Hidden Dunes Beach Cottage 162

Roberta, the evening security guard, was one of the highlights of our trip. When we’d left our keys at home and were stuck at Publix, she sent a friend to get them for us. She shared a joke or story every night and was so kind and helpful. She deserves a raise, she’s a total rock star. The place itself is beautiful, quiet, and safe, and the pool area was gorgeous and well kept. Beach access from the front of the complex was a little difficult for my father, who sometimes needs oxygen. I’ve stayed in places with fewer stairs and easier access, so that could be a downside with very young children or elderly or disabled family members. There’s only one handicapped parking spot near the beach access. I gave location four stars for that reason.

The elevator was broken, and there are only two of them. The furniture felt sticky, and our master bathroom had a sewage issue that smelled awful. Nobody did anything about it.

We booked Gulfside through a third-party rental company for fast beach access, and White Diamond offers chair rentals. The condo was clean, two parking spots came with the rental, and the pool, hot tub, kids’ shallow pool, and elevator all worked. Staff were around, kept the grounds spotless, and greeted us with a smile. One thing to keep in mind: turning left onto Emerald Coast Parkway from Hidden Dunes gets hectic when traffic is moderate to heavy.

We’ve been here four days and have seen multiple open parking spots near our unit, but Hidden Dunes still wouldn’t accommodate our family’s situation. My mother drove from AL, while my husband and I came from LA, and my father had to drive separately after being called into work. One of our guests works on call and couldn’t travel with us. The condos have a two-car limit even though ours sleeps six, and staff wouldn’t make an exception. Instead, they gave us a list of parking options more than $25 a night, nowhere near the condo. We’re now facing an extra $100 or more because of something beyond our control. The security guards said, “we don’t make the rules we’re paid to enforce them”. We understand they have a job, but nobody tried to find an affordable alternative or help us out, even though we’d already spent almost $2K for the week. We’re very disappointed and won’t return.