The house was in a perfect location- plenty of space- kitchen was especially accommodating. The dock off the back, the frequent singing birds and heron visitors were magical. Location to the beach was a brief walk. Pier 33 market very convenient (awesome cold brew enjoyed by the coffee snobs in our group). House was clean and the toiletry items were fine. Plenty of seating. Plenty of towels (we still brought our own for fear of not having enough!) We did have a bit of difficulty getting into the property at 4 pm and the phone number (Vacasa) for emergencies and general calls was NEVER answered. We finally got in around 4:20 pm.
While the kitchen was well stocked with utensils and serving pieces, (thankfully) we brought our own paper goods, plastic wrap, foil, baggies - but had to buy coffee filters. There were paper towels (we also brought some).
We were told (via communication with the Vacasa management) that there was a community pool 3 miles away from the property. We discovered that this was NOT the case. The local Vacasa folks told us that the stated amenities did not include a pool. It was disappointing to discover this once we were there.
The A/C was set on COLD 24/7. We attempted to adjust it just a bit and were unsuccessful. It was COLD, like sweatshirt weather inside.
We couldn't find the pullout sofa linens and had to wing it the first night. Mgmt brought them the next day. The pull out sofa in the great room is busted and was not useable. The 10 year old slept in the sun room - perfect set up for him!
Overall, Beach Haven was perfect for 3 families: 6 adults, 1 - 10 year old, one infant and 2 toddlers. Plenty of space to eat, spread out, quiet space if desired. We also liked that the house wasn't overly decorated - we've stayed at homes where the decorations were beautiful but not kid friendly! An added bonus - the wifi and tv's in every room was nice - and the streaming options. Some directions would have been helpful for us techno-deficient older adults.
None of us have been to Gulf Shores and we wished we had more time to explore the parks and culture. We had two beautiful sunny days and then violent rain the last two days.
Sorry for the length of this but we would recommend this place to other visitors. Thanks for a memorable 40th wedding anniversary!