Where do I begin.........we rented unit #2206. We rented through VRBO and the website of this unit (by owner) looked and sounded amazing. Upon arrival we found very little of what was advertised. West Indies decor was extremely cheap. The dust was very thick on nearly everything. We had to purchase 10 lightbulbs when we arrived. Remote controls had duct tape to hold batteries in - we even had replace one with our own batteries. The vacuum cleaner had the same duct tape holding it together. The owner advertised a closet full of toys and beach items........most of them were broken, dirty or didn't exist.

The unit advertised NON SMOKING. There was a large bucket on the balcony full of nasty cigarettes. The unit was suppose to have two beach chairs and an umbrella. There was one chair. We called the owner and his words were "sorry, those things disappear sometimes". This is one of the reasons we rented this unit - we needed the umbrella. He offered to let us purchase a cheap chair and umbrella and he would pay us back. It's been a month since I sent him a SASE to return our DEPOSIT nor payment for the items. He won't respond nor return calls. The icing on the cake was toward the end of our week - the power went off. We waited many hours and finally went to the office. We were told the owner NOT PAID his power bill for the month! We were told by the office this was not the first time this had happened in #2206!!!!!! We had to contact owner to pay his bill. Our yearly vacation to Destin was becoming more and more disappointing.

I must say this is the first time we were actually anxious to leave Destin and get back home!! We are still waiting for our desposit, payment for the chair & umbrella or a return phone call. Please don't be fooled.!

Maravilla is a nice resort, just pick another unit!

We rented unit 1103 at Maravilla for a week in June. This was our third year in a row staying at Maravilla. Our reservations were made through Southern Resorts. The cost was about $1700 including all taxes and administrative fees. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath unit and easily housed our group of 4 adults and 3 kids. We were able to get into the condo at 4 PM sharp. You can arrange to arrive earlier for a $50 fee.

The unit was clean and in good shape. Standard Florida condo furnishings. The dishwasher was missing a roller on the rack but it worked and you just had to be careful rolling out the tray. We had wireless internet access, which was very useful. Our condo had some tiny ‘sugar ants’ around the kitchen sink, but it wasn’t an infestation and the resort company gave us some window cleaning solution to spray them – the ammonia kills them.

The beach at Maravilla is very nice consisting of fine, white sand. Beach boys Matt and Jeremiah were helpful on the beach in getting your spot set up. They start setting up for the day in the morning and will assign spots at 9 AM. We always sent one member of our group down to the beach just before 9 AM to get a spot that was convenient. Each condo unit gets one umbrella and two beach chairs. They rent sea kayaks for $16 and hour and, I believe, $28 for three hours. The sea kayaking was fun. I’d recommend doing it in the morning when the Gulf is calmer. We had some problems with sea lice and jellyfish a couple of days. Some people were stung but it wasn’t very serious or painful.

Our group consisting of two families with kids ate at Pompano Joes, Crab Trap and Fudpuckers. They were all basically the same food and pretty good. This was our first time at Fudpuckers and I was surprised at the good quality of the food. We went at 5PM to eat there and the wait was 15 minutes. When we left the wait was 1 ½ hours. All the restaurants were filled with tourists – because that’s who stays in the area! My wife and I ate at the Beachwalk Restaurant and enjoyed their upscale fine dining.

We once again had a very nice stay at Maravilla in Destin and would stay there again.

I spent a week in April at Maravilla. We booked our condo through VBRO.com.

Our condo did not have a beach view but was a short 1-2 minute walk. The condo was not quite as nice as shown in the pictures but in the end, we all felt like we had gotten a great deal for the price we paid. Having a washer/dryer inside your unit so you can wash your sandy items is great! Also, we were able to eat breakfast and make lunch at our condo and save our money for eating fresh seafood out in the evenings. Also, I noticed many fresh seafood markets if you wanted to eat your fresh seafood in.

What I loved most about Maravilla was their beach. They have a private beach so it was not crowded and the use of an umbrella and two chairs was included in our rental price so all we had to do each morning was give them our unit number. The beach is clean. The water is beautiful. Matt, who operated the umbrella/chair service, was extremely helpful and gave us a lot of great tips.

The main pool was heated which was nice because it was a little chilly the first day there. All of the other days, we had perfect beach weather so no complaints there!

There are a couple of seafood restuarants within walking distance but in general a car is needed to get around Destin.

There are two things that I recommend to anyone going to Destin. Eat at Dewey Destin. The food is wonderful!!!! The view of the bay is beautiful. Take the sunset sail on the Nathaniel Bowditch. The three hour sail is fabulous and you see both dolphins and the sunset.

Things to avoid ..... Fudpuckers and The Crab Shack. Both are over the top touristy and the food is unimpressive.

We booked one week at Maravilla. The condo was just as expected (as in photos and descriptions). It was clean and neat. The noise level from the unit above was at times annoying but anyone who's lived in an apartment wouldn't mind. The location was perfect. We didn't go to spend time at the condo - it was mainly to sleep/shower and eat breakfast. We would definitely go back.