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DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome

Photo gallery for DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome

903 is DIRECTLY on the beach
Back deck leads directly on to the white sand beach
Perfect area for kids to play in sand
Perfect area for kids to play in sand
Amazing sunsets

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 8148.6 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Air conditioning
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Gulf Shores, AL
  • Gulf Shores Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Hangout Music Fest
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Waterville USA
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Gulf Shores, AL (GUF-Jack Edwards)
    ‪6 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 King Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Queen Beds

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom 3

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining area

About this property

DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome

Come enjoy our beautiful large three story town-home (not a high rise!) on 200' of private white sand beach in a family friendly complex! Direct ocean front condo with views from living area and 2 of the 3 bedrooms. Large balconies off living area (10 x 18) and master bedroom (4 x 10) overlook the Gulf of Mexico water. Private covered parking under condo, one flight up to front door. NO ELEVATORS. A large pool with BBQ grills is located in a park like setting in the center of the complex.

Winter rates available.

Check out our sister unit directly next door, Ocean Reef 902!

Updated Ocean Reef complex, new siding, trim and roof. New "beachy" exterior paint scheme. New mattresses and mattress pads. Private cleaner that spends extra time sanitizing between guests. Complex has updated High Speed Internet, Cable TV and Phone. Updated pool and pool furniture.

*WE PROVIDE 2 FREE PARKING PASSES!*

There are 2 king beds, one in each 2nd floor bedroom and 2 queen beds in the 3rd floor bedroom. New side sleeper pillows in all bedrooms.

Located 4 blocks west of US 59 and West Beach Blvd (HWY 182). We are within walking distance of The Hangout, Bahama Bob's, and many other restaurants, Pier 33, shopping and the public beach. 20 minutes from the new Tropical Falls Indoor Water Park/Amusement Park in Foley! This three-story condo contains 1600 SF of living space, no one above or below you! Walk out your door immediately to your deck, down the stairs and right onto the sugar white sand beach!

The first floor has a full kitchen, dining and living areas, and a half bath. The second floor includes a master bedroom (King bed) with a private bath, a second bedroom (King bed), a full bath, and a full-size washer/dryer. The third floor has 2 Queen beds. There is also a queen pull out couch in the living room. Flat screen TV's in all bedrooms, with a 50" flat screen smart TV in the living room. The condo is set up to accommodate 8. This unit is family operated.

NEED BABY EQUIPMENT? RENT HERE: https://www.babyquip.com?a=0500ce8

BY LAW MINIMUM AGE TO RENT IS 25!
ABSOLUTELY NO ANIMALS DUE TO SEVERE OWNER ALLERGIES!
NO SMOKING!
NO ELEVATORS! There is one flight of stairs to get up to the unit, and 2 additional flights of stairs inside the unit. There is also a flight of stairs on the back deck leading to the white sand beach.

Property manager

Kathy Bartshe
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
There are 2 flights of stairs
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
Absolutely no pets! Eviction/loss of deposit
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Absolutely NO smoking! Loss of deposit

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Gulf Shores

Located in Gulf Shores, this holiday home is on the beach. While the natural beauty of Gulf Shores Beach and Gulf State Park can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can explore The Wharf. The Park at OWA and Shrimpy's Mini Golf are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
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Map
Gulf Shores, AL

What's nearby

  • Gulf Shores Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Hangout Music Fest - 11 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Gulf State Park - 19 min walk - 1.6 km
  • Waterville USA - 2 min drive - 1.8 km
  • Gulf Shores Golf Club - 5 min drive - 4.7 km

Getting around

  • Pensacola, FL (PNS-Pensacola Intl.) - 57 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Hangout - ‬12 min walk
  • ‪Sunliner Diner - ‬12 min walk
  • ‪Pink Pony Pub - ‬12 min walk
  • ‪De Soto's Seafood Kitchen - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Burro Azul - ‬4 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Does DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome have a pool?

Yes, this property has a pool.

How much does it cost to stay at DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome?

