Jade East Towers by Southern Vacation Rentals

I've been coming to Destin multiple times a year my whole life, and Jade East is the best building we've stayed in so far. It's in a great location and is well maintained. Barefoot Beach Service is awesome and always makes us feel at home. Trey and his crew are friendly, and set up the chairs so everyone gets a great view. They have great snowballs now, too!

We had a lovely week at Jade East. The pool area was fun for the whole family, and the beach chair and table service team were friendly, professional, helpful, and accommodating all week. Looking forward to coming back!

The pool was decent, and the room was clean enough, but the smoke smell was strong. We also waited 15-30 minutes for the one working elevator whenever we needed it. Despite being advertised as beachside, the property only lets you use its beach if you rent its umbrella and chairs. Paying for the room doesn't change that. I had one interaction with an employee, and he was aggressively rude. This condo took the fun out of our trip. It wasn't the worst place I've stayed, but I won't return. If this were the only place in Destin, I'd choose a different beach to visit.

I was disappointed to learn about the beach rules only after we'd paid and arrived. You can't take personal items down by the water, not even a towel, and they patrol the beach to make sure people are in the right spot. The umbrella and chair setup costs $55 a day for two chairs and one umbrella, and you can't bring your own chairs as extras. For my family of six, getting a place where we could even see the water would have cost over $150 a day. I live on a budget, and after being treated very rudely, I couldn't even sit with my feet in the water like I usually do on vacation. The condo itself is beautiful, and the owner was very nice and helpful. The private beach comes with a very expensive extra charge, though, and that wasn't in the details. This was my first trip to Destin and will be my last. I wrote this so others can go elsewhere or be ready for the added cost. Apparently this is the policy at most, maybe all, Destin beaches, so be aware before renting.