Great Beach View, Fishing Pier on Little Lagoon, Swimming Pool!

• Great place to stay at the beach!

  Great place to stay at the beach!

  • Guest JB
  • Date of stay 04/25/13
  • Review Submitted 05/15/13
  The Southern Cross was a great house for our trip to Gulf Shores. As described, the beach access via boardwalk was right across the street, and the dock on the lagoon was only steps away from the back of the house. The sleeping accommodations were perfect for our group of 5 adults, and the house itself was well appointed and very clean. The house was very accessible from Hwy 59 (just a couple of miles), along which most of the restaurants/ shopping is located. The house has a great view of the gulf from the deck, which we enjoyed when we weren't down at the beach. We played several great golf courses in the area, with Rock Creek in Fairhope being the best in our opinion. The weather was great all week (80's and sunny) and perfect for both golf and the beach. It was great doing business with Mark, and I'd highly recommend the Southern Cross for anyone looking to vacation at the beach!

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

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• On the beach, plenty of room

  On the beach, plenty of room

  • Guest Chuck
  • Date of stay 03/23/13
  • Review Submitted 04/09/13
  If you are looking for a nice, quiet home on the beach, you can not beat this location. You can sit on the deck outside the master bedroom and not only can you see the Gulf, but you can hear the waves crashing on the beach. Took 8 teenagers for a week at the beach and we had plenty of room in the house. Three full baths were a definite plus. The weather our week was cold for Gulf Shores- three mornings in the low 30's but that did not stop us from having a great time. Far enough from the high rises that there isn't a great deal of traffic on the street but close enough that you are in the middle of everything in an instant. Mark was great to work with and even went the extra mile to help return an item that had been left behind. Would absolutely stay here again.

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

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• Great girls trip house!

  Great girls trip house!

  • Guest Christine
  • Date of stay 03/09/13
  • Review Submitted 03/19/13
  The house is in a great location that makes you feel as if you're on a quiet, secluded beach, but also not too far from the tourist parts of Gulf Shores. A group of myself and 10 other college students spent the day laying out on the porch or the beach and then would travel closer to the high rise condos to meet up with other UGA students. The house was very nice and had plenty of space for all of us. Great owner who was extremely helpful and easy to work with even though we were Spring Breakers. Also, we loved the neighbors.

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

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• Great Spot!

  Great Spot!

  • Guest john
  • Date of stay 12/28/12
  • Review Submitted 01/07/13
  This place certainly covered all the bases for our family of 5 with 3 teenage sons. Can't beat the location: we fished the surf right across the street among the jumping dolphins and landed a few redfish (one close to 20 lbs). We also played a few rounds of golf nearby - Craft Farms (36 holes) and Peninsula (27) are highly recommended. The Naval Aviation Museum in P-cola is definitely worth visiting and the Flora Bama is a must-see for people watching. Great walks along the beach, and the local seafood markets offer abundantly fresh fare as well. Accommodations are very spacious and will most definitely come back in the future!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

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• Family Fun in the Sun

  Family Fun in the Sun

  • Guest Matt and Judy
  • Date of stay 10/21/12
  • Review Submitted 11/05/12
  This was our second year in a row staying at the Southern Cross. The kids' grandmother and aunt joined us this year, The house was the ideal size for the four adults and two children in our vacation party. The 3 full baths were convenient for us all. Having a pool was a nice break from the sand of the beach. The views from the decks could be a postcard! We have been very satisfied with both times we have spent at Southern Cross and look forward to renting here again.

  Recommended for: Families with young children.

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• It pays to read reviews

  It pays to read reviews

  • Guest Stacy
  • Date of stay 10/06/12
  • Review Submitted 10/19/12
  The reason my family and I chose to rent with this owner was due to the many reviews I read about Mark. Each comment I read expressed how kind and accommodating Mark was, and how easy he was to work with. Well...they were all true! We had actually rented a condo from him and when we arrived it had not been cleaned. When I called Mark, without hesitation he gave me the address of another unit he owned and immediately offered it to us at no extra cost. We drove a short distance and found this home that more than accommodated our family. This home was clean and well maintained. It was located just steps from the beach via a boardwalk. It also offers a fishing pier out back as well as a pool. My family found this to be relaxing retreat. Even if you don't need a house, I would recommend viewing Mark's other properties. He is a man of his word and I found him to be an honest business man. Thanks to you Mark, and your family for sharing a bit of your paradise!!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• A beautiful, relaxing escape!

