10 Steps to the Gulf Beachfront, Dog-Friendly Home w/ 2 Decks, AC, WiFi & W/D
House in Dauphin Island, AL
10 guests · 4 bedrooms · 3 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Free cancellationFull refund if you change your mind
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
About this house rental
Beach, Love & Happiness
Our calendar is updated in real-time & our nightly rates are accurately displayed. Simply enter your desired dates and click 'Book Now!'
You can't get much closer to the Gulf of Mexico than Beach, Love & Happiness - a spacious, beachfront escape on the white-sand shores of Dauphin Island. And at just 10 steps from the cool gulf waters, this four-bedroom home will give you a vacation you won't soon forget.
Built in 2005 and well-equipped for a beach-going family, this elevated home features wonderful spaces to gather both inside and out. Come up from a morning spent beach-combing, swimming, or stand-up paddleboarding to enjoy two levels of gulf-front decking that run the length of the house. The air-conditioned interior has plentiful windows that frame views of the gulf, and a layout that brings together the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room in one social space. The kitchen offers stainless steel appliances (including a dishwasher) and seating for 10 at the adjacent table.
Additional amenities include a washer/dryer to take care of your swimsuits and towels each day, free WiFi throughout the house, cable TV, and a picnic table outside on the deck - the perfect spot for morning crosswords, post-beach lunches, and evening cocktails at sunset.
Things to Know
Full kitchen
Dog-friendly for a nightly fee
This property is managed by Vacasa Alabama, LLC.
If you are bringing a dog on your trip, the pet fee is already included in your quote when selecting ‘Yes’ to pets. If you would like to add more dogs, please contact us. The pet fee is per stay and ranges between $150 and $200, depending on the bedroom count, and will apply for each additional dog.
Parking notes: There is free parking available for 4 vehicles.
Please note: this home resides in a noise-sensitive area and the owners participate in our Good Neighbor protection program. Our smart home technology will alert our team if excessive decibel or occupancy levels are detected, allowing us to reach out directly with a reminder of maximum occupancy and quiet hours. This technology is privacy compliant, and only monitors the presence of decibels and devices-not any personal conversation or information. Thank you for supporting our efforts to be good neighbors!
Damage waiver: The total cost of your reservation for this Property includes a nightly damage waiver fee, plus tax if applicable (the “Damage Waiver”). (A discount may be applied for stays of 28 nights or longer, if permitted.) The Damage Waiver covers you for up to $3,000 of accidental damage to the Property or its contents (such as furniture, fixtures, and appliances) as long as you report the incident to the host prior to checking out. The Damage Waiver fee eliminates the need for a traditional security deposit.
More information can be downloaded from the "Rental Agreement" on the checkout page.
Due to local laws or HOA requirements, guests must be at least 25 years of age to book. Guests under 25 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the reservation.
Our calendar is updated in real-time & our nightly rates are accurately displayed. Simply enter your desired dates and click 'Book Now!'
You can't get much closer to the Gulf of Mexico than Beach, Love & Happiness - a spacious, beachfront escape on the white-sand shores of Dauphin Island. And at just 10 steps from the cool gulf waters, this four-bedroom home will give you a vacation you won't soon forget.
Built in 2005 and well-equipped for a beach-going family, this elevated home features wonderful spaces to gather both inside and out. Come up from a morning spent beach-combing, swimming, or stand-up paddleboarding to enjoy two levels of gulf-front decking that run the length of the house. The air-conditioned interior has plentiful windows that frame views of the gulf, and a layout that brings together the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room in one social space. The kitchen offers stainless steel appliances (including a dishwasher) and seating for 10 at the adjacent table.
Additional amenities include a washer/dryer to take care of your swimsuits and towels each day, free WiFi throughout the house, cable TV, and a picnic table outside on the deck - the perfect spot for morning crosswords, post-beach lunches, and evening cocktails at sunset.
Things to Know
Full kitchen
Dog-friendly for a nightly fee
This property is managed by Vacasa Alabama, LLC.
If you are bringing a dog on your trip, the pet fee is already included in your quote when selecting ‘Yes’ to pets. If you would like to add more dogs, please contact us. The pet fee is per stay and ranges between $150 and $200, depending on the bedroom count, and will apply for each additional dog.
Parking notes: There is free parking available for 4 vehicles.
Please note: this home resides in a noise-sensitive area and the owners participate in our Good Neighbor protection program. Our smart home technology will alert our team if excessive decibel or occupancy levels are detected, allowing us to reach out directly with a reminder of maximum occupancy and quiet hours. This technology is privacy compliant, and only monitors the presence of decibels and devices-not any personal conversation or information. Thank you for supporting our efforts to be good neighbors!
