I along with a colleague located an ad on www.vrbo.com that was placed there by Laura's that advertised a beach condominium, Wind Drift Condos Unit 304S(E) for $107.00 per night. We completed the rental inquiry on the webpage and received an email from Laura's that indicated the room was actually $130.00 per night, not the $107.00 as advertised. We emailed and called Laura's regarding the discrepancy and was told in a phone conversation with Minyan (unsure of spelling) that she did not know why the unit was listed for $107.00 but that the rental was $130.00. In the same phone call, Minyan persuaded us to cancel the reservation with www.vrbo.com and book through her directly to save the fee that www.vrbo.com would charge. We did as Minyan requested and cancelled my booking with www.vrbo.com and booked with her directly at $130.00 per night. This appears to be a bait and switch scheme. Upon arriving at the room at check-in, we opened the door to the unit and immediately noticed a foul smell that smelled similar to cigarette smoke and pet urine combined with mold. The unit was also 80 degrees and the air conditioner was not cooling. We began looking around and immediately noticed that most all of the air vents in the condo contained black mold, which was visible on the outside of the vents. Further, one or more of the walls in the unit had active black mold growing on the wall. We immediately called Minyan at Laura's and explained the issue and that we could not stay in a unit with an active mold problem. Understanding that it was 3:00 pm on Friday afternoon, there would be no way for Laura's to obtain a mold eradication professional to deal with the mold growing in the air conditioning and on the walls. Minyan informed in the call that the person whom had just inspected the unit did not note any issues and that we would not be issued a refund. We asked to speak to someone higher in authority, as we were not going to remain in a unit with active mold growing. She informed that there was no one else, that she was the manager. She said that she would be glad to send someone with some bleach to wipe up the mold. Being trial lawyers and aware of the seriousness of mold and the protocols required to deal with mold, we knew that bleach would not kill the mold; but rather, would spread the mold. We explained to Minyan that bleach was not the answer and that it would do more harm. We told Minyan that a biocide would be required to remove the growth and inhibit the continual emission of spores. In that conversation, we again requested to speak to someone above Minyan regarding an immediate refund on the room. Minyan indicated that she would call someone and call back. After getting off the phone with Minyan, we noticed that two of the lamp shades in the main bedroom were completely spotted with black mold. We called Minyan back and had to leave a message in which we explained that we found further evidence of a mold problem on the lamp shades and that we were leaving the condo for the sake of our health. Approximately 10 minutes after that message was left, and while we were informing the onsite property security about the matter, Minyan called back and informed that no refund would be coming and that she could send someone to look at the issue. All that Minyan kept saying was that the condo passed their inspection and that a refund would not issue under any circumstances. After securing other lodging, we returned to the property to inquire which management company managed the complex so that we could inform the company responsible for the condominium association and common maintenance of the property of the problem. we spoke with the onsite security guard, with whom we had initially reported the problem to prior to leaving the property. The guard informed that a maintenance man from Laura's showed up after we had left the property and inspected the unit. The guard stated that after the maintenance man came back down from the unit, the maintenance man told the guard that there was, in fact, mold present in the vents and on the walls and that someone would need to remove and replace the vents and take other corrective measures to remove the mold. The guard also informed that there was a massive water leak several weeks earlier in a unit directly above this unit and which flooded several units below, including the unit that Laura's rented to me. In addition to the mold issue, the unit was in deplorable condition. The carpet was stained and worn, the closet door was not on track, the ceiling fan was rusted, and the paint was coming off of the baseboards. The smell in addition to the mold was unbearable. Not only is this particular unit in horrible shape and one to avoid, Laura's Vacation Rentals needs to be shut down. I have never encountered a real property rental company rent a unit with active mold and refuse to give a refund when notified at check-in. The law has a remedy. read more

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We were not impressed with the unit at 410 Harbor Cove. One of the beds was unusable. The directions were less than clear to enter the property. You have to check in after 4 PM, but they didn't tell us the office closes at 5 PM, so we were unable to get our parking pass the day of arrival. We called about the bed. They said that was an owner decision. We never heard back after they sent someone out to look at the bed, which he agreed needed replacing. They advertise a 3 bed 3 bath unit, but the queen bed in that room might support a child and definitely not two adults. Bring your own hair dryer too. One is not furnished. The coffee pot only took 17 minutes to brew an 8 cup pot of coffee. It needs replacing. This unit is not on the Gulf side, but on the bay or Ole River side. It was a drive to get to a public beach and depending on traffic.... If you want a sandy beach with a Gulf view, you have to go somewhere else. This unit has a nice view of a marina and the Anchor Restaurant is right next door. It had a great view of a Golden Eagle's nest with two young birds being fed by the parents. It was great getting to see the birds in action right from the balcony. If you want to rent a boat or love a marina this would provide you with that, but be sure the owners rectify the issues I mentioned before you go. read more

We had a great experience at Laura's!! No waiting in lines at an agency or rushing into town before they close to get keys. The keys was on the door in a lock box!! So easy!! The place was very clean and cozy! It felt like we was staying with family. Close to the beach and what a view!! read more

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Run do not walk, dirty, dirty, dirty. They also have horrible customer service and will argue with you instead of coming out to see or fix an issue. There were dead roaches and hairs everywhere, I wouldn't let my dog stay in that place. read more

This was our first and last experience with Laura's. For using this kind of service for the first time we will definitely do it again but never with Laura's. We stayed at Cotton Bayou and it was a mess. 1) Was told they called us to let us know we could check in early. This never happened, no missed calls or voicemails to say that. 2) internet would not work the entire time we were there. Called once got no response. Had to call next day to get a call back. Info they gave us on reservation was all wrong. With 4 phones and 2 laptops we could never get Internet to work. They finally sent a maintenance person out and while we were out "his connected just fine". