In January 2021, I decided we were going to take a long trip to Florida in Sep/Oct during off season to visit family and friends. Sadly, this is not a good review. We spent THOUSANDS for a 3-week stay, and thankful we got our reservation early as many condo's in this area and Destin were raising rates like hotcakes, and not the sweet kind. The advertised pictures of this unit are exactly what you see. You can view the unit here: https://www.vrbo.com/1006304?adultsCount=2&haExternalSourceId=43bbef2d-39f3-482c-a894-0a11daad571d%2052ed02ac-039a-48f2-9090-700862e9c1a8%20hasc%20email&unitId=1554252&utm_campaign=VRBO_TRV_RES_HASC_replied_PPB&utm_content=listing-img-321.1006304.1554252&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SYS&utm_term=20210923 After 2 days of traveling, the first thing u want to do is leave everything in the car, go to your unit and inspect it and take pics of the things that need addressed with rental agency. We walked in and immediately smelled mold. Took pics, and I contacted the rental agency with my issues along w pics and no response. Immediately, I went to Publix and got bleach spray, Lysol, etc to clean and try to get rid of the mold. Three days after arriving, I started getting sick. By week 2, I was dizzy and naseous. Still could find the mold that smelled bad. Around 11pm one night a downstairs owner came asked us if we had a leak in our condo, and we told him no, but more than welcome to come in and look. Come to find out, it was the hvac system full of mold and a leak was coming from upstairs. I called the VACASA National number, txt'd them, and contacted them via Twitter. The very next day, we were moved to another building further away from the Emerald Isle. VACASA finally came through for us. It took 2 weeks to get over the mold illness. I did get 2 Covid tests and both were negative. Amazing at how sick u can get with mold. Emerald Isle is an older condo building but looks great. The do not have onsite security, so if there any incidents, you have to call the local sheriff. You need a code to get into parking lot, code to get in the bldg, and code to go from the pool gate to the beach, and code to get back into the pool from the beach. The 2 elevators needed to be cleaned daily and had a stuffy gym smell. It took a day or so to know that no matter which day of the week or what time of day, those elevators were slow. Carts on weekends are almost non existent. Very few handicap parking for a condo this size. It has 16 floors with 4 units on each floor. Emerald Isle is within walking distance to the hub of Pensacola Beach (approx 1/2 mile). After spending $12+ grand on a condo, I do not recommend Emerald Isle nor Unit 0903. Didn't come w beach chairs, and I knew that ahead of time. They did have a beach service that u could pay for. One good Thing about this unit: The kitchen had just about everything u would need or want. Too bad the mold ruined our trip. I only got to the beach twice and no tan to show for our yearly Florida trip. Some advice when renting a vacation spot: - Don't pay all of it up front.  Pay the required down payment and pay a little each month till the required payment in full date. - Many last minute cancellations in 2020 and 2021. Some owners were caught cancelling, then re-listing at much higher rate. - In 2020, due to the pandemic, we had to cancel a month long trip through 5 states. One rental refused to give us a refund. Filed a complaint through the state, DA, city, and mayor. The mayor of Red RiverNM got us our money back. - Before you unpack your luggage, please inspect the unit/home thoroughly. Take pictures of the things that do not meet your approval. Inspect your HVAC system and air vents Email or txt those pics to the rental agency, and ensure they respond to your satisfaction. -Make sure you have a 24/7 number to call when there are problems w the rental read more

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The condo itself was filthy. Pictures attached..Floors, windows, all surfaces inside drawers dirty. Couches and curtains are horribly stained. Furniture has missing knobs and badly worn and scratched. The washing machine smelled of mold and dirt and completely covered whites in black kunk. Had to use laundry across the street for clothez. The master bed has a horrible mattress old and lumpy. Very little storage and skimpy supplies. Bring what you need. You would not feel comfortable entertaining anyone here. The parking permit and passcode is a nightmare. I still have not received confirmation of being permitted. Three different entities controlling codes for you to enter. Gate code, Parking permit and code and Unit access. The HOA and Management company was unavailable of course over the weekend 5 days into my stay I received a call . They credited me 552$ about 1/4 this was better than nothing . They were nice enough but there is no following up ir cleaning going on ..it is disturbing. read more

