Beach Colony Resort On Navarre Beach — Hotel in Santa Rosa Island

Beach Colony Resort East

We rented a 3 bedroom top floor unit for a week from June 20 to 27th. A full week is from Saturday to Saturday. The balconies overlooking the gulf side are very nice. Bring your binoculars to look for fish, sharks and sting rays which do come in close to the shore line.I was told to shuffle my feet on the sand when I was in the water. That way you won't step on a sting ray.

The condo we rented was 3 nice size bedrooms and had two tables, couch and two extra chairs. Each unit is slightly different. in size and amenities.

There are seven bbq units on the ground floor, but they start filling up by 6 p.m.

This particular condo has a nice size storage area right outside the front door which you can use for all your beach toys. It did have some rafts and boogie boards. You might inquire about the unit you are renting to see if they have a storage area and if you can use it.

The swimming pool is good size with quite a few chairs - there is no lifeguard. It's a short walk to the beach, but the path and sand can get hot, so bring sandals.

If you want to reserve a beach umbrella and two chairs, it will cost $108 for the week. Some units reserve a free umbrella and chairs and If you go down early, you can get a set for nothing, but it will be in the 2nd or 3rd row. Other owners don't pay for chairs, so inquire with your owner.You may want to go down early with a towel to choose your chairs if your owner has paid for the service - ask your owner. If you are driving it might be worth bringing your own shade tent or umbrellas and chairs.

There are lots of families with kids. It can get a little crowded on the beach, but there are plenty of spots off the main drag where you can find a beach area with few people.

Once you get off the main island, there are plenty of grocery stores and a Walmart just 3 miles from the condo.

The pier is a short walk away and for one dollar you can walk the pier and watch everyone fishing. People were catching lots of small fish, and many were using them as bait for the large fish. They also fish for sharks on Monday and Tuesday night after 8 p.m.. They haven't caught one in six weeks, but it's interesting to see how they do it and what equipment they use.

The artificial reef on the other side of the pier was a bit of a disappointment. You have to swim out quite a ways, so make sure you are a good swimmer. The water visibility was quite limited and you have to dive down eight feet to see the few fish who were around.

The outside patio is large and circular. You do lose some privacy, but gain in the amount of space that is usable.

There are just two restaurants in the immediate area, but plenty off the island. That's a plus for me as it keeps the traffic down.

Wifi was very spotty - sometime it worked and other times not. When I could test it, it showed 3mb download and 6 mb upload. Right now, there is no WIFI at all.

We were told that we don't need a parking pass for the East unit. They have blue bands you wear to use the pool. If you don't have enough just ask the maintenace people. They keep the grounds spotless and clean.

There's a lot more to discover on Navarre Beach - nesting birds along the causeway, restaurant near the causeway which has paddle boards and other hardware to rent, butterfly house, Gulf Breeze Zoo, aquarium etc.

I would definitely get a unti which has a view of the Gulf side beach.

We were in Unit 19A also called PH3A. I highly recommend this unit - it is larger and we will hold a large crowd. This unit even had beach towels, boogie boards and other rafts. It also has an icemaker machine so we had lots of ice to put in...

Staying in Unit 7A right now. Was advertised as luxury, clean etc. We had to clean before we could unpack. The floors are filthy Look as if they have not seen a mop or buffer since the building was built. The living area is very crowded due to the amount of furniture it has (all uncomfortable and very old). Many decorative items that were dusty. Artificial plants all over the place. We had to clean the ceiling fans due to the amt of dust on the top of the blades was coming around to the front. Felt like the invasion of the dust monsters. Also pics on wall were covered with dust as was most of the hard furniture. The table lamps had dust so thick it was hard to see. The floors have a build up of dirt so bad I actually scoured a few places to make sure it was dirt and not discoloration. Nope, it was dirt.. The carpeting has a strong odor to it. Most of the carpeting in the living area is covered with ?straw area rugs that are stretched and are dangerous for tripping. It is hardly luxurious as the appliances are old small and dor handle to microwave is cracked. The ice machine does not work and even has a note (unsure when written) that "do not turn on as will catch on fire". When I rented the condo I questioned Bob Wilkins the owner several times about the cleanliness of the unit. Was assured that Barb the cleaning lady was very thorough!..No afraid not. When I complained he told me to have her come back and clean. I refused because we are on vacation, and by golly, he said it was clean when I questioned him several times during the negotiations . I am not sure what type of housing he is familiar with, but basically if we had not already paid the rental fee, we would have left, I have cleaned enough to get us through this stay, due to my husband has allergies and has not stopped coughing since we got here. I work with the financially handicapped in their homes. In comparison for cleanliness, This unit suffers by comparison. Positives,,,great view from patio. There remains much dust on top of armoires etc, That I am just not dealing with right now. I eally did not expect this type of situation. Furthermore while I have purchased cleaning supplies, the vacuum cleaner ....never...

Recently, the building has been undergoing extensive reconstruction, and this included the heavy use of jackhammers during the first 3 weeks of January. This, combined with grinding, pounding, and other noise essentially rendered the units unlivable for the entirety of January. Yet, the association still allowed condo owners to rent the units during this time. Many renters with month long reservations showed up, stayed for one or two days, and left because of the terrible noise. And renters are being refused refunds by the owners, despite the fact that Beach Colony and its owners could not fullfil their end of the bargain.

Our reservation was for the month of January. When we made our reservation in September, we were told by the owner that only the balconies would be under construction, and the agreement merely stated that the patios would be closed off. No mention was made of the long-duration jack-hammering, or of the myriad of other inconveniences such as atriums being closed for painting on certain days, the beach access being closed, or the elevator doors being replaced. However, once we arrived, we quickly realized we could not stay there. The jackhammer noise was almost deafening. You literally could not hear yourself talk inside your own condo while this was going on. Regardless of whether they were hammering on the 15th floor or the 1st floor, the sound would travel through the concrete structure all the same. Also, the jack-hammering would begin as early as 7:00 AM, and not end until 4:00-5:00 PM.

The owner refuses to return our money, and is ignoring all attempts at contact. I feel Beach Colony should compel the owners who rented their condos during this time to give refunds.

Especially avoid the owner of unit E5A. He is the one who did not give the correct scope and duration of the construction, and is refusing contact, or refunds. We have found him to be very unethical, and he even falsely accused us of $400.00 damage. I am livid about that.

It is a beautiful place to stay otherwise, but watch which owner you deal with. Not all of them at Beach Colony...