Beach Bunny - Thanksgiving 2013 - 1 week stay, family of 4, from Austin, TX…read more
We've stayed here before, and knew essentially what to expect: CLOSEST house to the water!
So, it's not the fanciest of accommodations: it's a no-frills beach house in Surfside (which is not a "luxury" area). If you know Surfside, then you know the area. If you are expecting luxury, pick a different beach.
Beach Bunny: yeehaw, some nice improvements since our last stay! The kitchen is SO much nicer after renovations - it's usable! Great fridge, oven, & microwave. Coffee pot: annoying break in the pour spout made for dribbled messes. Other than that, kitchen is totally in working order, and well-equipped with the essentials. They have added a kitchen table, which is nice BC we brought our kids this trip (previously, there was only a bar).
Living room: yea to the nice futon-couches! If you've seen pics of wicker furniture, be happy that they've been replaced! Nice coffee & end tables. TV in good working order with Satellite.
Bedrooms: where you sleep & keep your clothes. Absolutely nothing fancy, but the beds are comfortable & the dressers/wardrobes were plenty for our week's stay. I call it a bonus that there's a TV with Satellite in the master bedroom.
Bathroom: all in working order (although a big "#2" might need some help! LOL! Plunger provided, but wasn't needed). Nice amount of space for toiletries.
Cleanliness: I, saw 1 roach (not a"billion," as I read). Have no complaints. I didn't inspect deeply: this is Surfside! I washed what I thought should be washed, trusted what I thought could be trusted. Didn't take notice to any cobwebs, or notice anything gross (per other reviews).
Porch/deck: AWESOME! I really miss the porch swing! Be sure to bring chairs: the built-in bench faces the house, not the water. Nice picnic table! Be aware of the entry rug: it WILL be wet (seaspray), but nice to wipe off feet! (Tip: bring a wash-tub & keep a towel handy to lessen the sand coming into the house!) The portion that wraps around was a welcome respite from the biting cold wind!
Our bag of linens was there as promised: I chuckle that it's all just left together in the bag (sheets, pillow cases, towels, etc), but no matter!
Our challenge: it was frigid the first 2 days of our stay. I had verified there was heat (via window units), however, none of them worked (to provide heat). Thankfully, there were 2 space heaters, but needed a 3rd for each of the living areas. Since we arrived late, we were given extra blankets (to make it thru the 1st night), and a nice custodian arrived the next day with another space heater. (also used the oven to heat up the place "ghetto-style" for 1st night - thanks for the tip! Odd to me, but functional!)
Water: do NOT drink, threatened illness/death! Ok, it's brown & foul-smelling; wash clothes at your own risk (it's a nice thought to provide washer & dryer, and they are nice units!). The water: not the fault of the Beach Bunny, & we were well aware of this before we arrived (but signing the part about "possible death" for drinking the water is daunting)!
Kinda funny: my biggest disappointment = no one informed us we couldn't park on the beach! Last time here, we parked right next to the steps leading up to the house. Apparently, the beach was washed away - 50% gone from our last stay, and no driving on the beach this time. That means: you park "far away" and must hoof-it over the boardwalk to the house...makes for an exhausting unloading & loading! But, this is Mother Nature, not Beach Bunny/Beach House Associates. Kinda cool to have to trek over the boardwalk to your house, vs. trekking over the boardwalk to get to the beach!
Though some may not find this desirable (but as a mom, I did!): this house is"kid-central!" The location is PERFECT for kids to gather, as the main boardwalk leads from a houses farther back, so there are quite a few passers-by next to the house. I'm all about welcoming kids to play, so the Beach Bunny became "the place" for gathering (this was all my encouragement, BTW!). If privacy is important: just don't invite anyone up! (last stay here was our anniversary, so no kids, & we had no problems!).
What else? This is by far the BEST beach house on Surfside to be in! From the proximity of the beach, to the cozy but simpleton accommodations, if you want to be close to the water: this place rocks!
Hope ya'll have a great stay at the Beach Bunny, we sure did!!!