Our family of 10: 2 grandparents, four grandchildren (8mos-13yrs) and their 4 parents were most at home and comfortable in this spacious and accurately described home. It's convenient to everything, but not in the middle of the "busyness" of the area unless you choose to be. It's spacious, pool's great and we had lots of room to spread out with kids' age differences and needs. Owner is most accommodating and easy to work with. We'd LOVE to return! Our week flew by!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Comfortable and roomy

Guest: Stacia W.
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/13/11

The house was beautiful and comfortable. We loved the kitchen and the beds. All of the furniture was comfortable. The 3rd floor was the perfect place for the kids. We had enough room for everyone to have their own space. The pool was wonderful and the trolley was great too. We would definitely stay there again if we come back to Destin.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

beautiful house

Guest: Tim (Indianapolis, in)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 07/09/11

I spent a couple weeks in june at this house, it was everything advertised and more. I had 10 people one week and 11 the next and we had room for everyone and no one had to sleep on a couch. The location is great too. Everything you need is within 5 minutes and the shuttle to the beach was prompt and courteous. I cant even begin to say enough about the pool, it is awesome. Im hoping I can convince my family to vaction here every year!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Gorgeous House!

Guest: Wolfie Family (Northville, MI)
Date of Stay: 04/16/11 Review Submitted: 04/28/11

This was our 2nd year staying in Villagesof Crystal Beach for family vacation. This house by far exceeded our expectations! Super clean, super comfy, and lots of room for us to all spread out. Kitchen is totally stocked with anything you need, and nice high end appliances. This house was absolutely perfect! The owner was very easy and very reliable to work with. We will be coming back next year for Spring Break!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful House

Guest: Chris (Cincinnati, OH)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/17/10

This is a beautiful house in a great location with every amenity you can think of. It was very clean and in excellent shape when we arrived. The pool is amazing and was VERY well maintained. The beach trolley was great (10AM - 5PM), but if you want to walk it's only about 10 minutes (0.5 miles). The beach was beautiful. Within a few miles are hundreds of stores and restaurants, family attractions and entertainment, a state park, and several golf courses. We had 6 adults and 4 children. There was PLENTY of room for everyone. The owner is very nice and accomodating. We had a great time.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

July stay

Guest: Bob (Liberty Township, OH)
Date of Stay: 07/11/10 Review Submitted: 07/26/10

Our family just returned from a trip to the Destin area where we stayed at this house on Tahitian Way. We had a great time! The house was very nice, roomy, clean, and comfortable. The pool was fun for the whole family, and located just around the corner. Beach access was a breeze as the shuttle was promptly on call each way. With so many shops, restaurants, and water activities located within minutes, there was no shortage of fun activities. We had a very fun trip...and most definitely will return!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

great place

Guest: keith (Hattiesburg, Ms)
Date of Stay: 07/04/10 Review Submitted: 07/21/10

We have 3 children, their spouses and 2 grandchildren and stayed here for the 2nd year and have a reservation for next year. Very nice place and is not overstated in description. Very nice pool and good proximity to all we wanted to do in Destin.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Had a great time!

Guest: Marcus (Searcy, Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/25/10

We stayed at this house with four teenagers and two 2-year olds. The layout of the house allowed us to all spread out. The teenagers enjoyed the upstairs, which provided them with a little privacy, and they were able to sleep in. The kids loved the pool. We all enjoyed the neighborhood and had a great stay!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Great House

Guest: sue (Mississippi)
Date of Stay: 05/22/10 Review Submitted: 07/07/10

This home was great for me and my family!! We had 3 families with a total of 7 adults and 5 children. We had plenty of space for everyone without feeling crowded. We wanted a cable channel that the owner did not have and he arranged for us to have it at no extra charge! That's the kind of treatment we received all week!! The owner was easy to work with and the house was great and I recommend it to anyone that wants the perfect house with all the extra amenties!!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Fantastic Home

Guest: myrtle 1 (Waterville, OH)
Date of Stay: 04/17/10 Review Submitted: 05/12/10

This home was georgios. It was a peferct location the pool and surroundings were perfect. It is close to shopping, restaurants and attractions. The owner was extremely helpful we had three families a total of 10 people in this house and we all had questions. He was very patient and took the time to explain all we wanted to know. This home exceeded everyones expectaions.

Recommended for:

RELAXATION AND PRIVACY

Guest: MERRY SUGAR PLUM (CLARKESVILLE, GA)
Date of Stay: 02/13/10 Review Submitted: 05/06/10

My husband and I retreated to this beautiful property with all modern amenities from mid- February thru mid-March 2010. What can I say, most extraordinary location, convenient to all shopping and attractions, yet private. We had spacious accomodations to entertain our adult children and their spouses' for a week. The design of the house allowed for each couple to have their own private space to enjoy. The beach was a short walk or a mini drive from this location. The beautiful pool was equipped with comfortable lounge chairs and all the conveniences. If you are searching for the perfect vacation spot, you know Destin is the most beautiful beaches and with the charm of this rental property, you will be more than set to enjoy an incredible vacation. We are planning for a return trip in 2011. Our pleasure is to see others enjoy this prime property as much as we did! Enjoy your vacation at Crystal Beach!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Perfect Home...Great Experience with Owner!

