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8/10 Good
Sheri N.
1 May 2024
The Charmed House!
Our family stayed at Charmed for spring break this year, and noticed that the area has changed greatly since we last visited. The house itself was in fact charming; it is apparent that a lot of care went into the design & decor, and it was a good amount of space for our four person family + dog. The house-related issues were small -- bed pillows that have gone flat, no trash cans in the bathrooms, and the foldout sofa was damaged on arrival. We didn't use the foldout but it was not comfortable to sit on as the bed part had fallen through to the floor so the cushions sunk down. My daughter noted that even though the throw pillows were a good color and texture, the fact that they can't be easily washed meant that previous visitors' pet fur stuck around longer. The pool is a great feature, however, be prepared to clean it daily as there are tons of little leaves that fall from the tree nearby
For us, the big issue was the beach. The whole area has apparently gone through changing policies that mean beachfront properties can claim private beach space for most of the surrounding area. Anyone who isn't staying in a house right on the gulf is relegated by watchful staff to a small swath of public area far from the beach access close to Charmed (meaning you have to drag/carry your gear much further than expected). When you finally get there you are not allowed to put up a shade/tent unless you are at the back half of the beach. I know that this isn't something that Charmed can control and isn't a reflection on their ability as homeowners, but our experiences at the beach did color our feelings at the end of this vacation. We felt very unwelcome and were very disappointed to be kicked out of three different areas of the beach. Also frustrating is that the big stretch of private beach areas were practically vacant. If this issue continues, it would be helpful to include information about where to go (and not go) in the description of the rental before booking.
All in all, this is a nice house in a beautiful area with lots of family-friendly activities around. Our decision to return wouldn't depend on the house itself, but the beach policies.
