95 Dune Lane

This is the 4th time our family has stayed in this OCEANFRONT home. There is a new owner this year and I hope it is maintained to the same high standards. Our grandkids loved the pool and creating sand structures on the beach. Bike rides and walks are fun. Shopping and ice cream at Coligny Plaza is always required. We appreciated the 4 included adult beach bikes. Had to rent a few more kids bikes from LowSea Bikes. I am going to bring binoculars next time to watch the dolphins and sea birds off the deck. Had a hawk frequently visit us too! Great views of the ocean from the rocking chairs on the second floor balcony. At night it was interesting to see all the lights on the freighters waiting to go into Savannah. Stargazing is great at night too. The kitchen is well equipped with any utensil you need (more than I have at home!). With 10 of us staying this week there were more than enough plates, glasses, and silverware. But… with 10 of us we had to run the dishwasher every day and the 4 dish pods we were provided didn't last all week. Bring some from home or add them to your grocery list. I would also bring some laundry pods from home too as there were not enough of these either. There were plenty of bath and beach towels. Beds were comfortable. Loved the rocking/swivel chairs in the main living area. Décor was great – very beachy. Lots of puzzles off the second floor living area. And check the drawers and cabinet on the main floor for lots of games. Lots of sand toys under the stairs to the yard. THINGS TO KNOW: • Watch out for the painful burs/thistles in the sand walkway to the beach. Most of us got one in the foot. • As I mentioned above, more dish and laundry pods should be supplied. I understand that if more of these pods are provided that they may disappear between renters. Perhaps laundry soap could be provided in a large Costco size jug that won't walk off. • Because we have stayed at this home before I know that there used to be a binder with instructions on the TVs, garbage, and checkout. • Where did the guest book go? I like to read those. • We grilled a couple times and our grillmaster said the grill never got very hot. • There used to be foil, plastic wrap, and salt and pepper in the kitchen. Not this year. There are quite a few spices in a rack on the kitchen counter, but who knows how old they are. • The kitchen cabinets are showing signs of age. Peeling paint on them.

Deb Dvorak from Buffalo Grove Saturday, November 6, 2021

We had a blast and a wonderful time with family and friends! This house is in a perfect location (easy bike ride to Coligny Plaza, etc. The North Forest Beach area is stunning. Palm trees, greenery/foilage, private streets. We traveled with 14 people, ages 7 to 50. There was plenty of comfortable beds/sleeping areas, the decor is beachy, lots of amenities. Beach chairs, bikes, wifi, big fridge, pool, second floor wet/dry bar with microwave, coffee maker, linens and towels and toiletries provided, firepit, grill, outdoor shower, plenty of outdoor seating, beautiful beach. However, the house is showing wear and tear and is in need of some renovation/updating. -- The kitchen: It is very small. There is not a lot of cabinet space, especially pantry space. The cabinets are old, some were broken, paint is chipping off almost all of them, they have been repainted several times, the granite is cracked in several places, the caulking around the sink and behind the sink is dirty and stained. The appliances are great (except for the electric stove). There is a toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, a nice blender and the fridge is pretty big. There is no ice maker or beverage fridge. There is an ice maker in the freezer but it did not work. You will need to buy ice every day or keep a cooler with ice in it. Adding an under counter ice maker would be awesome. There was plenty of plates, bowls, glasses, pots and pans, etc. The drawers are older and dirty, inside and out. The kitchen comes with a couple dishwasher tabs and laundry pods and a tiny bottle of dish soap (thank you) but you will definitely need to buy more. There are two dish towels provided and we washed them several times while there. Bottom line, for a house that big and expensive, the kitchen was average at best and needs some serious reno/updates. -- Sitting area: The open concept is great. Incredible views of the water. Breathtaking actually (I think that is what you are mainly paying for). The couches are stained and the coffee table is also stained and has major wear. The flooring is very nice but the area rugs are dirty/older. The baseboards are dirty, grimey and the blinds all over the house most definitely had not been cleaned/dusted all summer. However, it is a great space for entertaining, hanging out, eating, etc. -- Bedrooms: The King Suites are great. Spacious, great decor and the mattresses were comfortable! Only two actual sleeping pillows on the King beds so bring your own! The bathrooms are older and need updating as well. The Queen and bunk rooms are VERY tiny. The room with the bunk beds and twin bed is VERY, VERY TINY. There is hardly any room to move around. -- Laundry: one washer and one dryer, nice space. Bring your own laundry detergent. The house supplies towels (beach towels too) and linens - MAJOR bonus. It was great having those at the house and not having to rent them or pack them. -- Outdoor/pool area: Huge space with a firepit and chairs (AWESOME), table and chairs to eat, grill (we brought a Blackstone), hot tub, green space, chaise lounges. The outdoor space in the back is FABULOUS. Easy access to beach, sand is HOT! Be careful! -- Communication from owners/rental agency: If you booked via VRBO, the communication via messages is not great. I messaged the owner several times while down there and never got a response. But when I called The Vacation Company directly (on and off hours), they called me RIGHT back. Final comments: -- This house is beach front and you are paying a lot of money for that amenity. It was so convenient and has amazing views but the inside of the house, for that amount of money, needs some work. I hope this honest review helps future renters!

Libby M from PA Saturday, July 23, 2022