Lagoon Tower by Luxury Gulf Rentals

Such a shame, because it’s a beautiful place. The smoke alarms in the stairwell beeped nonstop and kept everyone awake the whole time. We reported it, but nobody came to fix them, and there’s no maintenance onsite.

I’m sharing this so other families of color can consider their options with their safety and peace of mind in mind. We’d enjoyed staying at 802 Lagoon Towers before, with seaside properties managing it, but our June 2025 visit was deeply upsetting. We came for our son’s fifth birthday and left with a trip overshadowed by what we experienced as racism. On Saturday, June 28th, we returned to our room with his birthday cake. A security officer in the elevator apologized for an “unkind message” someone had written inside the elevator door. Once it closed, we saw the racial slur “Nigger” on the surface. The officer’s choice to point it out instead of simply removing it felt deliberate, and left us wondering if we were supposed to see it. Other things happened during the stay that added to our concern. Our pool code stopped working for no apparent reason, so security had to let us in, while guests who were not people of color entered freely with their codes. Pool staff cleaned right after our children got out, before other guests were allowed in. Security also watched us for extended periods. We contacted our hosts, David and Kim. David acknowledged the problems and apologized, but said the hosts couldn’t handle building-wide issues. Kim seemed to minimize what happened, telling us not to “let it ruin our fun” and offering waterpark tickets if we didn’t post this review. That response to our first encounter with overt racism was especially hurtful. There were also plenty of maintenance problems: defective furniture in the master bedroom, food debris on the dining chairs, a vacuum that didn’t work, and poor communication about changed access codes for the beach facilities. The slur and how we were treated left us fearful through the stay. We worried about our children’s safety, moved around only as a group, and stayed alert to possible harassment or damage to our vehicle. We could have overlooked the maintenance issues, but not discrimination and racism. Other families of color deserve to know about our experience when choosing where to stay. We don’t feel Lagoon Towers may be a safe, welcoming place for every guest.

We got two parking passes, but there were 11 of us and four cars, so two cars had to park at Walmart. The older white security guard misled us about the parking. The younger Black man was polite and very nice. We won’t be back.

Even in peak season, the beach didn’t feel crowded, with no one camped right beside us. PH17 fills the entire 17th floor and has 3700 sq ft, plus access to both the beach and lagoon. There’s a private pier on the lagoon where you can dock your boat, and restaurants are only minutes away. This is the best place I’ve stayed for beach life. It feels like home, not an apartment, and I absolutely love this unit. ❤️