Experience bliss at Carpe Diem, a spacious 4-bedroom home in Holden Beach.

My ratings of properties cover ALL types and locations around the world. I don't rate 5 star unless there is a butler involved or an extraordinary value or experience. I also do not rate based on location, as you know the location before you reserve typically. That said, this house is your typical beach house. If on a 1-10 scale it would probably be a 6 or 7, on this 1-5 scale it'd be a 3.5 but it is better than a 3 so OK, 4 stars. Reason not 5 stars (butler notwithstanding): 1) home needs some maintenance work (rusty door knobs), lots of sticking interior and exterior doors, some paint needed, etc. Nothing here that my home also doesn't need... but I'm not renting mine out so I have a higher level of expectation here. 2) location is almost halfway between 2 beach access points, meaning you have to walk a ways to get to an access point. Not a horrible walk, but if you are going as a group and young children... it can be a chore. Note also that Holden Beach has determined the best way to greet new and returning visitors post COVID lockdowns is with parking fees. You now have to pay to park at a beach access point, regardless if you are already paying the vacation tax for the property or not. Overall though the house itself was fine. The 4 bedrooms were good, 3.5 baths were handy, kitchen stocked with essential cooking hardware. Now a couple of dings for the management company. I have traveled a lot and it's my perception that NC beach rental/real estate companies are unique in cheaping out on essential supplies for renters. a) no towels (I mean one per person that we'd have to wash ourselves isn't too much to ask... and don't give me COVID on this, other locations have no issues... its cheap management tactics at play). b) missing essential kitchen supplies, I mean like at least a couple of dishwasher packets c) the absolute cheapest toilet paper and only 1 roll per bathroom.. seriously, for a week, for 2 adults per room ?? d) a single, partly used paper towel roll in the kitchen. I mean these things would cost the management company (in quantity) maybe $25-30 per home per stay and we're talking high dollar stays here, its just unacceptable. I'd love to give the home/rental low stars for this, but that isn't fair to the actual homeowner, but perhaps if more and more renters would complain about such things the NC Realty participants would get the clue and up it up a notch.

well maintained and great views