Vacation Rentals by Owner

Spring Break 2012

Guest: Theresa (McGehee, AR)
Date of Stay: 04/09/12 Review Submitted: 04/17/12

Southern Secret is a hidden gem! The house is beautifully decorated with a great pool area and beach views. The website pics do not do it justice. I chaperoned a group of 20 college students for spring break and the house never seemed crowded even with this large of a group. It is well laid out (plenty of bed and bathroom space) and has great views of the beach and pool area. The kids were impressed with the house and several commented it was much nicer than any of the houses their friends were in nearby. Susan and Geoff do a great job and you will not be disappointed with your stay!

Owner response:We welcome families, sports teams, church & school groups. The house beautifully accomodates a group. Please notice, we will only consider these groups with parent chaperones!

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

Hurd family reunion

Guest: Hurdfam (Birmingham Al)
Date of Stay: 11/22/11 Review Submitted: 11/28/11

The Southern Secret is definitely a perfect place to have a family reunion. We had 25 (one was a baby) staying there and two more staying close by. We stay at a different place every year and this was by far the best equipped place we have ever stayed. There was plenty of seating inside and out. The pool is beautiful. Great views of the beach, spacious bedrooms and beautiful kitchens. The only thing I would mention is that the pull out sofa beds are in the main social area. We got around that by putting cots in some of the bedrooms to keep the dens clear. The bedrooms are plenty big enough to do this and then you don't have to worry about keeping people up at night or waking them early in the morning. The best part of renting both sides is that they are connected at the kitchen. This made it feel like one big kitchen and the dens were right there together for more of a cohesive feeling. We had a fabulous Thanksgiving at the Southern Secret. I would highly recommend it!!!!!

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

Gutierrez Family, Little Rock ,AR

Guest: Chely (Little Rock, AR)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/15/11

We truly enjoyed our stay at your beach house. It was a beautiful adventure! House was absolutely amazing. Looking forward to staying there again. We highly recommend your house. Thanks!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Family Reunion Spot

Guest: Frank and Dottie (Salem, South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

This place was perfect for our family reunion. The accomodations were supurb-large private bedrooms, beautiful views from the balconies, well equipped kitchens, a ton of beach and pool toys, and two grilles. We used and enjoyed everything. The kids went to the beach in the morning and then swam in the pool in the afternoon. When they were not swimming they played in the sandbox and did arts and crafts with the sea shells. All in all, it was a great week. If we return to Gulf Shores we will definitely pick the Southern Secret.

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

Family Friendly

Guest: Dave (Belleville, IL)
Date of Stay: 05/11/11 Review Submitted: 07/11/11

We absolutely love this house. It has great beach access. I think it's better than beach front, as we were protected from the wind while hanging out at the pool and grilling out. Plenty of room, and all the stairs kept us from getting lazy on our vacation. We've stayed here twice, and will likely make it a regular family reunion spot.

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

Great Family Place

Guest: Sue W (Collierville, TN)
Date of Stay: 10/03/10 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

We celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with our children, grandchildren, spouses and great granddaughter, 16 in all. What a great week! Southern Secret was just perfect for us and was as advertised. We loved being able to all gather together as we kept the door open between the two sides. Having the beach across the street and the swimming pool in the back worked for us. The condos were clean and well-maintained. There were enough activities that each could do as they wanted. Most of the group really enjoyed the Shrimp Festival, especially catching the bus right outside the door to ride down and back. We definitely would reccommend Southern Secret and hope to go back.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Family Reunion Retreat

Guest: Julie (Mississippi)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

We stayed in Southern Secret July 2010 for our family reunion. Great house with wonderful view of the Gulf. We sat on the many decks of the house drinking coffee each morning and in the afternoon enjoyed the great pool area. We spent so much time at the pool as a family and had plenty of room for 24 people. The covered area was great for outdoor bbq. The house was very clean and well maintained. I would recomend this home for families. We never missed the beach time (oil spill) becuase our house was like being at a retreat with the palm trees around the pool. The light went out in pool one day as was fixed the same day.Thanks Susan and Geoff for such a great home. Hope to return.

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

Guest: Nancy146 (Paradise Valley, AZ)
Date of Stay: 04/11/10 Review Submitted: 04/11/10

Our family "get together" was unfortunately not a vacation. But Southern Secret was a true blessing for me and my siblings and other family members as we gathered to pay our last respects to our dear father. He and my mother spent many happy years in the Gulf Shores area and now are laid to rest there. It was a special time for us to reminisce about all the wonderful trips and vacations to visit them over the years, and many of them vowed to come back to SS someday with their families. It was a comfortable spot to unwind, visit, and eat our meals together and could accommodate all of us. We appreciated our hosts and their willingness to meet our needs. I also have to give 'kudos' to Cici's Pizza - they were SO kind as to pack up "take home" late one night when they learned why we had gathered. Gulf Shores is not only a beautiful, fun, resort community, it has "heart", and will be a favorite place to remember in mine forever.

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Guest: Jared5 (Destrehan, LA)
Date of Stay: 11/07/09 Review Submitted: 11/07/09

We had a group of 4 couples on an Annual Beach Trip that arrived Thursday afternoon and departed Monday morning. This was our year to plan the trip, and having stayed at Phoenix locations all the previous years, we were nervous to change our tradition. However, when we arrived, I knew my wife and I had hit the jackpot. We'll never go back to the Phoenix, and will always try to stay at Southern Secret!

