Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks

Photo gallery for Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks

A coastal residential area with colorful houses, some elevated on stilts, and a clear view of the ocean.
A covered porch with white railings, a wooden deck, and outdoor furniture including white lounge chairs and a turquoise table and chairs.
An aerial view of a rectangular swimming pool surrounded by white lounge chairs and a small deck area.
A modern kitchen with white cabinets, granite countertops, and a central island with bar stools.
A dining area with a wooden table and chairs, a ceiling fan, and a view of a house through the windows.

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Highlights

  • Dive into relaxation
    Unwind in the top-rated pool, your perfect spot for relaxation.
  • Centrally-located
    You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Walk to Fort Morgan Beach

Popular amenities

  • Balcony or patio
  • Swimming pool
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning
  • Pet-friendly
  • Washer

Explore the area

View in a map
Gulf Shores, AL
  • Place, Fort Morgan Beach
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Gulf Shores Beach
    ‪19 min drive‬
  • Airport, Gulf Shores, AL (GUF-Jack Edwards)
    ‪20 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 13)

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 King Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Twin Bunk Bed

Living Area

1 Double Sofa Bed

Master Bedroom

1 King Bed

4 bathrooms

Bathroom (Master)

Bathroom- Bedroom 2

Bathroom- Bedroom 3

Bathroom- Bedroom 4

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony

Add dates for prices

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3 balconies off the back of the home
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  • Pool
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Breathtaking Gulf Views from 3 Levels of Balconies As Seen On HGTV

About the neighborhood

Gulf Shores

Located near the beach, this vacation home is in Gulf Highlands, a neighborhood in Gulf Shores. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Fort Morgan Beach and Gulf Shores Beach, while Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island Heritage and Arts Council are cultural highlights. Take an opportunity to explore the area for water adventures such as sailing and other activities like birdwatching.
View more Vacation Homes in Gulf ShoresOpens in a new window
Map
Gulf Shores, AL

What's nearby

  • Fort Morgan Beach - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Gulf Shores Beach - 19 min drive - 30.0 km
  • The Wharf - 22 min drive - 35.6 km
  • Tropic Falls at OWA - 28 min drive - 45.9 km

Getting around

  • Gulf Shores, AL (GUF-Jack Edwards) - 25 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Sassy Bass - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Jesse’s On The Bay - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Tacky Jacks Fort Morgan - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪The Village Hideaway @ The Beach Club - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Sassy Bass Amazin' Grill - ‬3 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks have a pool?

Yes, this property has a pool.

How much does it cost to stay at Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks?

As of Oct 29, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks on Nov 16, 2026 start from $392, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Is Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Onsite parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Relaxing Coastal Retreat | Pet Friendly | Community Pools and Boardwalks located?

Located in Gulf Highlands, this vacation home is within a 10-minute walk of Fort Morgan Beach and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. Bon Secour Bay and Kiva Dunes Golf Course are also within 3 mi (5 km).

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 19 out of 29 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 29 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 29 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 29 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 29 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Nice space for a large group! easy access to beach and pools- would stay here agin!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 2, 2026
Hi Heather, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property was great. Had everything we needed including a blender and griddle. Walk to the beach and pool was not bad at all. We never had an issue with finding a place to set up on the beach.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 7, 2026
Hi Laci, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness
Need floors cleaned.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 13, 2026
Hi Hank, thanks for bringing the floors to our attention. Our cleaning crews will address your concerns. We hope to host you next time with a five-star experience!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place to stay with a strong community feel. It was a quick walk to the beach, and the community pools were excellent. We really enjoyed the outdoor showers, which were a standout feature. The rooms and bathrooms were thoughtfully designed, and our group had plenty of space to stay comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 22, 2026
Hi Jason, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beach Retreat

Outstanding house in great location ! Highly recommend for a relaxing getaway !
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 22, 2023
Hi Tommy, thanks for the five-stars!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Topshelf

