Avari in Destin, Florida

“If you choose this place hoping for quiet beach time, this is NOT the place for you. By 6 AM, the small Sterling Shores beach section is lined with chairs costing about $50/day, leaving no shoreline for you unless you pay or keep moving. Beach service doesn’t even begin until 9 AM. My family visited public beaches in the day deciding to only use this beach at night. Unfortunately, there are no signs stating the beach access gate locks at night. The only posted signs mention the pools closing at 10 PM. Around 10:15 PM, we tried leaving the beach and found the gate secured with a rope lock. We spent about 40 minutes trying to find a way out. Security never answered despite repeated calls, and the vm was full. I was close to calling 911 before we finally found another exit which is not marked. This was VERY stressful. The unit itself was fine, minor issues were handled promptly. However, Avari said they would look into the beach concerns but never followed up beyond sending checkout info.”

“Location was excellent. Dishwasher was leaking, no one came to repair it. Unit lacking in simple supplies; salt, pepper, pot holders, etc. The instruction book inside the unit was out of date with incorrect information. Overall, I have stayed at better locations in Destin.”

“The location of this condo was great and the beach service was very convenient! However, the place itself is very dated. The coffee maker was in a rough shape, no coffee pods were provided. All pots and pans were very damaged and old. Host didn’t provide enough dish soap/trash bags. There was no cleaning supplies to do a quick clean after cooking, no broom to sweep up sand/any other messes that could occur. Condo has a very nice spacious patio, but patio furniture is very worn out and old. There was no in-unit washer/dryer. Communication was okay, but very slow. We were waiting for a response fo 5+ hours. Unfortunately, we will not be coming back. There are many other options that are more updated and better priced.”

“The beach access was unexpectedly closed without a notice until 10:30 a.m. on Saturday - the only full day on the property. Unfortunately, there was no prior notice or communication about this, which was both disappointing and frustrating. The Airbnb itself was clean and as described.”

“Condo was very nice but not what I booked. three days prior to arrival the entire listing changed showing different photos than what I booked. Second bedroom initially showed a king size bed. 3 days prior to check in the 2nd bedroom updated to a full size bed AND bunk beds, three beds in one room for an adult couple. this trip was booked for all adults, we would not have e choose a unit with bunk beds. Door handle broke on day 3. host was 0% helpful. responded and told me to try the code now that check in had past (530pm on day three). went to the lobby and they took care of the situation. shower head in the spare bathroom hurt so bad everyone had to shower in the master bathroom. lastly, 45 minutes before check out they stand at your door talking very loudly until you leave. property was nice unit was nice but not what I booked.”