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BED Bugs in 806!!!! We had a terrible experience with Southern Vacation Rentals as well. The condo appeared clean until bed checks. Southern Vacation rentals left us without a place to stay. They could care less that if I hadn't checked we would have taken bed bugs home. I'm still having nightmare!!! All our blankets and beach bags were trashed. We had to pay for a hotel that night. The only solution almost 24 hours later after numerous calls to them was either a refund or put us in a much less rental than we booked months ago. It looked shady! They could have cared less we were 14 hours from home Without a place to stay. We ended up staying in a hotel paying way more for last minute hotel rental. read more

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We have stayed at Emerald Isle twice. I believe the first time was in unit 604 and it was great. The second time was in unit 1201 and it was through a rental agency called Southern Vacation Rentals. We were severely disappointed in 1201 because of Southern Vacation Rentals. We stayed here May of 2025. The review I left on their website, which they did not post, reads as follows: The advertisement of this property was misleading. There was a disclaimer on the booking page about construction and repairs going on at Emerald Isle, but it was unknown the unit we booked would be directly affected. This was not made known to us until the day of arrival via the texting platform. There was no mention of it in any prior emails when booking or notice of check in. Our balcony was completely unusable during the day Monday through Saturday 8am-5pm. Workers blocked our ability to go out on the balcony because they would put a wood stick in the door to jam it from the outside. The balcony railing (which is glass) was tarped off with a material you could not see through. There was no view of the beach when sitting in the chairs on the balcony for the entire duration of our stay. The only way to see the beach was to be standing by the railing itself. Furthermore, I was getting changed into my bathing suit when the workers made it up to our unit on the scaffolding and I had to duck because I was naked. There was no privacy in the master bedroom or main living area. In the master, I could close the curtains for privacy, but again that blocked any view of the ocean/beach that we had. There was no way to create privacy when in the living room because workers were right outside the windows and balcony that could not be closed off. Southern Vacation Rentals did nothing to make our trip more pleasant due to the poor disclosure and disruptions. It is sad we were not made aware, and Southern chose to do nothing to make it right. I would recommend others not stay here until repairs are done or until the booking person is aware of what they truly are getting. Southern acted slyly and unconcerned with the quality of our stay. read more

Emerald Isle Resort - Workers outside on the balcony and outside the windows on the left. Unable to use balcony M-F 8-5 - Resorts Near Me - Pensacola Beach, Florida

We stayed in condo #507 after years (more than10) of staying at Emerald Isle and had our worst experience ever with Sam Wilson and his overbearing wife. When we went into the condo I told my wife "welcome to grandma and grandpa's cottage" so stale and stuffy! we had issues with the air conditioning and both Sam and his wife showed up with the service man to check on the issue, (they stayed thought the whole service call) Later, The bathtub/ shower in the master would not drain and I pulled a massive chunk of hair out of the drain so I was not standing in water and drain scum. The furniture was completely worn out, and the couch was a "Pleather" piece that was flaking apart and actually left flakes on your clothes when you got up. We informed Sam and his wife of the issues that we had and they were not receptive to our concerns. We stay 3 to 5 times a year at Emerald Isle. I would stay away from this unit until they completely renovate it! Otherwise if you're looking for an 80's throw back this is you read more

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We stayed in Emerald Isle #1207 from 9/7/2024-9/14/2024 and I have to say this will not be a good review. First off the codes to get into the building are a little inconvenient. When we got there, there weren't any carts to carry our stuff up to the condo, but I did see some people using two. Not a huge deal. When we walked in the condo we noticed the dust on the a/c door as we entered. My husband opened the door to find so much dust, so we cleaned it the best we could. See pictures attached. We noticed the floor tiles, the grout was black and should of been white. The floors other than that were sand free which usually does not happen out here at the beach. My husband and I have been spending my birthday week here for many many years and have stayed in many condos and hotels on Pensacola Beach. The couch in the living room was unfit to sit on. It is a couch that folds out into a bed, the cushions would not even stay in place and kept sagging down. So basically there are two chairs to sit in in the living room. Not terrible for two people. The A/C blew so cold which was very nice but I still feel like a ceiling fan in the master would be nice or maybe just a fan of some kind to keep the air moving. The master has a sliding door to the balcony and can get warm in the evenings. The beds were so hard and uncomfortable, like sleeping on a board. The kitchen was well equipped but the oven was so dirty, we would not use it, see pics attached. Parking passes are terrible, you have to call in the middle of your vacation if you change cars like we did which is an inconvenience. The tile in the master shower floor was caving in and broken. I felt like I was gonna fall through it when I showered. I had to clean the floor in the master bathroom when we arrived due to urine on the floor. Gross!! The TVs are very difficult to use. I normally don't turn them on but this time I liked to watch a little tv before bed and had a terrible time trying to get logged in. It was very irritating after a long day in the sun. So to sum it up, we won't rent this condo again unless it gets some love from the owners. It was not worth what we paid for it. The view was very nice but I'm sure there are other condos that are better for the same money. read more