We enjoyed our stay very much. Thanks!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 6, 2020
Hi Thomas, thanks for your five star review! It was our honor to host you! We welcome you back soon!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Home

Home was beautiful. But distance to beach was farther than what we had hoped.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 4, 2024
Hi Debbie, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

2024 Beach Trip

We loved staying at this property. You can see the water from the back deck. We loved that it was one floor. It’s just a short walk to the pool and beach. Negative would be the mosquitoes at night. Take bug spray.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jun 17, 2024
Hi Carla, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Good location

I was pleased with my stay. The place was not well stocked with items I normally find in rentals. However it would not stop me from renting this property in the future. The house was very clean and the area was very quiet. The walk to the beach is quick and easy.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Jan 6, 2025
Hi Tricia, thanks for choosing Harris Vacations!
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

A bit disappointed

The neighborhood is nice and easy access to the beach, but the house desperately needs to be cleaned and all interior walls and doors painted. The first thing we saw when we walked in were filthy sliding glass doors. I did notify the property manager and they were cleaned 2 days later. I also notified the manager of the dirty walls, bugs in window sills and ripped couch. Bring bug spray as you can't enjoy the back deck without spraying yourself down. Also, there is no blender in the kitchen. The pools were also dirty.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 13, 2023
Hi Jackie! We are so thankful you chose to stay with us. We'd like to apologize that the home wasn't as expected or up to our normal standard. Your observations have been shared with the property manager and our QA supervisor to work together and address. Please return to the beaches soon!
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Review

The house could have been a lot cleaner and the kitchen could have been better stocked.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Nov 1, 2022
Hi Brandee, I will send this review to our housekeeping department. We apologize about the unsatisfactory cleaning.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent house, clean, cool, cozy.

Nice, spacious, and well kept house. I literally can’t think of anything that would keep me from coming back. I’d rent again in a heartbeat and the only thing in my mind id want to do is suggest a couple things that would make it perfect. (So owners if you want to know them, feel free to text me!) I’d suggest anyone with a group of people to rent here.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 20, 2022
Hi Drake, thanks so much for the wonderful review of Top Shelf! We're glad you had a fabulous time at Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family time

Property was just right for us—kid and pet friendly! It was clean, restful, refreshing and the one problem we had upon arrival was quickly taken care of. Thanks for sharing your space with our crew.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 2, 2022
Hi Amanda, thanks for the great review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Top Shelf-Ft. Morgan

Overall we were very happy with this property. The home was immaculate and the space was as described. The ocean view from the deck was limited. You had to look between houses to see the water. The outside yard front, back and sides was VERY overgrown. This was disappointing. There was so much overgrowth that the driveway and front of house was limited to see when getting there. We also noticed rats running around the outside of the property. The trash was not picked up the entire week we were there even though we had it by the road every day. That being said the inside was great. It was a very short walk to the beach and pools. It was much farther out of town than we expected and I wish I had known just how far. In order to go to restaurants or grocery stores it was at least 20 mins away. This again was disappointing. Not sure I would stay there again knowing how far away it was from town.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 12, 2022
Hi Laura, thanks for leaving us a review for Top Shelf. The owner is limited on what landscaping can be done due to the protected vegetation as well as the protected "beach mice" habitats and dunes. I will pass this review to the owner to see what landscaping is permitted.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing

Great location. Not crowded. Quiet.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 5, 2022
Hi Andy, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Convenient and Clean!!

This property was perfect for us - all on one level and every room has a private bath! Kitchen was well stocked with cookware and utensils. Loved the house and it's perfectly minimalistic decor! Only complaint was the dryer taking a bit longer for it's dry cycles. But still a 5/5 AND pet friendly! Took our kennels and rotated from inside to out depending on the weather! NOT ON THE HOUSE....but the pool was very cloudy and actually closed most of the days while we were there. The wind was higher that week, so I could have used more pool time.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 21, 2022
Hi Cheryl, thanks for the five-stars!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Very clean

We loved the home!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 10, 2022
Hi Joel, thanks for the lovely review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful House!

