Holiday Surf & Racquet Club — Attraction in Destin

We stayed in rooms 215 and 208, both furnished beautifully. Ocean view and view of the pool. Building was a little older but still perfect for accommodations. Front desk staff were very courteous and definitely willing to accommodate and request or issue we had with our rooms. Pool area was clean, even on crowded days it was family friendly and well maintained. TV's were in every room. WiFi was free and the signal remained strong throughout the entire area of the gated grounds. There were a couple issues with our one room, very minimal, I simply called the front desk and within the hour maintenance appeared to fix the problems. They do have one smoking area with several benches and umbrellas. Pool hours were from 9am to 10am and they are very strict about this although they do not look up the area. My issue with this is in my opinion if you spend a good amount of money for these condos you should be able to utilize it whenever you want. Also the hallways leading to the rooms were not lighted. To go out of the gate was easy, same for getting back in. A strict no smoking policy is enforced on the beach at any time. There are grills on the grounds for cooking. 2 full tennis courts. A grassy area for kids/adults to play pickleball or softball. Easy and close walk to the beach area MANY umbrellas with chair to reserve the entire day. Pool area has an outside shower after coming from the beach. A sauna located within ladies change rooms/restroom area. Lobby is furnished, no microwave or coffee area though. Very family oriented. Condos provide different sizes for amount of people staying. Condos provide silverware, plate wear, dining room tables have placemats with napkin rollers. Coffee Keurig in every condo. Only 2 small trash bags are provided so be sure to pick up your own supplies. Very well air conditioned, some might think a little too cold at times. Monday, Wednesday, Fridays are the days alloted for trowels, exchange dirty ones for clean ones, this is a strict rule. Laundry facilities on site on the 6th floor forever it is not with air conditioning, 2 doors are open with overhead fans blowing. Again, in my opinion for what you pay for the condos this is a must have! There was no way I could have stood the heat. They also have a gym on the 6th floor, free to use, hours of operation are displayed. Condos also provide blankets, pillows, some include water toys, card games, books, puzzles, etc. Every room come with a balcony. Would definitely consider...

We had high hopes for this place but like other reviewers have said, it's not worth the cost and there's much better available for the same price. Don't be deceived by the free beach chair rentals, you won't get one unless you're on the beach at 7 am or before to tell the rude teenagers they hired that you need a chair. Not my idea of a vacation. We tried 3 different times and still couldn't get any. We ended up having to sit in already tagged chairs until the people came along to claim them, but most never did. (Which is also something that makes zero sense. Why tag a chair so no one else can all day long if you don't intend to use it?) Isaac, supposedly the one in charge who has zero customer service skills finally made a spot for us in the dirt behind all the other chairs even though there were plenty of other spots available. He refused to help us find a good spot but accomodated others instead that had brought their own umbrellas and chairs. Also, better bring your own toilet paper along with every other immenity you can think of because you get one roll for the week and housekeeping won't replenish. Speaking of housekeeping, it doesn't exist. Not once was our room cleaned, trash emptied or anything replenished the entire time. Instead, an hour or so before we checked out housekeeping barged in our room without even knocking or announcing. We were still getting dressed! The gym was "closed until further notice." The pool was also closed one day for a chemical imbalance. Our last day we went for a walk on the beach at night, and the trash cans on the boardwalk were overflowing with several other trash bags piled next to them. It was stinky and an eyesore considering the only thing going for this place is the ocean views. Our room was outdated with peeling paint and very uncomfortable furniture that needed a good cleaning. We had planned on telling the staff about our issues upon check out, but no one bothered to ask how our stay was. It's almost like they know it's a huge disappointment. 2 of the staff members did try to help with the beach chair fiasco and even walked down to the beach with us to address it 2 days in a row (Isaac wouldn't answer his phone), but it didn't help. At least they tried though. The free dvd rental was one of the very few pluses...

3 out of 5 stars

We recently stayed in Unit 122 and truly enjoyed many aspects of our trip. The location was excellent — first floor, just steps from the beach, and conveniently away from the noise of the pool. Parking right at the door was a huge plus, and we loved the easy beach access that allowed us to return to our room for lunch, showers, or naps without any hassle. The kitchen was well-equipped, and the complimentary beach chair service was a nice touch.

Unfortunately, our experience was impacted by a few issues, the main one being an odd odor in the unit. When we first arrived, there was a strange smell, and we noticed a fragrance plug-in that had run out. We didn’t think much of it at first. Over the next couple of days, we tried to pinpoint the smell — removing shoes, towels, etc. It wasn’t until the last night that we identified it was coming from the master bathroom. While the smell wasn’t overwhelming, it was definitely noticeable, especially when entering the unit or opening that bathroom door.

We mentioned this to staff at checkout, letting them know we didn’t realize the source until the end of our stay. What really disappointed us, though, was overhearing staff complain to each other after we left the desk — questioning why we didn’t report it sooner and saying now they’d have to delay the next check-in. We later learned there had already been a work order to have the unit ozoned before our stay, which was never completed. That was frustrating, especially considering the amount we paid and the strong presence of fragrance products throughout the unit — air vent clips, plug-ins, DampRid, etc. It felt like a known issue we unknowingly had to deal with.

There were also a few maintenance concerns: the hallway shower didn’t function properly (very low pressure from the showerhead), and there were exposed outlets and light switches.

None of these issues ruined our trip — we chose not to let them. But the way staff reacted after the fact and the knowledge that the odor issue was already on their radar before our arrival is what turned a great stay into a disappointing one. We hope this feedback helps the management take better care of issues before guests check in and train staff to handle concerns with more...