Weather was great and we did enjoy our short stay. The bed was very comfortable. All kitchen appliances worked fine. The A/C wasn't working, but after we reported it, a repair guy came out and got it fixed that same day. The property was clean, but not really in very good shape - holes in the screens, torn wallpaper, pieces of the ceiling coming down in several rooms, latticework on closet doors broken. I was surprised that the property was carpeted - the carpet felt "sticky". Appeared cleaning crew did a good job, but the overall condition of the property wasn't good. We were very grateful that when we reported the A/C issue, it was handled quickly.
Submitted on Apr 19, 2025
Great location. Other than the lack of air conditioning, the rental was very satisfactory. Clean and comfortable. Plenty of towels. Kitchen was accommodating.
Submitted on Mar 30, 2025
Accurate description. Older decor. Its still nice and everything works well. We were comfortable and had a great time!
Submitted on Nov 19, 2024
This home fits all our needs. We are not in Gulf Shores to hide out in the house.
Submitted on Nov 5, 2024
I have been coming to this same property for about 10 years now. I always love it! The location is great it’s always clean and the beach access is unbeatable. Usually though the condos across the street are a little more respectful, but the past 3 years they have been walking through the parking of the property and onto the beach in droves. We used to be able to leave our chairs down there for easy carry onto the beach and can no longer do that, and I always fear that someone is going to mess with my vehicle that they have to walk right next to. A gate or rope or something would be very helpful on this property, as it no longer really feels like a slice of heaven but just a pass through.
Submitted on Oct 25, 2024
Very nice affordable beach house. Great location, not in the busiest area but not far from restaurants and stores. My favorite part is sitting on the patio because you’re so close to the ocean! The house and patio are very dated (be sure to wear shoes on the patio and steps!), but we didn’t mind! It was a great price to be so close to the beach. The house has most everything you need. If you plan to cook a lot you might bring a good skillet and pan from home, we cooked breakfast every morning and I brought a pan from home. The upstairs tends to get pretty warm so we set up the portable fan downstairs pointed up so cool air downstairs would get upstairs. House was very clean and everything went smooth with booking this rental! We would definitely stay again!
Submitted on Oct 7, 2024
Our 2nd time staying in this beach house! Perfect location. Loved being right on the beach ... we fished a lot, floated, took long walks, and read a few books ... exactly as we had planned. The house has everything you need. That said, it could use some updates, but was perfect for us (5 adults). We are already planning our next visit!
Submitted on Sep 9, 2024
Everything was as described. The location was awesome! Communication was easy. The stay was as expected.
Submitted on Sep 4, 2024
Checking in was very easy. There’s a box at the Gulf Shores rental office just look inside for a folder with your name on it. The cottage location was perfect for us just far enough away from main crowds but close enough for a short drive to restaurants and stores. The cottage was clean but property could still use some TLC. The cottage is old but has a certain charm about it. It has about everything you need washer, dryer, coffee pot even a vacuum. It’s right on the beach just walk out back door. No issues with checking out just leave keys on counter and text gulf shores rental that you are checking out. The cottage is a wonder place to make memories with your family. Highly recommend.
Submitted on Jul 20, 2024
none of the outlets in the bathroom worked. In fact, it was hard to find a working outlet in the entire house. houses in great need of repair and it's probably a fire hazard. The house has three TVs and none of them would work well with the old satellite system at the house. Nails sticking out all through the deck. Not safe to walk on for adults much less small children. Ants Were in the kitchen in the morning. We had to leave our food in the refrigerator so they ants could not get them. The upstairs area never really got cool. The house probably needs two air conditioners. Would not stay again.
Submitted on Jun 24, 2024
Is this property new? No and that's why we love it. It has an original beach house vibe to it. Owner should do a little repair on electrical outlets which is very simple being an electrician by trade myself. A couple of nails sticking out of the deck boards present a trip hazard to the elderly that should be addressed. Do we need a modern condo? Nope and that's why we like it. It's much more appealing in its current 70's state for us. The real winner here is the location and the single family home privacy. The windows in the living area and master bedroom are perfect for views and the water is literally right out the back door. Regardless of the small issues, we believe it is worth every penny. You can drive 2 miles up a deserted street to eat and shop from any of the homes/condos at this location. The homes to the left and right of this one are modern. We don't like those personally. So the real test is are we returning? Yes, already booked this house for September and will return again next summer.
