This boutique hotel is straight up wonderful! It's intimate, with its own pool and restaurants…read more Even though it is not an all-inclusive, it sure gets close! There is a sweets suite that has granola bars, popcorn, soda, oranges and apples, goldfish, an ice and water machine, espresso machine (that also makes hot cocoa), and ice cream bars! No need to pack extra snacks for your little ones on this trip! The rooms are large and the balconies have a gorgeous view of the bluest turquoise waters- it reminded me of being in the islands! The turndown service brings you fresh homemade cookies every night (so don't use your DND!). The staff onsite are super accommodating, the drinks at the bar are delicious, and the food is good as well. The pool drinks are more expensive if you go to the beach club next door. The pool area has a huge sunscreen dispenser (never seen one of these), ice water, fire pits (free to use). There is a tiny gym off the lobby (open 24/7). It has one treadmill, one elliptical, free weights, one bench, on pulley system and a Lululemon mirror thing. No one seemed to use it, so that was nice. The beach is powdered sugar soft a the ocean is clear and calm. It was an OASIS! The only surprise is that there isn't any drink service. Luckily the pool bar wasn't too far away. There is a free trolley you can take to other pools like the Watercolor Club (for kids), and other locations. There are some eateries within walking distance (however not a ton). The whole town is walkable and bike friendly. If you're a runner, there's a paved walkway that goes alongside the main road for miles and miles. I stuck to the trails behind the houses and loved it! It was secluded and woodsy, and yet I still saw houses so it didn't feel unsafe. This was probably one of the best vacations I've been on- it felt foreign but was stateside. Everyone enjoyed it- myself, my husband, our toddler, and my older in-laws. It's worth every penny! And bonus: the AC works amazingly! You can have a cold room and the ceiling fan makes it even better! The housekeeping was also phenomenal! Everyone was friendly and did such a great job! They gave us more shampoo, etc without us even having to ask. My only cons- I wish the free bike rental had helmets. I don't trust drivers when I have a little one to take care of, and the pool pump was loud so we couldn't really hear the ocean from the balcony, but not a deal killer.

Absolute delight. First time staying at this resort, but our 7th time staying in Watercolor, where…read morewe usually rent a house or condo. Loved all the amenities they offer, including use of bikes, nightly fresh baked cookies, snack room, plush robes. Excellent turn down service. Loved the proximity to the beach club. Great, friendly service. Spacious room. Very clean and beautifully decorated. We would stay here again!

Kaiya 30eh There is…read moresomething quietly disappointing about looking forward to a place for months only to spend your vacation managing problems instead of making memories. My wife and I have vacationed in Alys Beach for nearly a decade. This year, we chose Kaiya Beach Resort for what we hoped would be a comparable luxury experience. With accommodations exceeding $17,000, our expectations were not perfection;they were simply that the property would reflect the standard suggested by its price and reputation. Instead, we arrived to a villa that felt neglected. Housekeeping had clearly missed important details: trash had been left behind, random dice were stuck to doors, walls had holes and peeling paint, and cracked paint was literally falling away in places. Not to mention arguable presenceof black mold, or something that could be perceived as such. There were persistent flies throughout the home, recurring maintenance issues, and internet problems that required repeated calls. We found ourselves contacting maintenance almost every day of our stay. Perhaps the most disappointing moment came when we were told, almost as an explanation, "This is our oldest property." Age is never an excuse for neglect. Some of the world's most beautiful homes are also their oldest. Care, maintenance, and pride not age define the guest experience. What ultimately left the deepest impression, however, wasn't the condition of the villa. It was the absence of meaningful customer service. Despite multiple requests over several days, no manager proactively contacted me. When I finally received a response, I was told someone had "attempted to call," yet no voicemail was left, no follow-up email was sent, and no indication was given that anyone had even tried to reach me. In hospitality, communication is every bit as important as accommodations. A simple voicemail or thoughtful email would have demonstrated that our concerns genuinely mattered. Luxury is not marble countertops or curated architecture. Luxury is feeling cared for when something goes wrong. It's knowing that a team values your experience enough to communicate promptly, take ownership, and make things right without being chased. Kaiya has an undeniably beautiful setting and tremendous potential. Unfortunately, potential is not what guests are paying for. They are paying for the experience. Ours fell well short of what the price and the promise suggested.

