Emerald Beach Resort by Resort Collection

Unit 1227 was comfortable and bright, with new vinyl plank floors, fresh paint, nice furnishings, a big balcony with three tables and six chairs, and a fully stocked kitchen. It had two bathrooms, soft throws, a comfortable master bed, and bunk beds for kids. The pots, pans, dishes, glasses, silverware, and cooking tools were well stocked, along with a coffee maker, toaster, and electric can opener. The AC was great, the water pressure and temperature were excellent, and the condo was clean. The balcony is right on the beach. You can rent two chairs for $50 a day and reserve them for your stay, or bring your own. Parasailing and jet skis were $100 each, with banana boats and paddleboarding also available. Nearby there’s plenty for ages 3 to 80, a convenience store within walking distance, and lots of restaurants. We visited Shipwreck Island, Swampys Amusement Park, Rainforest Neon Putt Putt, and the movie Theatre because of the rain, along with Walmart and Publix. We ate at Pineapple Willys, Runaway Island, Fords, All American Diner, Steamers, and got ice cream at The Yard. The condo has two pools, two easy beach access routes, new elevator banks, Starbucks, a gift shop, and Sky Bar with nightly entertainment ranging from trivia to karaoke. Lisa at SkyBar was fantastic, though a glass of Mondavi Sauv Blanc cost $17. Book That Condo manages short-term rental units. Check-in is automated, with an entry code sent by email. Replies took up to seven hours. We arrived at 12:30 and called twice, but the room couldn’t be released until housekeeping checked it. I may have missed the early arrival request window by not replying to an email, so stay on top of that better than I did. Our DIL’s host, Steve, had given her the code 48 hours ahead. I also looked for housekeeping, but nobody was around. Finally Margaret sent the code through the emergency number at 4:02. It was all automated, with no flexibility on the 4 p.m. check-in or 10 a.m. checkout. On arrival and departure we checked our backpacks with the Wyndham property, which seemed to treat short-term renters like flotsam. Thank heavens for Frances and Jouri there. We’re picky and a bit OCD, and my husband did home inspections, so he notices things. The first thing we saw was that the photos didn’t match the condo we walked into. Based on the AirBNB photos, it looked like the same unit with different paint. The master bedroom was by an elevator bank and picked up occasional elevator noise. We know rentals can be hard to maintain, and that Hurricane Michael hit PBC less than five years ago. The washing machine wouldn’t agitate, but we reported it, and Jack from BTC came at 9:40 a.m. on our departure day to investigate. Overall it was a fantastic experience, with only minor cosmetic maintenance and cleaning needed. Next time I’ll deal with a person rather than a property management company.