440 West Condo 1101N

The condo itself is lovely and fully furnished, and the location is perfect. We booked it for 27 days. We knew the hurricanes had damaged the pool deck, but no one told us about the balcony repairs. Some balconies are boarded up, and the work on building 440 is underway before they move to 450. The drilling and pounding goes on constantly from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. As of January 10, 2025, the pool and deck are unusable while repairs are being done. Then on January 10 we found a notice saying the water would be shut off Monday and Tuesday, January 10 and 11, and that workers would need to enter our unit to flush the toilets. My wife, daughter, and I could have managed without the pool, gym, and sauna, but this was another thing we hadn't been told about. VRBO and the other sites don't give you enough information to make an informed decision, and communication among condo management, owners, renters, VRBO, and hosts seems nonexistent. This is just my opinion, but I probably wouldn't have booked here if I'd known about all the construction. It's a beautiful complex and may be better once everything is finished, but right now isn't a good time to stay. Don't rent here until at least March. A little perturbed, Al Slivko

There's a lot of dust and noisy construction, and it's expected to continue for the next 12 months.

If you're thinking of buying here, know that the already high HOA fee is about to go up by $335 a month on top of the regular fee, for the next seven years. For that kind of money, you'd expect a guard with some manners. We had a bad experience at the gate while our realtor was running late. I understand the guard didn't want to let us in without the agent, but the driveway is short and opens onto a busy street with lots of cars and pedestrians. It was spring break, with traffic and people constantly passing behind us. I politely asked if we could pull in, turn around, and leave. I even explained in Russian that backing up was dangerous. He yelled that he'd told me to back up. When I asked him to guide me so I wouldn't hit anyone, he refused, told us to get out, and threatened to call the police. That's no way to treat a potential future owner. The customer service was awful, and it seems nothing is being done about it. Imagine your guests or renters dealing with the same thing.

I liked the view, the grounds, and how the buildings are laid out. The living room, dining room, and master bathroom have been updated, and the staff at Florida rental tried to fix the problems they could. But the condition of unit 1604 N was so poor that I wouldn't give it even one star. If upkeep and mattress replacement are the owner's responsibility, as I was told, then having this property represented to travelers is a disservice to them and an embarrassment for the company. We rented a two-bedroom place, but I spent two months sleeping on the couch because both mattresses were badly dipped, one by more than 1 1/2 inches and the other by 1 3/4 inches. I took photos and sent them in. The floors needed cleaning too. I found a candy wrapper and coins under the bed, and had to clean the Mr. Coffee and bathtub myself. The kitchen had mismatched pans with no lids, and only two lids fit. There was no broiler pan, the refrigerator's plastic bin was cracked and the fridge was rusty, and some dishes were broken, cracked, or chipped. The oven took 30 minutes to preheat to 350. Towels were very thin, the vent over the oven was rusty, and the balcony chairs were filthy. The counters and cabinets were old Formica from the 60s or 70s. There were only sheer curtains, and one was coming out of the wall. Blinds from the closet were put up after about a month, but the room was still too bright. For a place this poorly cared for, I'd expect the value to be around $50.