Castnetter Beach Resort 6

We arrived at the blue building at 4101 Gulf Dr. after an eight-hour drive on February 1st for a month-long booking. The sign on our unit said Castnetter Beach Resorts, but the rental was listed as Castaways 1 and 2, two units. We had to spend part of our vacation at the unit while things were being fixed. We didn’t trust the owner, and there was no safe for valuables. The problems caused me a lot of stress and anxiety that stayed with me through the trip, and we lost sleep from both the anxiety and the animal noises in the walls. Our neighbours in adjoining Castaways 2 had their own list of complaints, including the noises in the walls. The kitchen listing called it an “updated designer kitchen,” but the cupboards were from the 1960s, with gaps where they met the ceiling, and there was no blind on the window above the sink. Terry has since changed the ad, though I have a screenshot of the original. The fridge gasket was hanging loose, and the old style stove burners wouldn’t hold pots and pans flat, so an egg would slide to one side of the pan. The kitchen was inadequately stocked, with no large bowls. The sink pipe leaked underneath, causing a bad smell and very poor water pressure. That was resolved when the plumber came on February 5th. The listing also promised a picnic table, but there wasn’t one, and none was brought after we complained. The BBQ was old, filthy, and rusty. There were several other maintenance and cleanliness issues: a broken toilet paper holder, loose shower faucet, broken lamp in the master bedroom, and multiple electrical outlets that had no cover, weren’t secured to the wall, or didn’t work. Light bulbs were missing, paint was peeling from the ceiling, and the outdoor stair light didn’t work. All the windows were filthy. Some weren’t cleaned even after we complained because cleaners couldn’t reach them. Sandy said she’d send someone, but nobody came, and I reminded Terry without it getting done. Even the windows that were cleaned still looked dirty because they were old and etched. The closet bifold door wouldn’t close because it was too close to the floor. There were dirty fingerprints throughout the unit, filthy throw pillows that hadn’t been washed, a filthy upholstered bench, and an upholstered couch and chair and carpet that needed cleaning. There was only one small armless chair on the balcony. The entry door didn’t seem secure. Its frame was gouged, as if someone had broken in, the key lock was broken, and weatherstripping was hanging loose. A lot of people, including maids, a handyman, a plumber, and an electrician, had the combination for the lock. I suspect Terry never changes it, since I was given the combination on December 4th even though we arrived February 1st. There was no safe in the unit for our valuables. Terry often said he had to contact the owner, Mark, to get things done, but we later found out Terry is the owner and Mark was the previous owner. Terry also left the information binder from the previous owners, with details about who to call for problems. When we called, they said they hadn’t handled the property for some time and the binder should have been removed. I asked Terry for compensation. He said we had received a $3,749.00 discount when we booked, which is a lie. I went online and booked the same period for next year, 2021, on AIRBNB and was quoted $6,604.00. We paid $6,500.00, so where was the supposed $3,749.00 discount? And the discount we got back in November wasn’t compensation for what we unknowingly went through. It was for booking the unit for an entire month. We would never have booked it at any price if we’d known what we were getting into or who we’d have to deal with. Terry is always on vacation. Either that’s a lie or his way of avoiding things. Terry and Sandy have several properties, and I think they’re irresponsible owners who care only about their own vacations and nobody else’s. I want to warn other potential renters and hope these owners learn to treat renters with respect.

I worked on the resort’s old pool heater, which was in bad shape, and told Alan Gary I didn’t recommend trying to repair it. He asked me to replace the motor and agreed to pay the bill whatever the outcome. Now he owes me $500 and won’t answer my calls or texts, so I have to sue him. This Beach Resort doesn’t pay its bills. Stay far away from this unscrupulous character. He’s a bad egg.

Castnetter Beach Resort is comfortable and beautiful, with everything close by. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else.

The rooms are nice, and the service is good. It’s very close to the beach, so the location is great.