Castaways 5A - 3 Br condo

In Unit 4a, we had a great view, a spacious layout, and comfortable beds, and the beach was lovely. The towels provided were very small and thin, and there weren’t enough for more than four people, so bring your own bath towels. The building needs work: the elevator was out for two days, and the parking lot is awful. Don’t bring a large vehicle. I was relieved we got through without any scratches or dings. We’ll definitely come back to Gulf Shores, but I’m unsure about booking in this building again since there are so many newer, updated options.

The location was perfect, but everything else was a disappointment from the moment we arrived. The parking lot was so tight we could barely find a space. There was standing water by the elevator entrance and a funky bathroom smell, and the rusty exterior needed repairs. Workers were on the building, and for a while we couldn’t get inside. The condo was filthy when we finally got in. The rugs were badly stained and full of sand, there were used Gatorade and Pepsi bottles under the couch, and we even found a syringe there. We swept the whole place. The beds had socks and a used bandage in them, and the bedspread was stained. Dirty glasses were left on the kitchen counter, the coffee pot had water in it, and the floors were greasy. The stained couch and chairs made us not want to sit down. We had to buy cleaning supplies ourselves. We called management several times during the stay, and also needed the leaking toilet fixed and the showerhead replaced. I have pictures. We will never stay at Castaways again.

The place and the view were beautiful. But the AC wasn’t working very well, and neither the washer nor the dryer in our condo worked. We contacted someone, and were told maintenance would come check them during our stay. Nobody ever showed up. Don’t count on the appliances working or getting repaired as promised.

The condo was furnished as advertised, the view was amazing, and the pool was nice. The location was convenient for stores and restaurants, with Dollar General just around the corner for most things your child might need. But pulling into the parking lot, my first thought was, “Omg, what have I done?” The outside didn’t look good, there was a broken skylight, the lot was packed like a sardine can, and the whole place had a bad vibe. If I owned a condo here, I’d be upset about the building’s exterior. The AC was miserable. We thought it might be from all the coming and going on the first day, but day two wasn’t any better. It was set to 60, read 68, and felt like 78. Even after buying a fan, I was sweating most of the night. I’m 5'3", 130, and not a big person. Other balconies had ceiling fans, but ours didn’t. The AC exhaust from both units blows right onto the elevator, which has no air and moves very slowly. We’ll contact the company today.