Submitted on Jun 5, 2024
This is one of my favorite homes. My only complaint is the bathroom door upstairs does not lock. Overall this is a perfect place to relax and enjoy God’s creation.
Submitted on May 27, 2024
Beds comfortable. Deck overlooking beach enjoyable. Bathrooms & furniture are a bit dated and need upgrading to improve overt experience. Screens need to be repaired.
Submitted on Mar 26, 2024
My husband and I stayed 4 nights in this beach house for our 25th wedding anniversary. The house was exactly what we had hoped it would be. It was just a few steps from the beach. Nothing was between the beach house and the gulf but sand and sea shells. Great views from both floors. The bed in the master bedroom was very comfortable. The decor is outdated but for us, that made it even better. If you want fancy, this is not the house for you. If you want comfort, great views, convenience and cleanliness, this is a great house.
Submitted on Mar 12, 2024
Gulf Shores Rentals had everything taken care of start to finish. Easy check on time check in, lovely house- perfect size for 2 people. Nice clean beach. Everything you could ask for in a beach house. We will be back!!!
Submitted on Feb 10, 2024
Good experience for the most part. Great location. Old cottage felt homey in a good way. There are some repairs for the practical functioning of the cottage that are needed: torn screens, tub drain, new wifi, bathroom outlets. Aesthetic issues of an old house did not bother us. Quick response to wifi problem was great.
Submitted on Oct 18, 2023
I had a wonderful vacation. Our house was clean and well equipped. Location right on the beach was perfect.
Submitted on Oct 17, 2023
The house was in a pretty good location but the house itself is in bad shape. None of the TV's worked properly, both bathrooms had dead sockets, the master bedroom had a dead socket and the ceiling in the kitchen had falling material. there were also very small bugs on our counter and we had to throw away some bread and chips. The area is very crowded and unless you took your stuff to the beach at 6 AM someone would have your spot. People repeatedly used our driveway as access to the beach. We reported all of the problems to the rental company and no effort was made to make things right as far as a refund goes.
Submitted on Jul 15, 2023
This must be the oldest building in gulf shores and it shows. Not just the decor as listed but I don't think there has been and money put into fixing anytime in years. Many outlets don't work, nails sticking out of deck, doors that don't fully open, door knob that is so rusted away it has a large sharp hole in it. Charcoal grill that a leg is broken and unusable, internet never worked all week. (Maintenance came to fix it, asked if we jiggled the wires and reset it, we had, they said "it must be out on the whole street" and left). All the back cottage people use this as access to the beach and drag their **** next to you car. Ants in kitchen, there was spray and after i used it we did not see any more. Location was great as beach was not as crowded.
Submitted on Jun 19, 2023
The location of the house is perfect. The house may be a little outdated and some things in the house didn't work correctly, but we stayed for the location right on the beach.
Submitted on Jun 5, 2023
The property is perfectly located on the less busy side of Gulf Shores and is exactly as pictured. If you value being on the beach and having room to spread out with your family over cosmetic updates then this home is perfect. The management company was a dream to work with and we are already planning our return to The Cottage.
Submitted on May 31, 2023
Great location, very quiet , Would like to have one of the tub/showers changed to just a walk in shower you would certainly eliminate the chance of slip/trip falls.
Submitted on Feb 27, 2023
My daughter and I stayed here in November. I have been coming to this house for four years now. It's nice because the location is great and the house may be dated but it does have that homey feel to it. Large space. Just a few quirks but overall I will stay again.
Submitted on Dec 16, 2022
A day at the beach
Submitted on Dec 14, 2022
This is the second time we have stayed in The Cottage. We absolutely love the location and that it is directly on the beach. And Gulf Shores Rentals are wonderful and easy to work with. However, the house is in desperate need of updating. It had been at least 6 years since we stayed there the first time and I don't think they did much during that time other than collect the rental money. I think the couch might have been replaced and maybe the microwave but the extremely old wallpaper, paint, carpet, and beading are still the same. The Cottage is advertised as a charming vintage property and I guess that's true but when the 1970's wallpaper is pealing in the corners,it might be time to re-decorate.
