Overall experience was great! Room was clean but curtain in master bed was down(broken). When we called for extra towels they came timely, when we called for blankets, they never came and we had to call again, then they were very prompt. Really enjoyed the complimentary bikes and 'mini golf'. Loved that our room overlooked the beach with the ocean only a few feet away. Having hotel's service providing umbrella/chairs was very much appreciated, but a bit expensive. The time of year we went seemed better than prior week, busy-wise. Enjoyed Baytowne Wharf's shops and restaurants, but $$ at restaurants really adds up! Staff was courteous.

We stayed at Beachside II at Sandestin Beach & Golf Resort in July of 2007. We are a family of four (2 adults & 2 children). We thought the place was fabulous. We rented privately through Gibson Beach Rentals. They are a private agency with many rentals in Sandestin. Visit their website at gibsonbeachrentals.com. It would have cost us about $600 more if we had booked directly through Sandestin Resort.

Now, this was our first trip to Sandestin and trying to figure out the resort and it's setup was confusing at first. For those of you who aren't familiar with Sandestin, here's the scoop. The resort of "Sandestin" is actually an area of over 2,400 acres. It's basically a huge residential feeling area with different sections. Some are condo's, some are villas, some are houses, and then there's the main Sandestin Resort. The main road into Destin divides the area so if you're staying in Beachside II you would drive out of the residential area, cross the main drag, and cross over into another residential area. It's way too far to walk. Be very careful about finding out if your place is on the beach, on the golf course, on the bay, or just a place to stay. There are only a few locations in Sandestin actually on the beach. You have beach access from all of them, however, from many of the places it's at least half a mile if not more to the beach. Beachside I, Beachside II, and Westwinds are directly on the beach. No matter where you stay within Sandestin, you'll have access to pools, the beach, bike trails, the golf course, shopping, etc.

Ok, now for the specifics of Beachside II. The majority of the condos are individually owned so it's hard to say what the interior will look like. Our unit was very nicely appointed and had just been renovated. Check the pictures or ask about your unit. Some are a little outdated. It's so nice to stay in one of the units with a family because there's a kitchen and a washer & dryer. It's like being at home! We were very comfortable there.

The grounds were very clean, the beach was absolutely beautiful (the whitest and softest sand ever with a calm blue ocean), the elevators were quick, the pool was heated and clean, and everyone, including other guests, were super friendly.

We went over to Baytown Wharf for an evening and it was great. Neat shopping, activities for the kids on Tuesday nights, and good restaurants there.

The resort is convenient to many many restaurants, the outlet mall, and grocery stores. There's a Publix less than a mile.

We love it and would go back in a heartbeat. It's a very relaxing atmosphere. Nothing loud and not much partying going on. Just a good place to relax, enjoy the beach, and let the kids play. Watch the sky.....we saw five shooting stars while we were there!

Enjoy!

My family and I are very disappointed with the beachside 2 condo we rented. The fire alarm was sitting on a table with no batteries in it, the shower drain didn't work properly, the bed wasn't comfortable, the screen door didn't work. and the hotel dumpsters were located right in front of our front door. After two days of trying to reach the manager, my husband had to drive over to the office and insist on seeing him. The beach was great, but very crowded.

We just got back from a week stay at Beachside I in Sandestin - we stayed in a ground floor 2BR unit - 4017 and rented it through Gibson Beach Rentals. It was great to be on the ground floor because I didn't have to worry about my 3 year old jumping off the balcony! It was very roomy and cute - also very nicely furnished with a remodled kitchen and tile floors. It has plenty of bath towels and bed linens. The condo came furnished with its own bikes and beach chairs, so we did not have to pay extra for bike or beach umbrella rental. They even had boogie boards and beach pails and shovels for the little ones. The unit has a nice patio with patio furniture, AND a full size picnic table just steps from the patio. The condo unit is a very short walk to beach and pool. The Beachside II pool is nicer, but the Beachside I pool is heated and never real busy. You can take the tram to the Village at Baytowne where there is a big playground for kids, plus restaurants and shops. In addition to the tram, the Sandestin web site advertises a ferry that can be used to transport you to the Village. But the ferry was always closed, despite perfect weather. Go to the Gibson Beach Rentals web site where you can view pictures of the units. It was self checkin - very very easy to deal with. Finz pool is also close - just next to Beachside II. While the Beachside Towers Pool was heated, the Finz pool was not - so the kids liked the pool closest to our condo.