See all properties
Entire home

The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.

Photo gallery for The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.

Exterior
Outdoor dining
Exterior detail
Living area
Room

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 81800 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View in a map
St Joe Beach, FL
  • Place, Saint Joe Beach
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Place, Beacon Hill Park
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Place, Mexico Beach
    ‪5 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Queen Bed

Convertible bed(s)

1 Queen Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 3

Outdoor shower

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Outdoor shower
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden

About this property

The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.

Just bring your clothes and food — we've thought of everything else.

O'Connell's Beach House is the ultimate unplug-and-unwind retreat on Florida's Forgotten Coast. This beautifully renovated, fully stocked 3-bedroom home sits on a quiet street directly across from the beach, giving you that rare combination of total privacy and unbeatable access to the Gulf.
Room to spread out and relax.

With 1,800 sq ft of open, airy living space, 12-foot vaulted ceilings, and tile floors throughout (plus fresh carpet in the bedrooms), this home feels as good as it looks. The master bath features a brand new 72-inch open walk-in shower — the kind of upgrade that makes you feel like you're staying somewhere truly special. The kitchen has everything you need to cook like you're at home, and when you'd rather grill, the back deck with a gas grill overlooking the fenced backyard is ready for you.
The Forgotten Coast's best-kept secret.

St. Joe Beach is the real deal — no high-rise condos, no overcrowded shoreline. Just sugar-white sand, crystal-clear Gulf water, and the kind of unspoiled natural beauty that's getting harder and harder to find in Florida. Dolphins, sea turtles, and shorebirds are regular visitors, and the relaxed pace here is something guests fall in love with immediately.

Everything you need is already here.

The storage shed out back is stocked with all the beach gear you could want — wagon, stroller, coolers, chairs, umbrellas, fishing poles, and a beach cart. Two kayaks are also available to rent on-site. Pull up with your family, unload, and you're ready to go.

Plenty of space — even for the boat.
The large yard has room to park a boat or RV, making this an ideal base for anglers and water lovers. Full-service marinas with public boat ramps are just minutes away in both Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach.

Dining and fun within walking distance.
Shipwreck Restaurant is a 5-minute walk, and a handful of great local spots are just 5–10 minutes by car. After dinner, come back and unwind on the screened front porch overlooking the tropical landscaped front yard — one of the most popular spots in the house.

Nearly 100 five-star reviews and a 9.8/10 rating say it better than we can: guests love this place and keep coming back. Families, friend groups, pet owners — everyone feels at home here.

Dates fill up fast on the Forgotten Coast. Check availability and make this your summer.

Add dates for prices

Have a question?

AI iconBeta

Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.

Similar properties

Exterior
Serene home with grill, patio, deck, & kitchen - snowbird friendly
Grand Isle
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Pet-friendly
10.0 out of 10, Exceptional, (12 reviews)
Serene home with grill, patio, deck, & kitchen - snowbird friendly

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 9:00 AM
default

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
default

Events

Events allowed: family gatherings and weddings
default

Pets

No pets allowed, service animals permitted
Request quote
default

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Start the dishwasher
Strip any used beds, gather used towels and store extra beds
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights, lock the doors and return the keys
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Parties and events (including family gatherings and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 12
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

About the area

Port St. Joe

Located in Port St. Joe, this holiday home is near the beach. Mexico Beach and Constitution Convention Museum State Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Beacon Hill Park and Mexico Beach Park. Port Theatre Art and Culture Center and Frank Pate Park are also worth visiting. Jet skiing and kayaking offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hunting and hiking nearby.
View more Holiday homes in Port St. JoeOpens in a new window
Map
St Joe Beach, FL

What's nearby

  • Saint Joe Beach - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Beacon Hill Park - 3 min drive - 3.1 km
  • Mexico Beach - 5 min drive - 5.5 km
  • Tyndall Air Force Base Visitor Center - 29 min drive - 41.6 km
  • Thomas Drive - 60 min drive - 74.6 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Forgotten Coast Brewing Company - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Shipwreck Raw Bar - ‬14 min walk
  • ‪Subway - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪The Mill Mercantile & Social - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Paradise Craft House & Grill - ‬12 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House. pet-friendly?

No, only service animals are welcome at the property.

How much is parking at The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House.?

Checkout is at 9:00 AM.

Where is The Best Kept Secret on the Gulf =Newly Renovated 3BR St. Joe Beach House. located?

Situated by the sea, this holiday home is within 2 miles (3 km) of Saint Joe Beach, Beacon Hill Park and Windmark Beach. Mexico Beach is 2.2 mi (3.6 km) away.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 81 out of 96 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 15 out of 96 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 96 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 96 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 96 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cy B.

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

Great Stay

Great property for family. Away from noise and traffic of Hwy 98.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amanda G.

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

Great stay!

Had everything you would need for a stay!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Courtney

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Wonderful location and spacious rental!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amy P.

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

Annual family vaca

Beautifully decorated and comfortable. We had 6 adults and 2 kids and plenty of room. Having a washer/dryer is a must for beach vacations. This property did t disappoint. Close proximity to the beach and restaurants.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth M.

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

Loved our stay!

We had a great time staying in port st joe. We hope to be back very soon! This home was just as described, if not better!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gary L.

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

Family friendly.

Good place for a family stay. Nice and quiet area. Beach was nice and not crowded.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

deborah s.

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

Family vacation

Clean and well equipped. Would stay there again.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Wei and Henny C.

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

Hidden gem

The place had everything you need. My family enjoyed the place really well. The kitchen especially allowed us to have quality family time.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dustin C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The location was central to where we wanted to be. Everything we needed was stocked. Quiet neighborhood. Just seconds from the beach. My family felt comfortable and safe. We loved every minute. We will keep an eye out for this property for our next trip down here. Thank you guys for making our trip a wonderful experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Stephen H.

