This is a condo we’ve stayed at many times before under previous owners John and Bev. New owners (took over in fall of 2019) have done a great job updating the countertops in Kitchen, Master Bath, and guest room bath. The whole decor and most furniture have been updated which is very modern. The master shower has been redone as well. It has made an already great condo even better! The view is likely the best in Sterling Shores.
Vacasa did a great job with the cleanliness of the room. Their app is good and on par with all others that have switched to using an app
Things that need some attention:
We arrived to find John the maintenance man putting some screws in the lockout room bed frame. He commented “this is probably the 20th screw I’ve had to put in this bed this summer. I don’t understand why they just don’t replace the bed.” I agree with him. It needs replaced. It angles down to the foot of the bed when laying on the bed.
The cloth couch is nice but knowing it’s only 2 years old it’s already starting to show wear.. some noticeable staining on it. They are known to wear out quick. I do not think it’s right for anyone to call a pullout couch a bed in their listing of how many beds in a unit…
There was no warm/hot water in any of the bathroom sinks. We lived with it and didn’t reach out to Vacasa for not wanting to deal with maintenance. But NEEDS to be fixed.
Fridge specifically says should be cooled to 37 degrees but could only get it to 43 degrees. Kept meats in back of fridge to ensure no spoilage. It was cold but not what it should’ve been.
This is a personal preference but feel the need to comment. A unit this size to only have 3 beds seems a waste and what used to work for us as a family is now difficult. When you have teenagers that are brothers and sisters, they won’t sleep in same bed together.
Either the second bedroom or most ideally the lockout/studio bedroom should provide a full and a twin or possibly 2 fulls. IMHO
Last issue is cost of this unit. In 2019 I rented this unit for $3500 out the door with a dedicated covered parking space. (What happened to the parking space with this unit?) 2022 under new owners and managed by Vacasa with no dedicated parking space…$5900. $600 in Booking fees!?
When I inquired about what’s involved with the booking fee this is direct comments I received from Vacasa through email:
Also, the booking fee helps us provide 24/7 customer support during your stay. Our customer support includes call, email, and text support available any time before, during, or after your stay. It includes any support needed by the local team during your stay. This is added to every reservation instead of included in the nightly rent. I hope this explination helps. We appreciate you!
So, you can decide for yourselves if that kind of communication is worth cost but Vacasa is adding ~12% to most all booking fees and have become one of, if not, the main rental company in Destin.
Sterling Shores is a great place with nice grounds and pools but starting to show some wear and overall congestion in that area. 4 Hotels and two condo units left of back porch have been added around SS since our first stay in 2003. It used to have more of a resort feel. They used to offer weekly activities, Staff monitoring and cleaning pool decks throughout the day, etc… Wrist bands are never checked so don’t understand the emphasis. So none of that now is being offered.
Sorry for the lengthy review but I extremely value thorough reviews on all properties I stay in.
This has always arguably been the nicest or one of the nicest condo in Sterling Shores.
Overall this is a great unit!