A’Lure’N is a lovely space. The property’s best feature is the direct beach access, and why we booked here instead of staying at our family’s two nearby (but not beachfront) homes. We had hoped that a waterside spot would maximize beach time by eliminating the usual accoutrements of traveling on sand with babies.
Unfortunately, the experience was not what we had hoped for. The hosts made us feel unwelcome early on, primarily due to miscommunication about their visitor policy, which is not detailed on the VRBO site. In fact, several things were unclear upon booking, including that there are two rental units, and that the owners live on-site. (As of this writing, the former has been clarified on VRBO.)
We were only told about the strict guest policy upon arrival. At A’Lure’N, at least for us, guest is defined as any person who visits for any amount of time, even a few minutes.
Once aware, I shared our plans to have close family (my elderly parents, sister, and two kids—toddler and infant) visit 2-3 times, a few hours each, over 7 days.
We had an unplanned visitor/car on day 1, when my parents got a flat in the property’s driveway, and were told the next morning we were no longer allowed to have guests. This was shouted down from the balcony, spoken in earshot of the other renters (who had guests daily) as if we were bad teenagers. It was awkward for everyone except the hosts, who didn’t seem to mind.
They also told us that an extra car, even for 5 minutes, risked them getting a ticket from the town. Concerned, I called the town to verify this, and it’s not accurate.
The hosts made comments like “it looks like your mom is moving in,” and told my nephew not to get sand on “[her] floor.” Although the space is listed as kid-friendly, the hosts didn’t seem open to the complexities of beaching with children, and often observed from the balcony above.
We are experienced travelers/hosts with properties on CC, NYC, and upstate NY. I’m also a creative exec on a popular int’l travel show, working with hosts daily. This was outside the norms I’ve experienced personally or professionally.
We paid more in hopes of affording an extra level of comfort and convenience, but in the end our trip was unnecessarily stressful, and our seemingly modest vacation goals were not met.
On a positive note, the hosts care for A’Lure’N meticulously. Older clientele w/o children who don’t mind the impaired privacy of involved owners will feel more welcome here.