  A beautiful, relaxing escape!

  • Guest Nickie
  • Date of stay 09/01/12
  • Review Submitted 09/25/12
  Myself, my husband, mom/dad, and brother/sis-in-law all stayed at The Southern Cross the first week of September. The house is beautiful with a great view. The ocean is just a short walk from the house (2min max). You are very close to everything in Gulf Shores, just a 15 minute drive to Foley, and just 17 minutes to Orange Beach. It was perfect. Though the pool got used very little, it was nice to have it as well. I would definitely come back to stay again. It was so relaxing to sit on the porch at night and hear the waves. Thanks guys, for letting us use your place!!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Southern Cross

  Southern Cross

  • Guest Nana Jan
  • Date of stay 08/04/12
  • Review Submitted 08/17/12
  Just returned from a weeks stay in Gulf Shores, AL at Southern Cross. We had a wonderful trip with my daughter and her family which amounted to 4 adults and 4 children. Southern Cross provided all of our needs. Each of the three bedrooms had their own bath which helped provide a little privacy as well as the abililty to clean up quickly after a day on the beach. The kitchen was so great to be able to cut some expenses by having a place to prepare some of our meals. Everything was there that we needed. The washing machine and dryer was a god send, we did a tub of clothes a day and came home with no dirty laundry! We have a few problems on our arrival but Mark was quick to take care of everything. The property location was great. We were away from all the tourist traffic and had wonderful access to the beach. Yet, it was only a short drive to find a fantatic place to eat or to make that quick trip to Walmart. I would highly recommend staying at Southern Cross. It was the perfect home away from home. Nothing like waking up to a cup of coffee and view of the Gulf from your own private decks on multiple levels.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Great Vacation

  Great Vacation

  • Guest Kathy
  • Date of stay 07/21/12
  • Review Submitted 08/16/12
  This is our 3rd year visting here. Grandkids and older kids love the access to the beach and the pool. One evening we had a shrimp boil with all the trimmings--aroma filled the area. The Southern Cross is the perfect place to have nothing to do and all day to do it. Looking forward to next year

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• This place has it all !!!

  This place has it all !!!

  • Guest Fred
  • Date of stay 07/28/12
  • Review Submitted 08/07/12
  Upon researching Gulf Shores, AL for our Summer beach vacation, we came across The Southern Cross. I was a little leery to drive 1000 miles to spend a week in Gulf Shores, but I am glad I did. Let me just say, it doesn't get any better then this. It is exactly what the homeowner describes. The Gulf was a mere 100 yards away from the front door and could be seen from either of the decks at the front of the house. The Lagoon, another 50 yards to the back of the house, was also a treat. If this wasn't enough, there is a small little pool on the complex the kids loved because it was not deep and warm. Any other accommodations that you required were all within a 3-5 mile drive to the main strip into Gulf Shores. The home was clean, warming and decorated to match the beach atmosphere. Rooms were spacious and there was a large eat in kitchen. We visited the beach daily to swim and collect shells. Even took up some fishing in the Little Lagoon. The kids really loved fishing...one night we had a fish on every 30 seconds !!! The proximity to other tourist location made this house even more appealing. We visited the National Aviation museum in Pensacola, FL (30-45 minutes away), Fort Morgan (30 minutes away), the USS Alabama in Mobile (1 hour away), and Alligator Alley (40 minutes away). We tried numerous local restaurants...Ribs and Reds (Best Royal Red Shrimp in town), Steamers (Best seafood platter), Gulf Shores Grill (Decent food, but pricey), Hazels Nook (Best Breakfast and inexpensive), Mikee's (Great fried all you can eat Whitefish) and you can't forget Scoops (Best ice cream). If you are looking for a home that has it all and more, then this is the place for you. Mark (homeowner) was very easy to work with and answered all of my questions within hours. Don't miss this gem of a place !!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

November 3 - March 1 ... Winter ... $1,000/week or $1,700/month
March 2 - May 10 ... Spring ... $1,500/week
May 11 - August 16 ... Summer ... $2,095/week
August 18 - November 3 ... Fall ... $1,325/week
Rates on Holidays / Special Events are 25% higher.
Prices do not include $135 cleaning fee and 11% Alabama tax.
Minimum of 25% security deposit required.  No renters under 25.
Saturday - Saturday Rentals. Nightly rates may be available in off-season.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.