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/18/09 Review Submitted: 09/18/09

We Stayed 3 nights at Southern Secret and had a wonderful time. The House is Beautiful and very clean. The first evening we were there we watched dolphins swimming in the ocean from the deck. A Beautiful View... The Kids loved the pool. the rooms were clean and neatly decorated, and very comfortable. We will be back.. We Loved It....

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Guest: Donna65 (Alabama)
Date of Stay: 09/03/09 Review Submitted: 09/03/09

We rented both side of Southern Secret for a family reunion in August. It was a great trip. The place had plenty of room for everyone. The house was well furnished and the kitchen well stocked. The pool was a must for the large number of people (especially the kids!) and there was easy access to the beach. The location was great because the house is beyond most of the condos and less crowded. The beaches were beautiful. Thanks to Susan and Geoff for being so accomodating. We had a great time and would love to come back again!!!!!!!

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Guest: robert47 (heber springs arkansas)
Date of Stay: 09/01/09 Review Submitted: 09/01/09

Our Family visits the Gulf Shore area every August for an end of summer last fling. We chose a different spot each year to learn more about the different areas of Gulf Shores, but we enjoyed southern secret so much we voted to return there again next year. Thank you for providing such a private place while still being so close to everything. Can't wait till next year. Wife has floor fettish, suggest leaving broom so sand can be sweeped hourly,lol.

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Guest: Mary Jane Maple (Trussville, AL)
Date of Stay: 08/31/09 Review Submitted: 08/31/09

Had a great time at Southern Secret with our family friends, the Coynes. Great location, easy access to the beach, LOVED the pool, just a great experience. Have already booked both sides for another week next year!

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Guest: Tara Broom (Lawrenceville, GA)
Date of Stay: 07/12/09 Review Submitted: 07/12/09

My entire family met at the Southern Secret for a "family reunion" vacation. Some even traveled as far as Duluth,Minnesota. The facility was absolutely PERFECT for my famliy. Each individual family enjoyed having their own private level of the duplex. It was very clean and amazingly accomodating. The pool and grill area was exactly what we were looking for when planning our vacation. We cooked each night and enjoyed our meals out by the pool and picnic area. My family rented both sides of the duplex and was pleased to find out that there were plenty of lounge chairs for everyone to be at the pool at the same time. Originally, I was a little hesitate about staying accross from the beach but we had beautiful views of the beach and ocean and the walk was a breeze. We already plan on booking at the Southern Secret again next Summer. Thank you, Susan & Geoff!

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Guest: Cathy37 (Madison, AL)
Date of Stay: 05/12/09 Review Submitted: 05/12/09

Never having been to Gulf Shores, we were lucky enough to stumble upon Southern Secret! We were extremely pleased with the beautiful facility with its many amenities and awesome view of the beach. Much nicer than the areas by the condos, our beach space was clean and as near private as we could have hoped. We are talking already about a larger family reunion next spring and will definitely book Southern Secret again!

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Guest: Laura82 (Brookfield, WI)
Date of Stay: 05/11/09 Review Submitted: 05/11/09

This is a truly beautiful and well maintained property. The duplex is very clean and nicely decorated. The pool area is immaculate and beautifully landscaped. Great location, close to downtown and wonderful beach access! We'll definitely stay here again when in Gulf Shores!

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Guest: Susan120 (Houston, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/11/09 Review Submitted: 05/11/09

We spent a week at Southern Secret and we so enjoyed our stay. The place was so neat and clean and decorated so nice. . The pool was so nice and the beach was right across the street. We will definitely be coming back sometime.

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Guest: Lauren27 (-)
Date of Stay: 03/24/09 Review Submitted: 03/24/09

We had such a wonderful week at Southern Secret! It was the perfect way to spend our last spring break of college. We really enjoyed the pool and the beach. Also the location to the bars and restaurants was great! such a short cab ride! The bedrooms were beautiful! We really enjoyed all the outdoor patios. We couldnt have had a better week and really hope to come back. This is one of the best homes on West Beach Blvd! All our friends in other homes liked ours the best! Thanks Susan and Geoff!!

Owner response:While we consider our houses to be great for families, with the right understanding of how we expect our property to be treated, we will consider groups as well. These young women were great guests and are certainly welcome back!

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Vacation house fit for royalty.

Guest: Nolash (Kirksville, MO)
Date of Stay: 07/05/08 Review Submitted: 01/26/09

I stayed at Southern Secret July 5-11, 2008. It was a wonderful house to stay in and it was far enough down Gulf Shores Blvd. that we didn't have much traffic. There also wasn't a house in front of it so we had a full, beautiful view of the ocean on every story of the house. It is incredibly decorated and the private pool was an outstanding ammenity. It is also right across the street from the beach--a literal hop, skip, and jump away!! It provides in-home privacy with large, beautifully furnished rooms and also provides enough space for semi-large gatherings in common areas. The pool deck was used more than anything--we even barbequed! I highly recommend Southern Secret to any traveler and I hope to have the opportunity to stay there at least once more on a vacation.

Owner response:We are glad you enjoyed it and look forward to your next stay. Please contact us about repeat guest rates!

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