Guest: andrea09 (Rogers, AR)
Date of Stay: 08/01/09 Review Submitted: 08/18/09

We stayed in this home August 1-8 and had a total opposite experience of the only other reviewer on this site. The house was VERY clean when we arrived and looks very close to the pictures on the site. (There may have been a couple chairs moved in the living room, but that certainly didn't matter to us.) Overall the house is wall-to-wall very upscale (luxury linens, comfortable beds, high-end appliances & fixtures, stereo system throughout house, flat screen tv in every bedroom), extremely spacious for our party of 8, and the location is perfect. As in most vacation homes, you should expect to provide your own laundry soap, dishwasher soap, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. Some was left for us in the house, but not enough to get through the week. It was understood by us that propane should also fall in that category - there are two tanks there, so if you want to use it, feel free to trade in for a full tank...or you may get lucky like we did and arrive with a semi-full tank already there. There were just a couple minor repairs needed, but nothing earth-shattering that ruined our week. That is to be expected with a popular vacation home that is constantly rotating families in and out. At the beginning of our stay, we were informed that a toilet was not working and the owner did send a plumber out in a timely manner to repair it. The pool is wonderful! Even though there were quite a few people there every day, it is large enough and cleverly designed so that you don't ever feel crowded. The beach is within walking distance, but if you have a lot of loot like we did, you're better off driving or taking the trolley (his hours are 10am-4pm). The owner of this property always quickly responded to my questions via email and phone, and was very friendly to work with. We had no complaints and plan to return again someday! This is a beautiful property!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Do not stay here!

Guest: Shone (Birmingham, AL)
Date of Stay: 07/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/12/09

If you are looking for a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood, this is it...BUT, if you are looking for a clean house this is absolutely NOT it. This home was filthy upon our arrival, blood stains on sheets of downstairs bed, unwashed sheets on all beds, floors so dirty that your feet were black before you got out of the first room, dirty dishes in dishwasher and cabinets, dirty towels in washer and soapy towels in dryer, urine stains down the front of all toilets, grime in tubs, hair in bathroom floors and the jets of the jacuzzi tub, refrigerator filthy, way too many more things to list. When we complained to the owner, he took offense and kept our security deposit. He is VERY hard to deal with and has no customer service skills whatsoever. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone!

Owner response:This client was one of three families that share a rental. The home was contracted for a maxuim number of 9 tenants but they had 13 tenants. The home suffered damages of raw fish guts and debrie in the refrigerator and front porch areas which had to be bleached to get clean. Stains and damages to the furinture and walls. and the entire home was completly trashed . It costs over 200 dollars in extra cleaning fees and other damages that will excede over 500 dolars to fix. As for the false reports of the home beging filthy, it was not. On the afternoon of chech in I received a telephone call fron the Client Rob pointing out some complaints of one of the families, I arranged for the cleaning company to go by and chech it out that day of arrival, I call Rob to confirm he said do not worry about it , the other family was just being hard to get along with and had problems, I cancel the cleaning as requested. The next morning this Mrs F calls and requeat a cleaning, I called back to comfirm with Rob he apoliged. The clening company did what Mrs. F required and she said " now I feeel at home". I never received any more calls and the rental ended, The next call was from my cleaning company informing me the property was trashed and suffered multiple danages. This client has caused much more damages to the property than the deposit will cover and is lost.

Recommended for:

Don't be deceived

Guest: KarenF. (Alabama)
Date of Stay: 07/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/07/09

Don't be deceived by the pictures on the website for this house. Although the house was relatively new, it was absolutely filthy upon our arrival. The bed linens had not been changed on any of the beds. When we checked, all the beds had just had the covers pulled up and you could see where the beds had been slept in. There were human hairs on the sheets. None of the house had been dusted, blinds were broken, a door knob fell off of one door. All the bathrooms were filthy. There was toothpaste in the sinks, dirty vanities, nasty toilets, dirty tubs and showers. If you walked barefooted on the hardwood floors, the bottoms of your feet were filthy, as if the floors had never been mopped. There were dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Furniture was moved around and does not appear as it does in the photos on this website. The grill even ran out of propane in the middle of grilling our dinner. The owner provided very poor customer service and was unclear about the deposit amount. He told us one amount for the deposit and changed it to another. He said he would accept payments and then became confused on our payment arrangements. He said it was okay to have the number of people occupying the house (6 adults, 1 teenager and 4 children under 12 and a 23 month old baby). We were told check out was 11 am and the "cleaning people" showed up sooner. I will never stay at this property or any of this owner's other properties.

Recommended for:Families with young children

Roy

Guest: Can't Get Enough of the Beach (Abbeville, La)
Date of Stay: 06/24/09 Review Submitted: 08/20/09

Our family booked a 17 day stay at this property. We were a family of six. This house was amazing. The pictures did no justice.Owner of the property was very helpful in assuring us that our first family trip to destin would not be our last and we would not be disappointed.When we arrived at the property we were very impressed.The house was very clean and very well equiped with everthing we needed for our extended stay. The pool was amazing. The fourth of July fireworks were out of this world. This property is by far the best we have ever visited and plan to return in 2010. Dont doubt this property or the kindness of the owner.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great house, great sub-division, great location

Guest: Family Fun Guy (Frankfort, IL)
Date of Stay: 04/11/09 Review Submitted: 08/18/09

Awsome house with high-end amenities. Three floors allows guest to spread out in comfort. Sub-division is well kept, and pool is amazing. The location is a 10 minute walk from the beach with lots of shopping near by. The renter was friendly, and provided the right amount of attention and space. Upon arrival, the house was clean, and ready for occupancy. The security deposit was reasonable, and promptly returned upon departure. Our family was comfortable, and enjoyed the house, pool, and beech.

Recommended for:Families with young children, tourists without a car.