Damage waiver: The total cost of your reservation for this Property includes a nightly damage waiver fee, plus tax if applicable (the “Damage Waiver”). (A discount may be applied for stays of 28 nights or longer, if permitted.) The Damage Waiver covers you for up to $3,000 of accidental damage to the Property or its contents (such as furniture, fixtures, and appliances) as long as you report the incident to the host prior to checking out. The Damage Waiver fee eliminates the need for a traditional security deposit.
More information can be downloaded from the "Rental Agreement" on the checkout page.
Due to local laws or HOA requirements, guests must be at least 25 years of age to book. Guests under 25 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian for the duration of the reservation.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Map of Dauphin Island, AL
$$$$
Reviews
10.0
Love the west end. This is right on the beach. House is all you need. Deck has awesome views all around. Will stay here again!
8.0
This is great home right on the water. We were amazed at how close you really are. We loved our stay, as did our dogs. Plenty of room to spread out. The elevated deck chairs were perfect for enjoying the water. We cooked several meals and the kitchen had a fairly good amount of what we needed minus wooden spoons and skewers for shrimp. It’s a good location for the gorgeous sunsets and very close to the west end public beach to get the full sunset view.
6.0
Overall my family enjoyed our trip due to our time together and the proximity to the gulf. However, the home needs maintenance improvements, driveway maintenance and a deep cleaning. We first noticed that there were food crumbs in many drawers, mildew in the shower (had to replace the shower curtain) and unfinished floors. We also had difficulty pulling in the side street due to the thickness of sand. We messaged Vacasa the day we booked the property to ensure we wouldn’t have any issues driving a sedan. They stated we wouldn’t. The driveway was completely inaccessible and we constantly had difficulty pulling in and out of the side street where Vacasa stated we could use as backup parking. When we called on two separate days once arriving to inform them we needed a solution for parking, they never contacted us back with a solution.On a positive note they offered to come out and fix the cleaning issues but we declined since we had already brought our items in and traveled 10 hours.The greater issues were parking and the lack of maintenance upkeep. We also had palmetto bugs(flying cockroaches) inside and outside the house. However, I am not sure if they are avoidable. Overall great location to the beach but we won’t be renting again or renting from Vacasa again.
8.0
Loved the location being steps from the Gulf!
10.0
Excellent location
10.0
Home is right on the beach! Home was clean upon arrival. Bedding slept well. There was enough space and furniture for everyone to sit and enjoy the space. Especially enjoyed the chairs on the back deck.
10.0
This property was perfect for our family vacation. We enjoy being right on the beach, being able to walk downstairs and you’re on it. Also, love being able to observe what the family is doing on the beach from the balcony. The property was clean and furnished appropriately. Overall, we enjoyed our time there and recommend this property.
2.0
I wanted to like this property so bad because of its location. And I now believe that is probably it’s only advantage. There are a few things about it that are acceptable.
The appliances are relatively new, it does have space for a large family without difficulty, and the beds are fairly comfortable.
Otherwise, it is a complete disaster.
First of all, there was no street sign anywhere so we had to guess on where to turn to even get to the house. It would’ve been nice if someone in the local Vacasa team had told us that.
The house is in desperate need of attention and repair. The hardwood floors are completely worn bare, and old wood is showing. There are holes above almost every window where drapes have been removed and no one has bothered to patch them. While it appears that relatively new living room, furniture has been purchased , it does not change the fact that very little attention is given to this home by the owners, and that is obvious.
We could not find a hairdryer or washcloths in any part of the home, so we went and bought them. After a few days, our guests actually found a small travel size hairdryer, tucked underneath a sink almost impossible to see. It was the only hairdryer for a home that was supposed to sleep 12 people. And there were no washcloths anywhere.
The TV did not work in the queen bedroom, and a technician had to come out and repair it. Thus, we had to cancel plans in order to be home for that person to show up.
The worst part of this experience was the home is obviously sinking into the sand because it is so close to the surf so it has a tilted floor toward the ocean. A storm came while we were there and surf water was rolling underneath the home and came up into the driveway almost dumping water into our car! We were very fortunate to get out in time. Not one single person from Vacasa checked on us, responded to our panic text, or called to even see if we were alive. We had no warning of the storm , and this house is certainly not safe in those conditions. There are numerous other small details that I will not list in this review for time purposes. However, I cannot consciously recommend this home to anyone and we will never stay there again even though we visit Dauphin Island every year.
10.0
We loved the home. Family of 6. Second time on the island. We always have a great time.
10.0
Great for beachfront dog lovers!
10.0
Perfect for a beach house! Convenient and comfy beds……we will go back!
8.0
We enjoyed our week here! It could definitely use some TLC, but it served its purpose of being a great home for us and the kids. We loved the location and being able to send the kids to play right outside.
10.0
The house the view everything we needed!
