Vacation Rentals by Owner

Family Beach Home - Adjacent to Sandestin - Private Beach [#404768] | View Property

Gulf Pines
House, 4 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 3.5+ Baths (Sleeps 8-12)
From $1,800 - $4,200/wk
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Traveler Reviews (11)

• Magnificent home in lush private nature preserve with private beach

  Magnificent home in lush private nature preserve with private beach

  • Guest Mary A.
  • Date of stay 08/11/12
  • Review Submitted 08/20/12
  When we arrived at Mermadia and found a freshly-baked cake, wine, berries, milk, and a cheese ball waiting in the fridge, we knew we were going to love this place! The house was immaculate, stocked with all the household goods we could possibly need; beautifully decorated; and even had a golf cart and a full assortment of umbrellas, beach chairs, beach toys, and beach towels. As has been stated in other reviews, the photos do not do this home justice. Having three master bedrooms was such a nice feature, as we were three families. The two girls traveling with us loved having a room that was theirs, and the loft room on the third level was a great fit for a younger couple in our group (they loved the view of the beach). There are plenty of bathrooms (and hot water), even when we all returned from a day at the beach, and made a run for the showers! The owners are so pleasant to deal with, and very responsive to answer questions and welcome guests to their home. We will consider this rental first, and would absolutely recommend it to our friends and relatives.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Spectacular does not cut it!

  Spectacular does not cut it!

  • Guest Michael
  • Date of stay 07/21/12
  • Review Submitted 09/17/12
  My Girlfriend and I took 8, yes, 8 kids to Destin for a vacation in July. Our stay at Mermadia was nothing less than exceptional. The property was well maintained, and the owners saw to every detail from bottles of wine as a welcome gift, to a basket of snacks and goodies for the kids to taking the kids fishing and leaving the bait bucket with them... The Beach was fantastic and access to it was easy and quick. We will stay with them again for sure.. Awesome Experience!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, romantic getaway.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Beautiful Home, Beautiful Beach, Beautiful Hospitality!

  Beautiful Home, Beautiful Beach, Beautiful Hospitality!

  • Guest Beach Lover Family
  • Date of stay 07/07/12
  • Review Submitted 07/16/12
  Mermaidia is a family friendly, very spacious home that exceeded our expectations! It is extremely clean with comfortable beds, plenty of bathrooms, and a well-stocked kitchen. The back yard is fenced in and equipped with a grill and large tables and is perfect for late night cookouts. The private beach is a very short golf cart ride from the home and is the best feature of all. While the beach area on both sides were packed with tourists, the expansive private beach was nearly deserted. This gave our family (including three small grandchildren) plenty of space to play, fly kites, and sun without imposing on others around us. We have vacationed in Destin often, and we were reminded at the first site of the beach why we continue to return. It is stunning to behold and compares to any of the Bahama Islands. Lastly, we could not have found a more charming, accommodating home owner than Darlene. She went above and beyond to ensure our stay was perfect. She met us on site, arranged visits to a private pool at the neighboring resort (equipped with food and drink service), and stayed in contact with us during the week. We highly recommend this property to anyone who wants to experience Destin at its best!

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

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

• Mermadia was amazing!

  Mermadia was amazing!

  • Guest JP
  • Date of stay 06/23/12
  • Review Submitted 07/09/12
  I can't say enough about how comfortable and amazing the house was. The pictures to not give it justice. The house was very spacious and had so many get away places you could relax and enjoy some quiet time. Mermadia was well appointed and had everything you could ask for to host the perfect family vacation. The golf cart and access to the private beach was also a great asset to the house's many wonderful qualities. We had such a nice stay in Mermaidia, we did not want to leave!!!

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

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

• Stay at Mermaidia

  Stay at Mermaidia

  • Guest Cindy
  • Date of stay 06/23/12
  • Review Submitted 07/01/12
  This house is fantastic! Beautiful and spacious. If you want to relax and do the beach this is the house for you. Balconies and patio off the kitchen are great and adds the extra space you may need if many are in the home. Sleeps eight comfortably. Pond near the house is fun for children. The owners are very nice and accomodating. I cannot wait until I can stay here again!!! Thanks Lance and Darlene!

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

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

• Outstanding experience at this special place.

  Outstanding experience at this special place.

  • Guest Douglas
  • Date of stay 06/16/12
  • Review Submitted 06/29/12
  I wanted to write a few words about the experience we had at this wonderful beach home in Gulf Pines near Destin. We have come to Destin the last three years and stayed in very nice condos, but decided we were going to go with a house rental this year because of our young children and the kids of the family we traveled with this year. From the start of this expereince, Darlene and Lance thought of every detail. When we arrived, there was wine (of our favorite flavors), cheese and crackers and a small birthday cake (it was my 40th last week). Everything in the house was emaculate and cleaned with detail when we arrived. The outside shower was a huge hit for our small children and the third story was a hit with the adults for evening happy hour. The amenities provided were absolutely fabulous including the golf cart, that made it extremely convenient to get to our private beach, the gazebo for Gulf pines residents where we had a few lunches and dinners with our families. The lack of traffic in Gulf Pines made a world of difference in our stay. We didnt even use the access to the San Destin resort because the private beach was truly all we needed for the kids and we were able to leave our beach stuff there without any worry when it was time for the kids (and adults) to catch a nap. It is important to note that you do have to get your beach gear at the end of the day and not leave overnight. All this to say, for the first time travelling with our small children, we were really able to truly enjoy this vacation and this experience was made possible by Darlene and Lance and there wonderful abode! We will definitely be returning next year and higly recommend this place for families everywhere! Douglas & Laura Dunsavage & Family - June 2012

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

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

• Loved every minute!