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Beautiful location BUT... No on site management so depending on the type of "guest" you can have hours of screaming children at the pool (not happy playing but screaming and no parent reaction), food and drinking in the hot tub etc. The final straw was awakening at 2:45 am and then 3:15 am to loud laughing and squealing as folks were in the hot tub which closes at 11. No one on site to stop this and all the rooms face to the Gulf/pool/hot tub. Rules matter little if I enforced. We crossed over from snow birds (some had been here 3 months) to spring break. The former would be shocked at the later. Also codes for the gate the doors the beach your room. Would never stay here again even if comp'd!!! read more

Well the condo in which we stayed was very nice! We specifically rented a condo for Blue Angels so my 87 year old mother could watch the show from the balcony (#1505). It didn't disappoint! The place was clean and welcoming with all the conveniences one would expect and more. A basket of things in case we forgot something sat on a table. It was filled with shampoo, mouthwash, toothbrush, polish remover,... see picture. What WAS disappointing was the parking. And parking is a HUGE deal in Pensacola for Blue Angels. One of the reasons we chose this location was the secure parking area so we would be assured the space that comes with the assigned parking passes. To enter the lot a gate code is required. There were about 10 spaces that had no pass in the car. Because of that, legitimate guests were double parked and jammed in every open area. There was no space to even park illegally in the lot! The security guard said they would be doing anything that night about towing anyone or providing a solution. The property management company had no solution... For a place like this to not have a plan for this type of eventuality to keep guests satisfied is inexcusable. This is the biggest event of the year on the beach so they should know what to expect and how to handle it. Maybe they think we are out of towners who will never be back but our family is from Pensacola and have been coming to Blue Angels for 25 years. We go all out for this event and this condo was not cheap. But the parking is a HUGE deal breaker on Blue Angel weekend. read more

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Great place Clean all the amenities Beautiful view Kitchen fully equipped Great location read more

I will break this down with simple pluses and minuses. This was a four day stay for relaxation at a beautiful beach not-in prime season. Our condo was a 2 bed / 2 bath condominium on the 11th deck with a Gulf view balcony. The stay also included 2 beach chairs and umbrella use on the beach. There are also 2 large swimming pools, a larger 12 person hot tub and an exercise facility. + Overall facility condition + Parking Lot + After Hours Customer Service + Location proximity to food and entertainment venues + Security / Access vetting ~ Condominium condition + Cleanliness overall - Shower water pressure/ drainage - Fabrics/Cushions/Bedding condition stains, wear & tear, needing replacement) - rental customers required to wash and put away dishes kitchen items before departure. (?) - condition upon arrival - noted fingerprints on refrigerator and tables. - High fee charges that are not reflected in the condition of the condominium. Condo Charge 4 Nights $ 740 Property and Service Fees $ 300 Cleaning Fee $ 200 Lodging Taxes. $ 123. 75 Fees and Taxes almost double the cost of the stay itself. Would we stay here again ? Possibly, but not in this unit. The folks we dealt with at Paradise Rental were also very nice. read more