10.0
Pictures on the Web were accurate. Great location and we had a wonderful, albeit short, stay
10.0
This was such a great vacation spot! We were directly over the waves. It’s not a brand new house, but everything was lovely. I would book again.
8.0
Not warm like tropical, but warm like comforting and friendly. Although previous reviews weren’t very flattering, we found the property to be almost perfect. The furnishings were tastefully family orientated, and the only complaint we could make was seeing roaches. And the property manager was very helpful, and addressed the problem immediately. We had a wonderful stay.
8.0
This is a great home, literally right on gulf. Plenty of room, comfy beds. Great for our family - but there are issues a guest may need to know when deciding on a rental. VRBO lists cable, it was internet TV only. Parking is non existent-only a 4x4 could park in that area. Other homes appeared to have cleared out the beach sand for parking- this home has not and we had to park on side road which I assume likely requires a permit during peak season. The railings on the decks need repair - gaps large enough for child to fall through. The clearly needs to be addressed as it is a major safety issue.
8.0
Love that the.house right on the water
10.0
When this place says on the beach it is literally on the beach. We loved it so much. We will be going back to this island!
10.0
2nd stay at this house. It's awesome being able to go down stairs to the sand and you're right where you need to be! The couch and love seat had been replaced since last year and they are SO comfortable!
8.0
The house was really nice with plenty of room. Very clean. Very comfortable & fantastic location (right on the beach just steps away from the Gulf!). Vacasa was a great host!! They delivered us a tank for the gas grill & on our last day, we had issues with the upstairs AC & Vacasa responded immediately. Would definitely recommend............. only issue was that the upstairs king bed was a little uncomfortable but other then that, it was great!!!!!
10.0
We loved everything about our stay in this wonderful beach house! We felt that we were the envy of our neighbors with our incredible location just steps from the water. We could sit on the covered deck and feel that we were still on the beach - such a treat! The house was so comfortable and lovely - it had everything we needed and then some. The listing photos do not reflect the new sofa, loveseat, and rug in the front room, as well as the deck furniture - four tall Adirondack beach chairs and two end tables - which are all lovely. There is also a large new gas grill on the main level deck. Every bedroom in the house has very nice bed linens and AMAZING views. The decking and steps leading up to the house has a shower on the mid-level (under the house but not on the ground level), which was perfect for washing off after coming from the beach (great snorkeling BTW!), and there was another station for washing your feet on the main deck. So convenient! We had an incredible stay and wouldn’t hesitate to rent this property again. I only reached out to Vacasa once - for help with a package that I was trying to track down - and they were quick to respond and eager to help.
4.0
The location of this home is perfect however the home itself needs a lot of attention. Make sure to bring storage containers for food due to the roach issue. Also they should fire there cleaning crew this place looks as if it’s never been really cleaned check under the beds because we had old socks and towels under the master and god knows what else. Anything with fabric from bedding to furniture is stained including the lampshades in the living room that looks like blood or something was slung on them. The property from the exterior is beautiful and amazing and if I could have stayed outside the whole trip I would have! So much potential but definitely needs some major TLC!
2.0
The proximity to the beach was just a few steps away. Awesome covered porch with the best porch chairs.
8.0
We made it a habit to wake in time each morning during our stay to watch the stunning sunrise from the balcony.
6.0
Great location. Nice house but needs a little work and has a cockroach problem.
6.0
I loved having the beach in my front yard! It was so nice having so much of the beach to ourselves.
However, walking into three loads of towels stuffed in the dryer still damp, dust on all ceiling fans and vents along with a door to the outside that would not close; and a non working rusted dishwasher was a bummer. Not to mention, I called ahead to see if there was an outdoor grill and told “no”, but there was a very dirty very used gas grill on the porch. So, I suppose it was a blessing we brought our own.
Now, with ALL of that being said, when I did contact Vacasa they immediately sent a very sweet maintenance person to come help us with the door that wouldn’t shut. When I contacted them about the laundry they did offer to have someone come in and re-dry the towels but at that point I just did it myself. However, all other issues I was told would be “considered,” and someone would get back to me. I’m still waiting for someone to get back to me. Lol
All in all, location location location, I would search a little harder next time but ultimately I’d stay here again.
6.0
Close to the water
6.0
This house is situated right on the beach, just a few steps from the gulf. The beach was lovely and uncrowded. The house needs some updates, in particular there are several slats missing in both balcony railings, large enough for our youngest grandchildren to fit through! We had to do what we could to block them. The living room area is pretty small. The master bedroom linens do not fit the king bed and we got no response from Vacasa when we asked.
