Paradise Isle 2a - 1 Br Condo

The pool was lovely for unwinding after the beach, and Ms Vivian was wonderful to work with. We booked at the last minute for four people and found a quiet, quaint place in a great spot, with beach access right across the street. It’s pet friendly, too. We hadn’t realized our unit didn’t have a washer and dryer. Different sites gave conflicting information, and we learned that only some units have them. There’s coin laundry on site. We only had five towels, but after we contacted the office, housekeeping brought more, which helped a lot. Ms Vivian told the owners about the confusing information, and they came by to apologize and bring laundry coins. I’d recommend staying here.

The rooms were clean, but quite dated. The website photos are old, and the paint has faded while the stairs and decks show their age. The couch and living room chair were stained, worn out, and uncomfortable, and the mattress was terrible. Towels were decent but smelled musty, and could only be exchanged on Wednesdays. No pool towels were provided. With BG, we expect basics like TP, PT, shower supplies, a starter pack with coffee, sugar and creamer packs, S/P, and popcorn, even at an associate resort. Here we got one coffee pod and the S/P. Once the TP, which is horrible and goes fast, and trash bag were used, they wouldn’t provide more. The office is open only Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday. We’re across the street from the beach, but it’s a busy four-lane road. The season starts this weekend, March 1st, so I can only imagine the traffic and crowded beach at peak season. Parking under the units is very tight, and some vehicles can’t use it.

The location is good, the room was cute with beach decor, and it looked clean at first. We had a pool view, but there’s no beach view and the hotel is just across the street from the beach. Once I looked in the bathroom, there was mold all through the shower. The glass shower cover looked like it might break every time it was opened. We also got one roll of toilet paper for a five-day stay with two adults. A used condom and wrapper sat in the parking area the whole time. Does anyone work on site? The beds creaked like they were about to give out whenever we moved, and the quiet rooms made every outside noise easy to hear, which made sleeping frustrating. We paid $200 a night for location, really. This is a pet-friendly hotel, but dogs can’t go to the beach unless you want to risk a $500 fine, and they can’t use the room’s pool either. The public rules mean they can’t get in the water there, either. Plenty of neighbors had dogs like us, thinking they could go to the beach, so the website should make that restriction clear. Gulf Shores itself is great. Getting into the room was a pain. We called at 12, two hours before the 4 check-in, to make sure everything was in order. We arrived at 1:30, and they said the room wasn’t ready but they’d send the code once the inspector approved it. We waited outside in the heat for three hours after being kicked off the beach because of the dogs, during an excessive heat warning. We called three or four times and got the same answer. At 3:30 they sent the code, but it didn’t work. When we called again, they said it wouldn’t work until 4. Why tell us repeatedly we could get in early once we got the code? I have mixed feelings. The spot is good, but the price isn’t worth it.

We had a spacious, very clean one-bedroom, and the kitchen had all the basics. There’s a large pool, though it isn’t heated in winter, plus a hot tub. Parking seemed plentiful, and you can park too deep if needed. They provide the basics at first, then you supply your own. It may not be a new luxury resort, but we had a great stay overall.