Yes it is a beautiful location but that is the extent of it. Noise, noise, noise. If you want to have a knockdown drunken loud party then rent one of these condos. No matter what time of the night you want to party it is ok with the realtor. Three nights in a row we were awakened at 1 am by yelling and screaming from kids having a party at our door. Add this to renovating the condo above us from 7 am till midnight every day with constant banging and doors slamming and you lose all your enjoyment and serenity. We contacted the realtor for help they told us to call the police. I would think that they wouldn't appreciate a police car in front of their property for all their clients to see. I forgot the kids yelling and screaming in the pool at 3 am. Anyway if you plan on renting a condo here make sure you either bring ear plugs and muffs or don't plan on sleeping. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. They take all your money up front and then send you access codes the day of your arrival (understandable). The problems start when you arrive and the code you've been given doesn't work to get you in the gate. Then after you get in the gate by following someone who manages to have the correct code, you get to the main door and the code doesn't work there either! Call the phone number for help and they berate you and say they "manage several properties" so you have to be patient. They give you a SECOND code, and that one doesn't work either. After more time spent on the phone you might get a third code after being made to feel like shit for having to call them AGAIN to get into the unit you paid several thousand dollars to rent. SAVE YOUR MONEY and go anywhere else but here. I haven't even mentioned the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of the unit we're in. Dirty pillows, dirty windows, dirty wine glasses, random hair in the coffee pot, sand all over the patio, ewwwwwww. Never again. read more

Love the condo location to die for m pool beach and great people My family and I will return read more

I have been here a couple times over the years and have always had a great experience. Good beach access and close to the attractions on the strip. They have 2 pools one of which is heated as well as a hot tub. In the peak seasons the elevators can be a bit of a wait as they condos do rent and fill up quickly. They have a workout room which has a couple cardio machines and a universal weight stack (cables) with a tv to keep you occupied. Why not run on the beach though! With 2 and 3 bedroom options the condos feature a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, washer and dyers in unit and great balcony to relax on. IMHO a much better option than a hotel with plenty of room for kids and you can save money by not eating out every night. Well managed and maintained. Great place to stay. Not ultra luxury as some of the TVs maybe older, but clean comfortable and you should be out on the beach anyway! read more

This resort is an interesting one. The rooms are pretty well decent for 2-4 people. The thing that really gets me though, is that we had to wait a certain amount of time before we could check in, even though our room was well beyond ready. We also had to use many codes to get inside. The one for the front entrance gave us a really hard time and would not work for most of the time. We also found a handful of pubes on some of the towels, which was completely disgusting. The pool is a nice size considering the amount of people that were checked in. There was also a nice little walk way to the beach. It was pleasant, but if you are itchy(impatient) in anyway I would not recommend this establishment. read more

Emerald Isle Resort condominiums in Pensacola Beach Florida has become our home away from home. We currently are living in Indiana, but hope to one day move to the Pensacola area, permanently. The first thing that we fell in love with about this area was our stay at Emerald Isle. The beach view from this complex is breathtakingly beautiful. The staff who take care of the oversight of the complex are wonderful . Actually, we have even developed friendships with some of them. Both the pools and hot tub are kept sparkling clean and the grounds are maintained on a regular basis so that they are clean and tidy at all times. Each morning before the sun comes up, in the very early morning hours, we see staff around the pool area organizing the chairs and tables and cleaning the pool and pool deck so that the start of each new day is perfect for the guests here at Emerald Isle. I should also mention that each time we have visited Emerald Isle, as we enter our condominium on the very first day we are met with the smell of freshness ! it's obvious that the cleaning staff works very hard, and does a thorough job , because our unit has been spotless each visit! We love this complex so much that it is on our list of considerations for a future move to the Pensacola area as we look for long term housing. Emerald Isle is definitely a place I would love to hang my hat for the long-term! read more

Emerald Isle Resort - Resorts Near Me - Pensacola Beach, Florida

Friend has bought another beach rental here on the beach. This one is nice - large living areas smallish bedrooms but adequate. has a heated pool as well as ambient temp pool so you can get wet all year. Low so the AC for the on site fitness room (yes has a good one) drowns out the surf noise at times. Can't wait to come back. read more

Beautiful location right on the beach! Great pool area and walking distance away from boardwalk, crabs, etc. Gorgeous condos! Wouldn't want to stay anywhere else!! read more

Do not stay here,unless your a 14 year old looking to get drunk and chuck beer cans off the 5 the floor true story. The 10 people from Mississippi staying on the fifth floor seemed to think it was all right to do that on a Wednesday night with total disregard of the law or the children that would step in the glass the next day. The sheriff came and warned them after numerous people called the on site security. So on to our filthy room the floor was so dirty our one year old had black legs from the unvacuumed floor the drains in the bathroom tub were rusted out and falling apart the two elevators moved constantly with children riding them up and down or the cleaning women's children which came with them spend a little more money and upgrade or roll the dice and ride the lightning. Oh many security codes involved to get in and out found out on my last day everyone gets the same codes. some security! read more