  Loved every minute!

  • Guest Terry
  • Date of stay 06/09/12
  • Review Submitted 06/18/12
  The house is stunning in every way--from decor to amenities to location! It was even better than we expected, and the owners went out of their way to make our stay special. We were greeted with fresh flowers throughout the house and gift bags of tourist brochures, plus we were given a complete rundown of all the best places to go. We felt completely at home in this beautiful setting---the kitchen is fully equipped, making it a pleasure to prepare our meals there. Most evenings we ate out on the porch, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The porches all have comfortable furnishings, including a hammock. The house is full of windows, making it bright and airy, and the beach makes a great view from the second and third stories. The golf cart is a great bonus--we had fun zipping down to the beach in it, but the short walk is pleasant too. The beach was fantastic, and never crowded. Just on either side of Gulf Pines private beach, we saw a glimpse of how crowded the beaches could be, so we were very thankful to have access to a private beach. Our stay included my husband and me with our three teenage and young adult children who each brought a friend--eight total and we were very comfortable. It was the perfect place as so many things are so close by that everyone found enjoyable things to do. However, we had such a great time in the house and at the beach that we spent most of our time at "home"--very peaceful and refreshing. It is truly a dream house. Thank you to the owners for making it such a great vacation for us! Your hospitality is unparalleled!

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

  Owner response: Terry, Thank you for your very kind words. Honestly, the feedback that families post on VRBO really makes renting the house a rewarding experience. I feel like all the work of coordinating the cleaning staff, repairs, lawn etc is worth it when I read the reviews and see the difference that "all the little things" made on a family vacation! I know the beach house is filled with many happy memories making it an even happier place for us too! Thank you again for taking the time to share your review!! We hope to see you and your family back next year!

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Perfect vacation house

  Perfect vacation house

  • Guest Kevin
  • Date of stay 06/02/12
  • Review Submitted 06/09/12
  We've been coming to the Destin area for years and this is one of the best places we've ever stayed. The pictures can't reflect just how nice the home is and it is located in a quiet neighborhood with a truly private beach. The views from the second and third floor are excellent and the beach is literally a minute away in the golf cart that is included. Great place for families. In addition to the above, the owners are a true pleasure to work with. This place is on the top of our list for return visits.

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

  Owner response: Hi Kevin, Thank you for your very kind words. Honestly, the feedback that families post on VRBO really makes renting the house a rewarding experience. I feel like all the work of coordinating the cleaning staff, repairs, lawn etc is worth it when I read the reviews and see the difference that "all the little things" made on a family vacation! I know the beach house is filled with many happy memories making it an even happier place for us too! Thank you again for taking the time to share your review!! We hope to see you and your family back next year!

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

• Paradise and that does not sum it up!

  Paradise and that does not sum it up!

  • Guest Hope
  • Date of stay 05/26/12
  • Review Submitted 06/18/12
  We have been staying at Sandestin on family vacations for quite a few years now. This year we decided to go the house route and stay a full week. Our kids range from age 19-10 and everyone is ready to go back next year. After we came back from the beach, we played corn hole out in the yard while we grilled out and got to utilize the GREEN EGG! We had a fisherman with us and he would walk over to the lake each morning to see what he could catch. We went for morning runs, watched over the property from every angle and height, relaxed in the hammock and enjoyed a glass of wine to unwind. We met a great neighbor out for a walk with her little dog - they were the welcoming committee for sure. The owners - you can not say enough about! They were a pleasure to work with - great people in general and felt like we were long time friends. Thank you for opening your beautiful home and sharing - by far one of the best trips we have had down there!! Look forward to coming back next year!!

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

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

• UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

  UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

  • Guest Matt
  • Date of stay 04/08/12
  • Review Submitted 04/25/12
  We were all taken back at this lovely beach home and the extra mile the owners had done to make our vacation most memorable. I travel the world as an airline pilot and know service and value and this home has delivered more than that. Every detail you could possibly imagine has been thought of from having your own smoker and barbeque to beach towels, golf cart and fishing poles. This home is very clean and quiet and is on a very private beach. I arrived on Easter Sunday night with my 3 children and the owners had easter goodies awaiting for my 3 young girls and a gift for me. This has been by far my favorite place to stay in Destin in the last 20 years! You will absolutely LOVE this home.

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

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

• Mermaidia stay

  Mermaidia stay

  • Guest Dave
  • Date of stay 03/31/12
  • Review Submitted 04/08/12
  Beautiful house and beach, attentive owner. Everything in listing is accurate. Would definitely make a return visit or recommend to a friend. Convenient location.

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

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