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4/10 Poor
Michael K.
4 Feb 2025
Disappointing Vacation
Rating Details:
The property manager was more than helpful.
The vacation rental was very clean.
I was happy with the location.
I was somewhat dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental.
Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental.
Reviewer Comments:
This is our 11th year of coming to Gulf Shores for January and February. Weather this year was very cold for the majority of January. There was even a record-setting blizzard along the Gulf Coast! None of that is the fault of the Sandpiper condo complex, nor of Bender Realty. But, there were some negative issues during the month. The single elevator was balky and out of service on several occasions. One toilet in our unit acted up constantly, either failing to properly flush or water running constantly after flushing. Bender maintenance people and even a plumber were at the unit 3 times to fix it. It is still having issues. The unit's air conditioner failed one day, requiring an HVAC tech to come out and fix it. The unit's WiFi also failed one evening, requiring a service call from the internet provider. The water to the entire complex was shut off for hours on two different days. Both incidents were related to maintenance on the complex swimming pool. The first incident was unintended; the second was scheduled and a group email was sent out by Bender to notify all residents. Though the pool received maintenance, it is still not heated and available for guests to use. This is consistent with every year we have come down here. The pool heater isn't turned on until March. This will be our last year at the Sandpiper. We don't feel we are getting good value for the rent we pay for two months. There are no amenities (pool, fitness center, etc.) like other resorts in Gulf Shores. The charcoal grills in the courtyard are rusted and unusable. We bought a cheap stand-alone grill, just so we could cook outside.