Submitted on Sep 28, 2022
I prefer less people, and this place served that purpose. Decor could use updating (wife's suggestion), but that didn't bother me.
The only recommendation I have would be to give the deck/stairs some attention. The kids weren't with us, so we tread carefully without issue, but in it's current state it's a major splinter threat. Nothing will ruin a day at the beach quicker than trying to pull a two inch sliver of old wood out of someone's foot.
A couple of dead outlets, but I have yet to find a house on the beach that doesn't have that problem.
Submitted on Jul 25, 2022
This is the second time at the Cottage. Love the location and great views. It's an older place, and reflects that, but so is our home, so we feel very comfortable there. The kids love the stairs and the decor, too.
Submitted on Jul 19, 2022
The cottage was exactly what we were looking for. It was the perfect distance away from all the traffic, yet close enough to hop in the car to go get something to eat or shop. If you are looking for updated or new accommodations, this is NOT the place for you. The beds were comfortable, and the important things were clean: toilets, showers, sinks, refrigerator. We did wash all dishes prior to using, but that may be our own quirk. Pleasantly surprised with a washer & dryer. Let's just say it was a prefect little "shack", and we are already planning another visit for next year.
Submitted on Jul 4, 2022
My twin brother decided to go on vacation with our friends and found the Cottage in Gulfshore. It was the best place right on the beach. Sunsets were great our neighbors were great. The Cottage Decor was was vintage I love antiques so it felt like home. The bedrooms were large with alot of room to move around we hall had a great time. The hospitality were all great.i would give this a 5 on all Thanks again
Submitted on Jun 28, 2022
Beautiful access to beach...but people across street feel free to cut under house...just a hassle..house has every penny milked out..electric tripped once...had power surges last night ceiling fans and lights flickered...kitchen has small ants..light switch for under house lights shorted to box..shocked me..maintenance capped 2 of 3 ends said would be repaired..fixed outside shower..leaks...deck splinters and popped up nails
Submitted on Jun 16, 2022
Ants all over not clean people walking under the house had to go stop what I could some did not care internet stopped working tv did not work all the time ac did not work at all. Fred rickard.. Or
Submitted on Apr 30, 2022
The location is perfect right on the beach. The deck is amazing for laying out in the sun. The house is dated which was ok, but needs a deep cleaning. Especially the baseboards and corners of rooms and the vents are filthy, also be careful on the deck lots of loose boards and easy to get splinters.
Submitted on Apr 25, 2022
You couldn't ask for a better location- gulf front sitting right on the sand.The back deck facing the ocean was amazing!! The house itself had so much character and charm even though the decor is a bit outdated. The sleeper sofa was new and super comfy to sit on and sleep on. The beds upstairs were both really comfy with good quality mattresses.The master faces the ocean so we really enjoyed sleeping with the windows open hearing the waves all night. We took are 12 yr old grandson and our 11 yr old daughter. This was our grandson's first trip to the ocean and he LOVED everything including this great house!! Highly recommended the Cottage, it is a great place to be right on the ocean to rest and relax. We give it 9 out of 10 stars �� ��
Submitted on Nov 23, 2021
The house was well stocked and all my family and I needed. Great location and the beach was our back yard. It was a short driving distance to restaurants or anything else you would want to do. The house was everything we hoped for and will definitely rent again!
Submitted on Nov 19, 2021
Great
Submitted on Oct 8, 2021
Great location and The Cottage all the amenities needed but could use a little fixing up. The bathtubs drain very slowly. I suspect this is due to people washing sand off of themselves and items (knuckleheads who don’t care). The decking, particularly on the beach side, needs to be replaced. The beach side stairs and deck are splintered and nails are popping up. My three year-old grandson got a 2” splinter in his foot from walking on the deck. We took him to the local ER clinic to get it cleaned out. This impacted the remainder of our stay. Until these repairs are completed, guests should be notified to wear shoes when walking on the decking.
