Gulf Shores Plantation Royal Gulf Beach & Racquet Club Unit 5113

A beautiful resort, with lots of indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, workout rooms, and a really long stretch of white sandy beach. I would’ve given it five stars, but we’re here in January and the heated outdoor pool doesn’t work. Some buildings don’t include the indoor pools, the on-site restaurant is closed for winter, and they charge for parking to get to your room.

The view from the patio and upstairs bedroom is beautiful, and you can see the ocean, though it’s about a quarter mile away. The condo itself is cute and clean, with a Keurig, dishes, a dishwasher, and plenty of towels and sheets. Keep in mind the stairs up to the bedroom are steep and may not work for everyone. There were no trash bags, so bring or buy some, and there’s no washer or dryer. The indoor pool, two outdoor pools and an outdoor hot tub are on site, but the hot tub was out of order during our stay. It’s about 20 minutes outside town, with few restaurants or activities nearby. The restaurant on site closes during winter.

The beach near Fort Morgan, past Gulf Shores, was beautiful and relaxing, with fewer people around. The pools were clean and really nice. Unit 1240 worked perfectly for our group of three adults and three kids. We had a king, queen, twin and fold-out couch, and the unit had everything we needed, plus stunning views. The owner was quick to respond and sent all the information in advance, including the parking pass. Parking was plentiful, which made arrival easy. Next time we’ll plan ahead for groceries and essentials since town is a bit of a drive, though Walmart and pizza delivery came to the rescue. We had a great stay and would definitely come back.

#1349 has no toaster or cookie sheet, and there are holes in the bathroom walls with paint peeling on some other walls. The bathroom soap had been watered down. Bring a good towel, since the ones provided are thin and don’t absorb well; there’s nowhere to hang one either, so bring a hanger. The exhaust fan is extremely loud. Neither the tub nor bathroom sink had a drain cover, and the hot and cold taps aren’t labeled. You have to keep holding the toilet handle until it finally flushes, and there’s no spare toilet paper. We couldn’t get the bedroom lamps plugged in, and there was a dead bug behind the nightstand. There’s nowhere to hang clothes, since the closets are blocked, locked or already full. The breakfast area blind needs replacing. The chairs scrape loudly when pulled out, so pads under the legs would help the people below. A smaller round table would fit the cramped area better.