Beachside Villas by Southern Vacation Rentals

The noise from the apartments above is the part you can't overlook. There's no sound insulation between floors, so every footstep comes through. We stayed in building 11, the farthest one from the beach. It's not a long walk, unless you're hauling all the usual beach gear. The complex is maintained, but dated. On the plus side, it's close to one of the best stretches of beach.

The pools were a good backup activity for the kids, and Garrett Realty Services seemed sharp. I stayed in building 11. I knew beforehand that there'd be no beach view from the second floor, and the walk to the beach was a reasonable distance, though other units are closer. It was a good, satisfactory stay. There are better deals around, but I booked late this year.

Amanda from invited home was the best part of the stay. The service was excellent, and she even arranged an extra night for us. The pool was nice, and having beach chair rentals was a plus. The price seemed okay, but once we got there it made sense: the place smelled moldy, the children's bunk beds had been broken and poorly patched up, and the blinds and a sink stopper were broken too. Those problems were fixed the day we reported them. It was more like a decorated two-bedroom apartment near the beach. It wasn't a bad stay and was good value, but if you're considering the Starfish, I'd spend another $20-80 a night for a much nicer place right on the beach.

The beds were the biggest problem in our unit. Both mattresses had deep divots and almost no support, so we slept terribly. The master bath's handheld shower attachment was already broken when we arrived. We called after the first beach day, making clear it wasn't us who broke it, but management couldn't send anyone until the next morning. There were no clothes hangers, and although the kitchen had a decent amount of equipment, there was no dish soap or sponge for washing dishes. They did provide two dishwasher pods. Bring ground coffee for the drip maker, k-pods won't work. The bar soap in both bathrooms looked opened and previously used. Checkout is at 10 a.m., and being late means a charge for another night. We were in building 12, the farthest from beach access. I hadn't realized that when booking, though I knew there'd be no beach view from floors one through three. The walk was still reasonable, but the other buildings are closer. There's no elevator, so expect one or two flights of stairs. The pools were clean, and as far as I could tell each building has its own. We booked with Panhandle Getaways and had a satisfactory experience with them overall. We visit the area twice a year and know there are better deals for the same money, so shop around.