Emerald Isle Escape: Walk to Ocean

Sea Shack

Overall, stay was pretty good - location was nice - about 5 rows back walk to the beach. The house was clean and the towels / linens were good. The appliances, etc worked well and the kitchen had everything needed. The house has a good amount of space when the downstairs is included. 2 main issues: It is not clear on the listing but the downstairs is completely separate from upstairs which actually worked out well for our group but would be a big issue with small children. The listing needs to be updated to clarify this. The central AC is broken or not adequate for upstairs so the rental company has installed 2 temporary AC units upstairs and potentially a window unit as well. The one in the back bedroom doesn’t have a plug in the bottom so the water just leaks from it - called the maintenance person at the realty and his solution was put a towel under it which I had to change out each day - luckily we had extra towels - this worked okay. The other unit was placed on the kitchen counter so took away counter space. I’m guessing this whole setup was a temporary fix waiting a more permanent solution. The AC overall was an okay solution - not ideal and clearly the rental units were in not the best condition. Also, there are no beach or deck chairs (don’t think there are any listed on the listing either so not a problem but just a note).

Good stay, could have been better

The house was decorated nicely and we had plenty of room to spread out. We appreciated that it was a pet friendly rental and that the linens were provided. Pros: Good location. A few blocks from beach access by foot and a short drive to restaurants and shops. Roomy. The downstairs area was perfect for when members of the party had had enough "togetherness". Quiet area with just the faint sound of the ocean and the birdsong. Cons: Broken dishwasher. Who wants to wash dishes by hand on vacation? No dish liquid. Non-functional ice maker. There was a bag of ice in the freezer, though. Loose bathroom tiles. We put a bath mat over the area so no one would trip. Smoke detector was disconnected and on the bedroom dresser. Bedroom had no curtains, only blinds. Made sleeping past dawn very difficult. TV remote had no batteries. Many of the broken items were known by the rental company at the time of the rental, as they included a note enumerating them in the info packet at pick-up. However, we didn't receive any rebate on the rental cost. For the price we paid I expected everything to function. Overall, it was an okay house. But, for the cost it should have been better maintained.

Good place for a relaxed vacation

Overall we had an amazing experience. Our concerns were taken care of in a timely manner.

Wonderful house a block from the beach

My husband, 3 children (ages 9, 6 and 3), dog and I had a wonderful stay. Easy walk to the beach. The house was well equipped with lots of thoughtful details. The only negative was that the sheets and mattress pad on the master bed did not quite fit. We will stay again when we return to Emerald Isle.