Sterling Sands #302

We rented condo 312 from a rental company through VRBO. The unit is remodeled and really pretty/modern/very clean. Beautiful beach views , direct beach front. This is a smaller unit. I would not recommend it for more than 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 small kids. The negatives: The unit desperately needs a new patio table and chairs. The paint was peeling off and the chairs were dry rotted. We used our own chairs for the balcony. No handicap beach access. Steep stairs to the beach on both sides with no ramp. Loud road noise. Bedrooms in the smaller units are on the road side of the condo. We did not know this and we would have booked a larger unit had we known. 2nd day there at 1030 am a knock at the door and a man said he was with maintenance. We did not call maintenance. Luckily my husband was there. The man came in and replaced the heat pump filter. This should be done BETWEEN guest check ins. If I had been alone in the unit, I would have denied entry. It makes me wonder if we were not there if he would have come on in with no permission and all our stuff inside. VERY sketchy. Reported to property managers.

Family of four (mom & dad; 10 yo boy; 14 yo girl) went to Destin for Spring Break. First time in Destin or anywhere on the Florida panhandle. This is an AirBnb/Vrbo condo place. General review we were pleased with the location, safety, and cleanliness. The pool & hot tub area were nice, heated, and good alternative to the beach. Beach service was also good -- unfortunately when we stayed the red flags were almost always up because of the high winds and rip tides. Still the view couldn't be beat and you could still get your feet wet. We liked the set up beach service of chair and umbrella to and love the luxury of not having to worry about setting up your own chairs & hauling stuff. Your position on the beach just varies by the day you rented your unit. The first day we were in the 2nd row of chairs, by the third day we were in the front row. No complaints the view was good either way. Pros: Location and view of the gulf from our unit - A+; also nearby good restaurants (go to the Back Porch!) and stores if you forgot or needed something; quiet and peaceful -- never heard neighbors on either side or above and below -- good soundproofing. Cons: One of the elevators was out the first two days we were there. It was fixed before we left, so they addressed it, but one working elevator with that many units is a nightmare. We definitely got in some extra fitbit steps on the stairs -- not an option for everyone. Biggest con was our unit #513, the king size bed of the master suite is a mushy lump. My back is still sore from it. It NEEDS TO BE REPLACED stat! If vacation is about resting and relaxing it's hard to do that when you dread going to bed, because the bed so uncomfortable. Tips: Kinda related to cons but just in general the kitchen could be stocked better. Hand soap should be provided in kitchen & everywhere. They provided ONE automatic dishwasher tablet. So after the first night we were doing our dishes by hand - not cool on vacation. Would it kill them to provide a few more? So my advice and this goes for all non-hotel rentals, be prepared to bring your own soap, detergent, extra tp, and extra paper towels. I did bring my own k-cups -- and you will need to, none are provided. Final tip - they use a coded number system for everything: room entry, gym, pool, and beach access, etc. If you're like me with a million passwords in your head trying to remember more, is just not gonna happen. Take a picture of the passwords and keep it on your phone. Do that the first day! Overall good though, and we would stay at this property again.

Pictures for the sight for Sterling Sands #711 are from a long time ago. Doesn’t show what it really looks like today. Very run down. Whole unit was very dirty. Curtains are really old. Stained and pin holes. Walls and trim looks like it hasn’t been painted since day one. Outlets are worn out and need to be replaced - fire hazard. Plugs loose and fall out. Couch bed is old and broke down. Ceiling fans never cleaned. Appliance’s old and need to be replaced. Wash machine has to be replaced (Finaly on last day of our stay). Makes so much noise you can’t hear yourself think. Dryer has so much lint and sand in it. Vent to the outside totally blocked is a fire hazard. TVs aren’t Smart TV’s as shown in ad. No apps or streaming. Front door doesn’t seal. Bed #1 mattress cover had blood stains. Bed #2 is old and squeaking. They could not tell us what chemicals they put in pool water. Wife is allergic to certain chemicals. The reservation site did not say anything about the big construction project that was being done. Woke us up every morning - VERY NOISY!!!!! We just want to let you know that we booked out of the unit on Monday three days earlier. We could not take all the noise from the construction and wash machine. We ended up very tired, worn out and sickly. This whole deal was false advertising. HOA told us that out of 110 units, 30 are owned by private people and have their own maintenance people. I took it that Sterling Sands handled all units. Talked to Ron in HOA and he looked at the online sight. He said that the pictures they showed are old pictures, which I guess is the reason the interior looks so old. I hope you can make this whole reservation right for us.

Good not great. Overall good. Theroom was a good size and clean. Some nitpicks: 1) jacuzzi jets didn't work; 2) no coffee maker; 3) bike locks on the outside gates until 9 am. (why was I given a code of there are locks on the gates? )

We loved the location, price for the value, and amenities at this property. We were surprised to find many large stains on the carpet throughout the condo, making the condo feel dingy/unclean. The property is also really lacking a way to effectively darken the master bedroom as the bright lights from the strip shone in all night.

This location was perfect for us. Within walking distance of attractions and short driving trips to multiple attractions.