Beachwood Villas 1A- Beach Haven

I wasn't satisfied with Benchmark's customer service. After I sent a long email, they refunded only a small part of the rental fee, $150 plus taxes. I felt that didn't make up for what happened. I asked by email if they'd reconsider and issue a larger refund, but they never replied. We rented Unit 11E in October. A leak in the master bathroom ceiling meant we couldn't use that bathroom for part of our stay, and left a musty smell in the bathroom and the bedroom where we slept. Several ceiling vents also had an unusual amount of condensation, which beaded up and dripped onto us and our food. I moved furniture to keep it from getting wet. There were also some kind of bugs in the kitchen.

The host was warm and easy to talk to, and our condo was spotless and had everything we needed. We had a lovely week and enjoyed the pools. The grounds, though, were neglected, with overgrown landscaping and dry, sparse mulch beds.

The location is good and the property itself could be decent, but the cleaning and lack of service were a real problem. There are no staff on site since it is managed remotely, and check-in is by code at 4:00 PM. When we arrived, the room still had old food in the fridge, dried food and spills on the kitchen chairs, and trash under and around the sofa. The cleaning crew had clearly missed a lot. We called Benchmark Management and got voicemail. They called back the next morning and offered housekeeping if we left the room, following Covid-19 rules, but that was too late to help. We spent an hour cleaning the whole place ourselves with Lysol and bleach. Then Benchmark refused our request to refund the extra $95 cleaning fee. Unless you want to spend part of your vacation cleaning, I'd avoid it.

Getting to the beach is easy, just a short walk across 30A and down the boardwalk stairs. The access points nearby all have stairs, so plan for that if you have gear to carry. Seaside is either a quick drive or a long walk down 30A, and the Square is close enough to bike from Beachwood Villas. Inside, the two-bedroom, two-bath layout worked well. I only wish the tub and shower were in the second bathroom instead of the master. The kitchen had plenty of room to make breakfast, and the furnishings felt tasteful and welcoming, with a beach look that wasn't overdone. There are grills too, but bring your own charcoal and supplies.