2.0
The condition of the unit was extremely disappointing. For the amount of money we paid, we were expecting a level of quality that we have always had when renting property on the gulf coast. This is our first experience with VACASA and it will be our last. The list of issues is very long but the highlights include: Many broken and un-operatable blinds and windows, black mold on the shower curtain liners, stained linens and comforters, floors and walls in really bad shape, inadequate kitchen inventory (no beaters, few glasses), etc. And the refrigerator door is missing the rails to allow storage in the door. Dishwasher was working sometimes, sometimes not. There were towels in the dryer that we were not sure were clean. To sum it up, I would encourage someone from your organization to take your family there and stay a day or two. I did contact the local office with the concerns. I did not ask specifically for them to do anything. The condition being so overwhelmingly in poor shape, the only real solution would have been to relocate to another unit. I will say that I did not feel very much empathy from the local office. They came and changed one light bulb.
10.0
Beautiful home right on the water !! Thank you!!
10.0
After staying here we are done with condos! Being right there at the water and a ‘private’ beach was so wonderful! This was our 1st visit to Dauhpin Island and we will be booking this house again next year. There was one negative - the couches were so uncomfortable! Thankfully not a lot of time was spent inside!
8.0
Overall, the property was fine and we enjoyed ourselves. A whole week of rain was unfortunate though. Parking needs improving, unless you have a four wheel drive.
6.0
Great Location
Location could not be better. We enjoyed our stay throughly. Only criticism is some things didn't look super clean like the bath mats and the rug. However all the important things like the tubs and linens were clean. House smelled fresh and clean. However, please whoever owns this house, please get the railings replaced on the deck. Our 2 yr old son leaned up on one and it popped off and fell to the sand! My husband actually found several more that were really loose. It looks like the wood has just split on many from the weather and the nails can fall right out. We discovered this on the last two days there and didn't let our son on the deck without someone by him. That is a 15ft fall and could be devastating if a small child popped them by accident! I wouldn't let a small child stay here until that is fixed. Please fix this! It's a great house otherwise!
6.0
Check in troubles, but great location
This house is in a great location on Dauphin Island overlooking the Gulf. The description is accurate except for the number of designated parking spots. Unlike most of the other homes on the island, there is no parking under the house or even cleared spaces next to it. We had to be very careful not to get stuck in the sand even with our pickup truck.
Check-in was tricky. The communication from Vacasa was what seemed to be straightforward. We received the name of the house, the address and the “door code”. While the address was accurate, the name on the house was completely different than what we were sent. This was a little confusing. Our biggest problem, however, was with the “door code”. The main door has a keypad lock, so of course we thought this was the place to enter the “door code”. We ended up having to call Vacasa to learn that there was actually a lock box with a key. The box wasn’t near the door, so we had no idea it even existed. We were able to retrieve the key with the code. We ended up having to call Vacasa again when the key didn’t work in the door. We tried it all different ways and tried the other doors on the house. No luck. After a long hold, somehow the main door magically unlocked. We still have no idea how this happened, as we were never able to get the key to engage the lock. We ended up using another door and keeping it unlocked when we left the property. Vacasa was pleasant to work with and the local rep called and texted to make sure we were in the house. The whole process of getting in the house took 30 minutes. It seems that a new lock and more accurate instructions would remedy the problem.
The house was comfortable, though nothing special, and, again, in a great location.
10.0
Fun Family Gathering
We had a great week in this house. I love the floor plan allowing balcony access from all bedrooms.
The listing doesn’t mention the nice gas grill or the abundance of beach chairs/supplies available. A necessary improvement would be under house deck/stair lighting. No other complaints.
6.0
Great location but bugs
The house is on the beach with amazing views. However it was pretty dirty especially the kitchen. The kitchen was crawling with bugs, and we spent one day deep cleaning the oven and cabinets to help reduce them. It was really nice to be able to walk down stairs right on to the beach.
10.0
Quick beach getaway
Amazingly close to the ocean. Great communication with property manager.
10.0
Heavenly Beach Vacation
We could not have asked for anything better. The location was excellent, house was clean and well supplied. We had a wonderful 4 nights and 3 days and would definitely return.
VACASA and VRBO receive a 5 star rating across the board from us.
10.0
No complaints
No complaints
FAQs
How much does this house cost compared to others in Dauphin Island?
The average price for a rental in Dauphin Island is $272 per night. This rental is $89 above the average.
Is parking included with this house?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at 10 Steps to the Gulf Beachfront, Dog-Friendly Home w/ 2 Decks, AC, WiFi & W/D. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this house?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at 10 Steps to the Gulf Beachfront, Dog-Friendly Home w/ 2 Decks, AC, WiFi & W/D. Enjoy the water!
Is 10 Steps to the Gulf Beachfront, Dog-Friendly Home w/ 2 Decks, AC, WiFi & W/D pet friendly?
Yes! This house is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at 10 Steps to the Gulf Beachfront, Dog-Friendly Home w/ 2 Decks, AC, WiFi & W/D?
We found 10 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, and internet / wifi.
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