We had a wonderful vacation and this property was so clean, new and fully stocked. The 4 bedrooms were perfect for our family and it was so nice to be able to bring our dog! The deck was a great place to relax and have dinner and was so fantastic to be able see the ocean from there! The whole house seemed brand new and sparkling clean! The water pressure was a little low, but it didn’t affect us much at all. Overall, great location, great view and great house! Thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Sep 3, 2021
HI Keli, thanks for the lovely review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing Week

We have visited Gulf Shores/Ft Morgan several times but this time was the best! The house was incredible and it was refreshing to find lodging that looked even better than the pics. The house was so clean and the location was perfect proximity to Gulf Shores but far enough out of town to feel tranquil. Beach access was a short walk and we truly had everything we needed during the stay. Can’t wait to come back!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Aug 11, 2021
Hi John, thanks for the wonderful review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great time with family!

Annual family trip to the beach to celebrate the 4th of July. The house was beautiful and had everything we needed! Check in and out super easy, all done by text. Plenty of parking, we had 5 vehicles and still had plenty of room for more if needed. Kitchen well stocked with coffe cups, bowls, pans, cutting boards, etc. We found the blender but no base, not a big deal though. Beds were firm, had washer & dryer, dishwasher, and plenty of hot water for a large family. Had a few ants and centipede’s but nothing major and wouldn’t prevent me from returning. Nice boardwalk to the beach and it was about 5 min to walk from the house to the beach. Front porch had plenty of seating, table & 4 chairs, 4 lounge chairs and picnic table. You can see the beach but if the lot in front is developed you won’t be able to see the beach. Overall a great time and a lovely home!
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 6, 2021
Hi Jessica, thanks for the awesome review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family weekend getaway!!

Everything was so nice we really enjoyed being so close to the beach. And everything look exactly like the pictures on website. My only complaint were it was dog hair all over the sofa. And a few lil bugs in the kitchen but overall everything was nice.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 26, 2021
Hi Priscilla, thanks for the review of Top Shelf. We're sorry the couch had pet hair remains on it. This home is on a regular pest control schedule. We hope to host you again in the future!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Home

Our stay at Top Shelf was a pleasant one. We have been visiting the area for years, and Top Shelf is definitely one of the loveliest homes we've rented. Harris property management had asked what time we would be arriving, and at the time I wondered what difference would that make, especially since we'd be arriving well after check in time. Well, when we arrived at 9pm, I saw why they asked. The outside lights were all on, allowing us to have a safe and well lit entry into the property. Top Shelf is beautifully and tastefully decorated, as well as well planned out for a vacation rental. The only thing I would add would be some games, puzzles or cards for inclement weather days. We found an issue with insects, but one call to Harris management and they had a pest control company out quickly to rectify the issue. Harris management was very responsive and they checked in occasionally to see that all was well, without being intrusive. I would rent this property again, and would absolutely recommend it to others. The fact that this was a pet friendly home made this a wonderful stay for the whole family. Thanks for a comfortable, relaxing stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Apr 23, 2021
Hi Susan, thanks for the awesome review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Top shelf

The stay was awesome!! We could see the water from the balcony
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2020
Response from VrboOwner on Dec 28, 2020
Hi Tamarian, thanks for the awesome review! We're glad you enjoyed the view!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great space for extended family!

We enjoyed our stay. The beach was beautiful! The pool is very conveniently located from this property. We also enjoyed the deck with the beautiful view and the outdoor space underneath the house.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2020
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 26, 2020
Hi Jerilee, thanks for the lovely review of Top Shelf!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay

Lovely home. Great location. We would definitely return. Thank you!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2020
Response from VrboOwner on May 27, 2020
Hi Jaclyn, thanks for the review! We're glad you loved this home!
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