Well this was my first condo stay and it was definitely the way to go. I went with my 2 daughters(4 & 7) and my sister and her daughter(7). Looking for a hotel room proved disappointingly expensive for what we would need. Finding this 2 bedroom condo at the price we paid was truly an awesome find. I'll definitely be looking to repeat next year.
To help others out, I'll try to be thorough.
Location: It was near the Padre BLVD end of the block but really not that far a walk to the beach. For beach access, we used the Wanna Wanna bar access at the end of Polaris. This was very nice to have as a lot of other streets that dead end into Gulf Rd didn't look like they had beach access right there and you'd have to go further up or down to get to the beach. Speaking of Wanna Wanna, get the Turbo Pina Colada; Delicious. The Condo was also right across the street from a gas station for convenient ice, snacks, and drinks.
Only possible con here if it matters to you is that it's relatively far from most of the other "action" on Padre BLVD but that really didn't matter to me. BTW, I found the best prices on a lot of beach stuff at the big Mirage surf store. They all have the same crap but Mirage was like 2-3$ cheaper on boogie boards and buckets.
Inside the condo:
It was clean and well furnished. And having a full kitchen was really convenient. Saved a bunch of money cooking a few of our own meals. The stove, fridge, dishwasher, & sink all worked great. A/C worked well also and kept the place nice and cool. And there are 2 big screen TVs which is nice; other units I looked at had little bitty TVs. Comfy couches, tile floors, 2 full bathrooms, washer/dryer, and a large kitchen table round out the inside amenities. We were very comfortable and could probably have had a few more guests.
Only cons here were the beds were a bit too stiff for me and my sister says the dryer didn't dry too well but that could have been my sister's fault. It got the job done just took a while.
Outside the Condo:
The pool is what you'd expect. It was clean and clear going from 3 feet with nice steps down to 5 feet with a ladder. The hot tub was nice too and has a waterfall effect into the main pool. I don't know how kids have so much energy but mine loved playing in it after a day at the beach. This unit in the complex also has a nice patio space right outside the front door for relaxing outside with a table and a few chairs and a clear view of the pool. There's also a shower spigot in the front by the driveway for cleaning the sand off before you go in the pool or the condo.
Con here was not having a grill. I don't have much experience with condos so I don't know if this type of item only appears at more expensive places but you should know there isn't one on the property.
Last bit of advice is be sure to arrange the details of your stay before you get there with the owner, Andrew. This property had a key code to get in the gate and the room so get it before you show up to be sure there aren't any surprises. Andrew was very friendly and made sure everything was up to par for our stay and checked in at the end just to see if we had any problems.
Overall we were very pleased with our selection. I look to stay here again and would recommend to anyone looking for a comfortable getaway.
All bookings are direct with the owner 