As of 1 May 2025, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome on 28 May 2025 start from NZ$1,316.78, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Is DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH! Ocean Reef 903 Gulf Coast Family Friendly 3br Townhome located?

Nestled on the beach, this Gulf Shores holiday home is within 1 mi (2 km) of Wade Ward Nature Park, Gulf Shores Beach and Gulf State Park. Shrimpy's Mini Golf and Waterville USA are also within 1 mile (2 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 56 out of 70 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 70 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 70 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 70 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 70 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kevin P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Spring break 2025

Wonderful property and great owner!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sandra S.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic family spot

The complex and location was perfect for our family vacation. The complex pool was great for the kiddos for evening swimming. The condo gave us enough space to spread out. We hope to return next year.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Steven W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Location, Location, Location

I can’t imagine having a better location to stay for a beach vacation. The housing was as described and communication with host was great.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Delle F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun Times

We had a great time! Had everything we needed.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

betty t.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

short vacation before the Kane Brown concert at The Wharf

Location was great, directly on the sand. The pool was never crowded. Great view!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Girls trip

Great location, plenty of room and beautiful ocean view! We couldn’t get the “kuerig” to work but everything else was great.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kristen J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

Great location and even better views! It was the perfect size for a family of 7 and being able to walk out the back porch to the beach was amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

John O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great time

Property clean with everything you need for your stay. Became our home for a few days. Great access to beach and also restaurant. Def be back.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Megan M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beachfront escape

Perfect location for a beachfront escape
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jason C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Beach Destination

Townhouse was tidy, clean, easily accessible, and super easy self check-in process. The host was very accommodating and the rental unit was exactly as described in the listing. Our family had an awesome time and created some unforgettable memories. I can see why the owner is a premier host! I will definitely keep this one on the list for future vacations.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

John S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay.

Great property. No issues. On the beach and close to everything. We loved it.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lisa P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fun Home for Girls’ Trip

Our group of 8 women came here for our annual Girls’ trip. We had a wonderful time and the location was great! We loved being right on the beach and loved that home was large enough for all of us to sleep comfortably. We had an amazing time!
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Megan K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Place was perfect for two families! Could not have asked for a better location.

Unit was just as described. The location was fantastic! The owner was super helpful with questions. The amount of room we had for 8 people was a plus! Would definitely return again!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Stephanie R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Low key beach vacation

My husband and our friend stayed for a week, loved the setup and location of this unit! Reservation and check in process was seamless. We loved the beachfront porch, was also really nice to have parking right underneath. One thing I do want to note, not sure if you are aware, we did discover that there are bugs in the kitchen area, some sort of beetle or roach I think.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany A., Prattville, Ala.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect, perfect, perfect - no high rise!

We stayed here for a girls trip - 7 of us in total. We had plenty of room! The property is bigger than it looks in the photos. It was great to just walk down a set of stairs and be on the beach! No elevators or crowds. Perfect walking distance to stores. Comfy beds, great deck space with chairs and table as well. For several in our group this was their first time to the Gulf Coast and they loved it! The pool was nice as well. Just a lovely complex overall. Would 10 out of 10 stay here again!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Andrea S.

Right on beach, clean, next to everything u need

My kids and I stayed in this beautiful home directly beachfront. We could easily walk from the deck to the beach and go back and forth with snacks, drinks, and beach toys no problem. The place was clean and easily fit all 8 of us. Amazing view of ocean out back sliding door and upper deck. Beach is only for ocean reef guests so isn't ever crowded and you can rent chairs or bring out your own the house provides for you. Kathy was great and responded to all questions immediately. You'll have a great stay!

