Heron 403 - Emerald Escape - Destin West - 2,400 sq ft

We’ve been coming to Destin West Beach in Bay resort for our family vacation every year for eight years. I always say we should try somewhere else, but we keep coming back because you can’t beat the location. The pool area is the best place to stay in Destin, by my standards.

We stayed at Pelican L-07 on the Bay side, and it was perfect. Guests can use both the bay and beach sides, with several pools, hot tubs, and a lazy river. The river wasn’t heated, but once I got in it felt refreshing, and I actually prefer it that way. Beautiful spot, close to everything you might want to check out. We’ll definitely return.

We’re waiting to hear from the property manager, and our Airbnb host has been sent numerous photos showing the problems in Pelican 403. The living room curtain rod is rusty and pulling out of the wall, so the drapes won’t close. When we arrived, the advertised newly remodeled condo was dirty and clearly neglected. I spent the rest of the evening and late into the night vacuuming the vents, bunk bed slats, and drapery, washing linens, and wiping down cabinets. The master duvet insert even had blood stains. This isn’t nitpicking. The grime had built up over time, and the poor cleaning kept our family from enjoying our first evening of vacation together. It’s shameful how different the advertised unit is from what you walk into. I don’t know when the remodel happened, but the work certainly wasn’t quality.

Our condo was nicely decorated and very clean, though we could hear people above us and it was noisy. The beachfront location is beautiful, with soft white sand, clean and well-kept grounds, a parking garage, and restaurants, shops, and activities within walking distance. Wristbands are required for the private beach and pool, but they aren’t enforced. The front-row chairs and umbrellas are a nice amenity, except people were allowed to put their chairs directly in front of us.