Gulf and Golf West

We had a great time and loved the location. Just be careful with the water, it gets scalding hot. We also bought a couple of pillows because most of the ones there were much too thick.

Renters, be careful. This place was filthy. Dust covered every surface, the blinds were caked in grime, and the baseboards looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in ages. There were holes in the bathroom ceilings, the garbage disposal didn’t work, and several bedroom TVs were either broken or missing their remotes. The dining area folding table had sand and food residue on it. The water was either scalding or cold, with nothing in between. Koolaid packets were left in the sheets in one bedroom, and the kitchen utensils, plates and pans were grimy and needed washing before we could use them. The worst part was pulling a blanket from a closet and getting covered in sand. We were also not given a keycard for the resort amenities, including the indoor pool, one of the reasons we chose this rental. We arrived late Tuesday afternoon during Thanksgiving week. There were four families, 15 people total. We noticed the dirt and rundown condition that day. Wednesday morning, the owners emailed to ask how things were. I said there were positives, but the place wasn’t very clean and needed some TLC. They offered to send the cleaners back. I declined because it was the day before Thanksgiving, and doing the deep clean it needed with 15 people and all their belongings in the house would have been very difficult. Then I found out my nieces had slept in beds with Koolaid packets in them, which clearly showed the sheets hadn’t been changed. As the day went on, we found more of the problems I mentioned, and still had no keycard. I called the property management company. They said they would try to reach someone about the keycard, but nothing came of it. They also couldn’t tell me where the on-site office was so I could get one myself. When I complained about the dirt, I was told deep cleans weren’t done between parties and that the owners had to schedule one. I’m appalled that deep cleans aren’t done between renters, especially during a pandemic. The property manager called Wednesday afternoon, but the call cut off midway through. We left many phone and email messages for both her office and the owners asking for a call back, and heard nothing. The only response from the owners was a low review of me as a renter after I posted an honest review on VBRO. I called VBRO about it. They said my complaints were very legitimate, they would contact the owner, and the owner would get in touch with me. Big surprise, that never happened. For that much money, I expected far better.

The staff were really friendly and quick to help whenever something came up. It’s a lovely beachfront home, just steps from the pool, hot tub and beach.

Our Temple family trip was wonderful, as usual. A few updates around the house and some small repairs would make it five stars.