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

Great for a family that likes to cook and eat together.

If you enjoy time with your family and like cooking and spending time around the dinner table this is a great place to stay. The wide open kitchen is with cooking appliances and the large dining table and bar will accommodate a full house and then some.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nathan H.

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

Short stay

This home was a great place for our family to stay while on vacation. The home was clean and the location was reasonably close to a nice public beach access. There was fenced in back yard where our dogs could play off leash.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Patricia G.

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

September get away

This was our second time staying at this property. Loved the sunsets at the beach every night. Quiet neighborhood. Get place to just relax.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dale G.

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

Excellent Choice for Beach Vacation

This property is amazing! It’s located on a very quiet street with a short walk to the beach. The home was immaculately clean and stocked with anything you might need. Our host was very helpful when we had a question. We highly recommend this property for your vacation! We will be renting again for our next beach vacation!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joel N.

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

Great little hideaway

We had a few mishaps, just makes the stories more interesting!, but everything was resolved quickly. It is a good walk from the beach, the golf cart is great for hauling back and forth. There was a lot of thought put into this rental to make a great vacation for any visitors. We would definitely recommend and stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Keith T.

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

Wonderful Weekend Getaway

This listing was spot on. When I say the owner has covered everything, they have everything covered. Yes, it's 2 1/2 blocks from the beach, and there is a golf cart available for rent. Storage building with chairs and floats, Grill, and well-stocked kitchen. Our family will defiantly stay here again. The owner answered all my questions in a timely manner. Great stay and St Joe Beach was beautiful and not crowded. Can't wait to come back.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany M.

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

Awesome

Maria's place was great! Her home was stocked with everything you think you might need. She really means it when she says just bring your clothes and food. Very spacious, stayed cool inside the whole time without any adjustments to the thermostat and nice neighbors. The beach experience was the best one yet. Not crowded at all no matter the time of day.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Amy H.

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

Great!

We had a wonderful time this week! The house is very spacious and had everything we needed. It’s a 3 block walk to the beach. It was hot but doable! There were more people on the beach than the last time we were in this area five years ago but you still have plenty of elbow room. The only problem is the week went by too fast! We love this area and can’t wait till we can get back!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Randall B.

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

Beach vacation

The house was in a good location close enough to the beach for an easy walk or very short drive. Having the beach chairs, wagon, umbrellas, ect onsite was a big plus and saved us from having to pack all that extra stuff for our group. The beds are ok comfort wise, and if you moved most objects on any counter you could see where things dont always get cleaned thoroughly. If you have small children (2 or less, we had our 9 month old) then you need to be really careful because the house has some raised tile with sharp edges (fire place)in the living room that was a constant scare for a crawling/learning to stand child. Overall it was a decent stay. The neighborhood and neighbors were very friendly.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David R.

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

Great Stay

It was close to the beach, maybe 3 blocks. So. very close, and they had a golf cart so you basically just drive down the street and in 5 minutes you're swimming. In addition to the beach creatures, I also enjoyed the frogs, turtles, and raccoons that came out at night. There is construction going on still in the area but if your looking for a quiet beach vacation this is the place. Plus, panama city beach is about 45 minutes away if you need that other stuff. The house was stocked and we didnt need to bring anything but our personal stuff. The owner called and checked in on us the first night. The whole family enjoyed the stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Verified

8/10 Good

Ravi K.

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

Great place and comfortable

The home was great but for two issues 1. The closet in the bedroom had a stinky smell that spreads across if AC is not running. 2. The first bathroom door was not locking, so whoever using the bathroom was not feelojgnt much comfortable. If the twoinor issues are taken care off, this is a great place to stay and owner was very prompt in responding to question's
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrea F.

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

Oldie but a Goodie

This is an older mobile home that is kept very clean. It was comfortable and had EVERYTHING we needed and more. I have stayed in high-end homes/condos that were not as well stocked. The home owner has thought of everything. Check-in was a breeze. We walked the two blocks to and from the beach with no problem. There was ample parking for the family and the boat. My only suggestion would be a 10:30 check out time. Packing up everything and getting the kids out the door by 9 was challenging. We had a wonderful time and would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gene a.

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

Gene

the house was wonderful very roomy fully supplied homey comfortable nice, i mean just great; the cart was slow it worked good just slow, had lot of beach equipment everything worked as should, out side the grass had not been cut it was high black seeds getting on wifes long dress; but with beach wear not bad justs looks bad; there was paper on the grown at the outside trash cans but we cleaned it up; And that is not the owners falt; that would be the vebo rentals job; and the Cleaning folks -and no i did not ask for any kind of reimbursement, i even lift the sat evening rather than sun morning; but this is a great place to stay 3 blocks from beach
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

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

Piece of paradise

House was well stocked and owners allowed use of beach items, but bring your own fishing poles. It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

8/10 Good

Theresa S.

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

Excellent stay

Great location close to the beach. Very clean and spacious. Plenty of room for a family. Beautiful beaches and not crowded. We have family in the area and would rent this property again next time we come down. .
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nancee K.

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

Summertime Teachers

Our small group of teachers always try to take a few days in the summer to spend time together outside of the school. We really enjoyed where we stayed. The house was very clean and had everything we needed. I rented the golf cart but didn’t realize that it couldn’t cross Hwy 98, so we never used it. All of the beach stuff is stored in a locked storage building. Make sure you know how to use a rotary lock. Make sure you read the total lock code access instructions so you know where to find out how to get into all of the locked up areas. Management was easy to get ahold of and was great at answering questions. Again, great place. We would stay there again!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

About the host

Hosted by MARIA O'CONNELL

Host profile image

Languages:

English
Tell us how we can improve our siteShare feedback