Submitted on Aug 31, 2021
First time beach trip. Great experience and already planning our next one!
Submitted on Aug 3, 2021
5 th year to stay at The Cottage. House is in a great location. Beach is never crowded. Stocked well with all the amenities that is needed. Weather was less than desireable for this trip was the only downfall.
Submitted on Jul 8, 2021
The cottage was in an amazing location. Beach wasn't crowded. We don't like to eat out and the kitchen was equipped with everything we needed. Comfortable with plenty of room for my family of 5.
Submitted on Jul 3, 2021
We fell in love with The Cottage. It was one of the cleanest places I have ever stayed. The decor was straight out of the 80s but so charming. Being just steps from the beach was amazing. We will definitely stay here again.
Submitted on Jun 23, 2021
Perfect location, close enough to restaurants but not in the middle of everything. House was clean and well kept. New sofa since pictures were taken. Deck furnishing could be updated but otherwise I have no complaints.
Submitted on Jun 20, 2021
Great location, dated decor just as described in the listing. Issue is the cleaning fee that is charged would expect there to be actual deep cleaning done. Dishes had old food stuck to them in the cabinets as clean. Window coverings were dusty and visible dirty spots of unknown matter, peeling paint/wallpaper in multiple rooms with leaking roof,carpet with visible dust dirty except in normal traffic spots and places the carpet was missing around edges of exposed areas. Floor covering in bathroom was sticky and yellow discolored and smelled of old urine upon arrival. Toilet had paper ring as if cleaned but very noticable brown streaks in the bowl and under the toilet seat.
Submitted on Jun 15, 2021
Family vacation, location was great house was great. Price was COVID high, which sucks. But it was nice to get away. It’s well appointed and furnished and we enjoyed it. It was pretty clear they didn’t prep the house for the season though, we had to take our oldest to the ER to get a huge splinter cut out of his foot from the decking and both boys had splinters. Lots of sharp nail heads poking out that were never hammered down. Furniture outside was all dirty and we cleaned it all up. Outside shower didn’t work because the control lever rusted off long ago. Trash can was broken, and a screen was ripped. It seems like for the artistically high cost they could at least tend to the safety and comfort issues. But we loved the house because I’ve grown up on the old cottage style homes for the beach. At normal pricing I’d have just called it you get what you get. But at close to 3k off season we’d look elsewhere for sure.
Submitted on Jun 14, 2021
Perfect property for our small family. Absolutely loved being steps away from the water. The location is great because it’s away from the busier traffic and crowds from the hotels but close enough to have groceries and food delivered. Loved having a washer/drier in the unit. This place definitely provides the comforts of home away from home. We enjoyed our stay and actually re-booked it already for another visit!
Submitted on Jun 7, 2021
we have stayed at this house before , 2017. and will stay here again. The house could you some TLC but other than the cosmetics of the house. Great place to stay.
Submitted on Apr 21, 2021
We loved the location, and the decor was as if my grandmother had a beach house. It was very homey!The home had a serious foundation issue though. The property manager assured me that it was fine. It is so wobbly that when you walk across an upstairs bedroom, the entire home wobbles and shakes. Even for an old home on pillars, it is rickety. It has serious, unsafe foundation problems it looks like they tried to patch together. It was so bad that I contacted the rental company. It also needs a serious cleaning.
Submitted on Apr 9, 2021
Wonderful family getaway. Great view. Peaceful and serene.
Submitted on Apr 1, 2021
HAVING THE BEACH RIGHT AS YOU WALK OUT IS WONDERFUL. WAKING UP TO WATCH THE IS AN EXPERIENCE. THE HOUSE(COTTAGE) WAS CUTE. LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. WE FELT AT HOME.
Submitted on Mar 15, 2021
We stayed in the cottage for our honeymoon and loved it! The house had a homey, vintage style and had a beautiful view of the beach. It was so relaxing to wake up to. I would definitely recommend renting from Gulf Shores rentals.
Submitted on Mar 8, 2021
Very good. The Cottage was clean and comfortable. Yes it could use updating. But we were there for the beach not tonset in the house.
Submitted on Jan 3, 2021