4/10 Poor

cindy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Communication

Gulf Shores with the family

We would have been very pleased with our stay at Gulf Shores at this house but after we had arrived back at our home in Oklahoma, the Beach house homeowner informed us that we would be forfeiting our additional security deposit because we had left it unclean. However, we cleaned it while we were there and we had already paid a significant cleaning fee so for her to keep another even more significant security deposit is ridiculous and unfair. We are an all-American family and we took care of that home like it was our own.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Hannah C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing location, amazing view

We stayed here for our family vacation and had a great trip. I cannot say enough great things about the location. It was exactly what we wanted, close to everything and easy access to the beach. We liked the layout of the condo, was perfect for our family for the children to have a separate area upstairs. The condo was clean, but there were some deep clean areas that have been missed like fans, tops of picture frames, etc. Nothing that was very bothersome. The fixtures and appliances are dated, but that didn't bother us either. The oven temperature did seem inconsistent and that was a small nuisance as we did a lot of home cooking. The host was great and gave all the information needed ahead of time. We didn't have any issues during our stay that needed to be addressed so I cannot speak to that. The view was wonderful. Spent so much time on the balcony and deck listening to the waves and staring at the ocean. The children loved all the toys available on the deck. They also loved having access to a pool when the waves were a bit too strong for them to play in. Would love to come again in the future! Tl;dr Great stay. Perfect location. Very few minor complaints that wouldn't keep us from selecting this property again in the future.
Stayed 10 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Trudy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best stocked condo ever!

I have stayed at Ocean Reef several times before but never in this unit. We love the fact that it is a low rise complex making the beach area much nicer that the high rises. This unit was extremely well stocked. Tons of pots pans glass/dishware - really just about anything you could think of. Nice bath towels and linens - above average. Ocean Reef is an older complex and there were a couple of small issues. The single slot Keurig was missing a part so I had to make pots vs. cups and I was the only coffee drinker (not a big deal). The dishwasher looked great and was new enough looking but it doesn't clean as well as my one at home - I adjusted by rinsing them more substantially before starting it. The A/C worked great - we've had units in the past that really struggled to cool but this one was awesome. Biggest disappointment was the weather which is hardly under the control of the owner! We had nearly a whole week of double red flags which meant no going into the water and even sitting on the sand was like being sandblasted. This morning was perfect but, unfortunately it was check out day! Ah well. Ocean Reef is in a great location, walkable to the Hangout and Bahama Bobs and with a nearby Wine Bar.
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

sally y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect location!

We loved our stay here. Having beach toys and chairs available so we didn't have to get our sandy was a bonus. The walk to the ocean is the easiest we have ever had. If you forget something it's no problem to run back and grab it. The pool was great and not busy. It was clean and plenty of room for 8 people. Easy to walk places to eat and shop. Host was great at communicating quick to answer and helpful. We will definitely be staying here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Colleen G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

First Vacation on The Gulf

We chose this townhouse for several reasons; parking right under the unit, location right on the beach, and proximity to walkable restaurants and shops. It was wonderful to look right at The Gulf from the deck and balcony, and be able to walk onto the beach. The townhouse was well equipped and a joy to return to after a day of fun!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Earl S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely wonderful!!

The townhouse was exactly as described. Beautiful view of the ocean. Close to everything! We had a fantastic vacation. Thank you do much!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Laurae M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Beach Vacay

We had a lovely time staying here. The location could not have been better. It was very clean and the kitchen was fully stocked. 10/10 recommended!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Julie H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great oceanfront condo

We enjoyed our stay. Loved that it was steps from the ocean. Kitchen had everything we needed. Great view just sitting in the living area. Pool area was perfect and had plenty of space to sit and hang out.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Vicki M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Everything was perfect! Super close to the beach and dining…

I would recommend this place. It’s steps away from the beach and places to eat. The only thing I would personally like is a upgrade. It’s a bit outdated but doable. It was clean!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

About the host

Hosted by Kathy Bartshe

Host profile image
We have been visiting the Gulf Coast since 1985 and purchased a condo at Ocean Reef in 1998. We continue to vacation here. We love the small scale of Ocean Reef (45) units and the 200 foot white sand beach, the views and the weather.

Why they chose this property

We don't like high rises, elevators and not being right at the beach at the bottom of our steps!

What makes this property unique

We can walk to restaurants, festivals, Hang Out, Public Beach, stores, etc. This property is a 3 story townhouse, no one is above or below you!

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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