Living in Paradise! Beautiful views l! Lucky to live here! See our view from our patio!read more

​We just wrapped up a multi-family trip staying at The Henderson Parkside Condos. My best friend…read moreand her family stayed on the hotel side while we took the condos, and meeting up for pool and beach days was so easy. It was easily one of my favorite vacations, but there are a few key things you need to know before booking. ​Here is the bad, the good, and the ugly: ​ The Bad & The Ugly ​Sugar Ant Infestation: On Day 1, we unpacked our sealed snacks from Publix on the counter and it was immediately swarming with ants. We had to move everything into the fridge and scrub the counters, but we still found stragglers hiding under the coffee maker. We booked a condo specifically for the kitchen, so feeling nervous to cook or leave anything out was a real bummer. ​Under-Stocked Supplies: We were only given one garbage bag for the stay and the body wash was nearly empty. We couldn't get through to the front desk via phone to request more, so we just bought our own trash bags and toiletries. Not a dealbreaker, but disappointing. ​ The Good ​Exceptional Food: Poolside food usually disappoints, but every meal here blew us away. The gastropub was a huge highlight (the fried cauliflower is a must!), and getting wings and pizza delivered straight to our condo door was so convenient. ​Gorgeous Beach & Amenities: The beach is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The property has multiple warm, spacious pools, 24-hour complimentary coffee, and incredible views. Plus, not having to worry about packing beach towels or toys made life so easy. ​Great Staff: The staff was phenomenal, and the resort is very family-friendly. ​ Final Verdict ​Despite the ant issue, the location, food, and experience made this trip unforgettable. Just bring ziplock bags, store your food in the fridge from minute one, and you will have an incredible stay. I would definitely stay here again!

We had a really good time! Now with what we paid for the place, I expected a bit more. Let's start…read morewith the good! Love: Walkability of the place Private beach access, beach side drink service Poolside service (family pools and adult only pool) Good, strong drinks Horizons Gastropub Rooftop bar Didn't get to do it but beach side yoga is offered Complimentary sweet tea in the lobby The lovely servers, cleaners, and bellhops Did not love: Limited activities for adults Expensive food! Limited breakfast options unless you want room service Dirty light switches and walls in the room Dirty pool and beach towels Only select hours for restaurants on the property (rooftop bar only open 5-10) Weak WiFi Sprinkles was kind of a joke, ice cream was mid and overpriced Front desk ladies were not very friendly You can't have it all! And we had a good time. But for what we paid, I expect the place to be immaculate.

Wow! We haven't even finished our stay here yet and we are blown away. As avid Destin lovers I…read morehaven't stayed in a Condo here in awhile. This surpassed all of our expectations. Makayla, the staff member from Vacation haven goes above and beyond every time to try and meet her clients needs. She is amazing- this resort should feel lucky to have her. It is because of her that we will be back!

We enjoyed our time at the resort. I appreciated that they provided transportation back and forth…read moreto the beach. The room was clean and the owner was friendly. We had plenty of towels and chair/umbrella for beach. Water in room. Nice view of the bay and saw dolphins. Will visit again. The 4 is because there was a smell in the hallway. It might be the rugs.

Beautiful condos with marvelous views. Spacious units with full kitchens and laundry rooms. The…read morepenthouse 1702 unit has a private sauna.

The El Governor was basically wiped out in 2017 when Hurricane Michael made a direct hit on Mexico…read moreBeach. I did not stay there before the hurricane, so I can't speak to how the resort use to be; but I can tell you that it's a great place today. They recently in the past 6 months reopened to the public after an extensive reconstruction and remodal. They did a fantastic job keeping the "Old Florida" charm as well as upgrading to more modern amenities. I could not be more pleased by the friendliness and knowledge of the staff running the El Governor. They were super awesome the entire stay and went out of their way to anwser any questions we had or make recommendations for us. They even noticed that the rate we paid online was higher than the special they were running and adjusted our bill accordingly. It's always nice to get money back. The updated rooms were very clean and inviting. I love the fact that you can walk in the front door of the room and walk out the back to your own private balcony. Did I mention all rooms have a balcony facing the beach and gulf? That's awesome! Also every room sports a kitchenette with a range/oven, sink, microwave, full size refrigerator, Kurig, and is stocked with everything you need to cook (dishes, pots & pans, and utinsels). The room we were in had 2 full size beds that were very comfortable. The television in the room has a lot of channels and you are able to use mobile mode to stream your favorite movies and shows. The hotel amenities include a nice new heated pool, small splash pad, gazebo with swings and chairs, a new bar area (to be open soon), and it's right on the beach with access. There is even a gift shop with souvenirs, snacks, wine, beer, and even a small selection of liquor. Across from the hotel is an RV park for guests who enjoy bringing their RVs down for a visit. I will warn you about the parking; it can be a little tricky as it's tight. This past weekend the hotel was packed out and it was difficult getting a space in front of the hotel. There is overflow parking across the street in front of the RV lot if the parking lot does get filled up; or you have a larger vehicle. We enjoyed our visit so much that I'm planning another visit in the next couple of months; once it's warmer outside.

