Horton Cottage: 3 BR, 2 BA House in St. George Island, Sleeps 8

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Horton Cottage was the perfect pick to celebrate Thanksgiving with big open living, dining room and spacious kitchen. The views of the gulf were stunning. The beach really is a very short walk on the Cottage private path. We saw dolphins, kayaks, and many seabirds. The cottage is an older construction with expected quirky little issues. When we were preparing Thanksgiving dinner, the microwave went on strike. I made a panicked call to Cassie and within a half hour she saved our meal with a brand new counter top microwave. We all loved the cottage and we’ll be back.

Wonderful location right on the beach, beautiful area. Listing was definitely accurate -- this property is a bit dated and has been... well-loved. On the pros for that: That's a plus with small kids since they can sometimes be hard on things; on the cons, there are some areas the place could use a little TLC (the tiles under the outdoor shower are not balanced and very loose and can hurt toes or cause falls; steps to the house are quite rickety and we were concerned about safety; some of the chests of drawers were VERY tippy, especially the one in the bunk beds room with the kids, which was scary; and there's cords and exposed plugs EVERYWHERE from the TVs and Internet, which only partially worked anyway; the microwave doesn't have a working turntable and therefore heats unevenly, and the eyes on the stove were also tippy which is a little concerning when trying to use pan). They were EXTREMELY bare on kitchen utensils and items, more than any other vacation property I've been in, and while we were prepared to bring or buy paper goods and dish soap, the complete lack of hand soap was disconcerting. Also be warned, there are no closets (if that matters to you on vacation). However, it was clean, the beds were very very comfortable, the curtains were light-blocking, the ceiling fans were quiet, the hot water was great, the living area was quite large, the a/c worked well, ice maker produced huge amounts of ice, and again it was right on the beach. Location could not be beat. :)

Rating Details: The property manager was very unhelpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The vacation house was great! It did have a small few things that could have been fixed but nothing that would hurt the trip. The issue I have with them is their cleaning company stole our chairs, cabana, and table. The worker Janice I spoke with on the day we left told me they stated they picked them up and would bring them right back. They never brought them back. Fast forward to today, I yet again called them. They have changed the story twice now and the cleaning company doesn’t have them? Don’t waste your money with this rental company. They will not help you, they will protect their own even if it costs you having to pay for all the items that their cleaners had no business picking up in the first place. Lesson learned! Will not use this rental company again.

Rating Details: The vacation rental was clean. I was very happy with the location. I was somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The location is incredible with a beautiful view and super short trail to the beach. The house however, needs lots of work and updating. The bathrooms are partially updated but the toilets and toilet seats are super old and stained. The bedroom dressers and chest of drawers are very old, severely scratched and dinted. There are so many cords hanging everywhere in the house. It seemed like a hazard to me. The living room furniture was comfortable and adequate. There are pictures on the wall coming out of their frames in every room. The beds were comfortable. The kitchen had been updated but was less than adequate. However, we don't cook much so it wasn't a problem. The steps going up to the house seems unstable. The house overall could use a deep cleaning. We found dirty socks, candy wrappers and water bottles under the bunk beds. The location was fabulous and we still enjoyed our week because we stayed on the beach. I would not recommend this house though. It could be very nice with some work. Last, we got to the island 15 minutes before the rental company closes and the house wasn't ready. We had to wait an additional 20 minutes to enter (after 5 p.m.)