Rosemary Beach — Local services in Alys Beach

In the below review, I will attempt to detail all of the shortcomings of Moreland Cottage, and will be sharing this review on as many sites as I can find in an effort to save other vacationers from making this booking mistake with Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company.

The title sums it up perfectly: This house is not renter ready. We arrived to Rosemary Beach on December 27th, 2023 and it was 40 degrees outside. For the first two days of our trip, there was no heat on the first floor (Master Bedroom, kitchen, living area). The temperature did not raise above 59 degrees these mornings. We had a three year old and a one year old with us who wore their winter coats to eat meals for two days. This, along with no wifi or service for Verizon carriers were by far the largest and most unacceptable shortcomings of the house.

Worst was the unprofessionalism of the Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company's 'manager'. She not only never called us knowing this information for two days, but when she did call, it was to cover herself because we were waiting in her office to talk to her, acting as if she did not know we were there. Yes, wifi is not guaranteed in the contract, but if you know there will be issues, simple communication and care for the renters should be top priority. It is a shame that Rosemary Beach has become so commoditized that blatant disrespect for renters who spend thousands of dollars renting is acceptable. In this case, $6,000 total for our trip.

In addition to no heat, wifi, or service, all lights on the first floor were inoperable. The only way to turn the lights off and on was with a breaker box in a second floor closet. The house sleeps 16 people, and there were 4 dinner plates left for us. Under each bed and piece of furniture was a compilation of dust that looked to have been there for months. We removed a chirping smoke detector on the third floor and not only found that it was also inoperable, but was covered with mold (the city will hear about this). The cushions on the banquet smelled like body odor. The garage door was inoperable and we had to manually lift it. The irrigation system sprayed water over the entire pool deck rather than the plants.

We have been renting in Rosemary Beach for over 10 years, coming to the area for over 30 years, and have always had nothing but pleasant experiences. This trip was a complete failure on Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental's behalf. In a 7,000 square foot house that I spent $6,000 to stay in for 5 days, my family of four (two babies) stayed in one room so I could ensure that I could hear them (monitors did not work without wifi - there was no communication that it may not work) and that they were warm. Now knowing that they were breathing in months worth of dust, mold, and sleeping under a roof with inoperable smoke detectors makes me sick.

I hope you all take this review seriously and make the necessary changes so that no renters experience such disgust by...

We have been to Rosemary Beach for several years now. It is our preferred family vacation spot. We have loved it so much we now have three different families that join us and rent their own residences with in Rosemary Beach. We now come for two weeks because we love it so much. We rent 4-5 bedroom houses. This is our first year to use Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company. We have had an absolutely terrible experience since a month leading up to our stay. I contacted the company asking questions and got no response (This happened during the booking process as well). We found out our house had a carriage house above the garage. This information was not disclosed anywhere to us. Had we known, we would have rented both the cottage and carriage house. We were told the carriage house steps lead out to the road so we would have privacy. The stairs from the carriage house came down and emptied in front of our front door, the front door located directly by our master bedroom. We came here for two weeks to have some privacy and relaxation. We couldn’t let our kids play in our little yard area freely because strangers were staying above the garage. We also had to park several blocks from our house everyday because there are so many dumpsters lining the streets. Our fourth bedroom that is on the third floor only has a bathtub, it was not disclosed to us that there was no shower. Our nanny had to use our kids bathroom on the first floor to shower when she needed. Her room was also extremely hot because the attic door would not close properly. Also a window by the bed on the third floor is missing some trim. There is a large opening over 2 inches wide with foil shoved in it. Upon checking in we were told ‘Housekeeping’ would come on Wednesdays. Our first Wednesday they came dropped sheets, towels, and terrible soaps on the beds and in the bathrooms. The second week Housekeeping just showed up on Tuesday. A day early. Had we known we would have denied their services and just made do with what we had. There is essentially no ‘Housekeeping’ services. We only had a broom and no vacuum to clean ourselves. Spending two weeks at the beach with three adults and three kids, it would be nice to have a vacuum for the rugs. There was also little pieces of trash all of the yard that I was continuously cleaning up. We are at the beach and I think the environment and properties should be kept clean and maintained. Upon checking in there were two couples both complaining to the front desk. This should have been red flags. We will never use Rosemary Beach Cottage Rentals again. We have reached out several time to them and they have yet to contact us. We are extremely disappointed to spend over $11,000 with Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental to not even have them respond or touch...

Renter Beware!

Future renters, be very aware of the problems with both the Five Star Cottage as well as the service you’ll be provided by the Rosemary Beach Cottage Agency! You’ll pay a premium price but receive less than premium service.

My guests and I were on a working vacation in Rosemary beach. We rented the the Five Star cottage at a premium five figure price. After my experience with the rental agency and the cottage itself I wouldn’t give either a single star.

Upon our arrival, we noted the absence of internet and therefore , bc the owners do not provide cable, we also had no tv. In order to have tv, the owners required we use our personal streaming services that also require internet. Future renters: can your business be conducted in a coffee shop with a free hot spot?

Don’t forget we are on a working vacation—difficult to work in Florida at or Oklahoma and Texas companies without internet connectivity.

When I contacted the RM Beach cottage rental agency, Rebecca told me they couldn’t repair the connection until Thursday, October 12– we arrived on the 7. She then suggested we find a free hotspot at a coffee shop and conduct our business there.

Then I heard from Dominique, who must have thought I was cognitively limited as she told me no less than six times that our rental contract did not guarantee internet service. Frankly, I think internet and tv are basic services; particularly when one is paying premium prices.

When I suggested they reduce our rental fee, I was told that would never happen. Later, Dominique told told me she would look at where she might be able to make some adjustments. When I called to inquire if she found anything, I was told she was gone for a week. Dominique and Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Agency need to make this negative experience a more positive one by reducing our cottage cost.

The condition of the Five Star cottage: black mold in the master shower The refrigerator did not make ice (a countertop ice maker was available-for what it was worth) The sliding doors, leading to the balconies, were in disrepair and extremely difficult to open Betsy...