They just reopened this place and it's really nice. It is steps from the beach. The rooms have a…read morekitchen with balconies facing the gulf. The people were very nice and accommodating. We will be back! There are not many stores. A few food trucks and maybe a few restaurants. Very small and peaceful.

This was a our 1st visit to the area and will not be our last. I used a rental company and this…read morewas the resort we chose and so glad we did. The location was great, the room was amazing, the amentities were the best part. This is a great place for families as the many pools and water areas are so much fun. They have poolside activities like poolside movies. There is a small tiki bar with a small menu on site as well. They also offer umbrella/chair rentals on the beach in front of the resort. I can imagine without the construction project you have a better chance of walking to the nearby restaurants/attractions, but we opted to drive. The parking is gated as well as the pool areas.

BEWARE AVARI VACATION RENTALS: Condo uninhabitable,…read moresignificant water damage and mold, refund or relocation refused We booked unit A412 at the Waterscapes in Fort Walton Beach through Avari. Upon entering the condo I noticed a musty smell and the condo looked severely neglected- chipped paint throughout the corners and baseboards that looked like it needed to be touched up for multiple seasons, with significant water damage and mold/growth growing around the baseboards and drywall in the bathrooms. Upon brushing my teeth I noticed that the bathroom faucet was completely caked with black and green mold and we ended up using bottled water to brush our teeth. One of the showers wasn't dispersing water properly and it was actually painful to shower because of how much pressure was coming out of the shower head (water was only coming out of half of it, so it was shooting out to the point I couldn't shower my child because it was like pins and needles). Usually high water pressure is great but this was extreme and from obvious neglect. When we got into bed we noticed our sheets were stained throughout the middle of the bed. The condo was truly disgusting and I have ZERO idea how anyone thought it was OK to have guests in it at all. We had to stay there one night because our flight got in super late (we arrived at the condo around 12:30 am) and I had my 3 year old with us so we ended up switching beds to one that looked cleaner and crashing for just the night hours (until around 8:30) before hauling out of there. I was in contact with customer service from about 1-2 am, but was told I would have to wait until the on site property management before I could be relocated or refunded. When I finally got a hold of the on site property manager (after calling multiple times from 8:30 am- 10:30 am) she told me I could not be relocated or refunded. It was after 11 am before I could see her in person though there were several urgent orders put in for her to contact me. We walked through the condo together and I pointed out all the issues above and told her the condo was uninhabitable and to ask again, and I was told the same again (no refund or relocation to a different condo). Apparently if the individual owner doesn't want to refund you your money- it doesn't matter if the place has obvious mold issues and unlivable! As a side note I woke up with a sore throat and itchy/runny sinuses that resolved after leaving, so I will be reporting this condo to the local health department. I truly believe this place is a major health hazard and caution everyone to stay away from Avari- they obviously do not care about the health and safety of their customers.

Perfect spot for a family or couples relaxing vacation! Grounds & facility well maintained. Love…read morethe beach service (2 chairs plus umbrella) included with your stay during most of the year (we were there end of March). The beach is just breathtaking...I grew up going to FL many spring breaks & this is one of the best! The sands was so fine...like sifted cooking flour! We can't wait to return and/or share this great find!

Such a great place , easy check in , very nice workers , great location right on the beach, very…read morequiet and relaxing, pools and grounds were clean! We'll definitely be back!

floor was messy and the elevator didn't work, they also took in chairs too early. our feet were…read moreblack when we walked

Stayed here during the 4th of July weekend. The condo we stayed I was a two bed, two bath. The…read moreliving room/dining room area was spacious and had plenty of furnishings. The master bedroom was roomy and had access to the balcony. The second room was smaller with two full sized beds. The couch in the living room was also a pullout big enough for two adults. The kitchen was nice and had plenty of utensils, dishes and pots/pans. All the appliances were nice stainless steel appliances and the counters were granite. The location was perfect as it was directly on the beach. It was also located close to fast food and Winn Dixie (maybe a 3 minute drive). Lots of families stay here but noise was never a factor. The beach directly in front of the building never felt crowded even though the areas on both sides of our building were packed with beach goers. Check in was a little complicated as we drove up only to find a gate that we weren't given the access code to. We had to call the office a few times before we were able to reach anyone to give us the code.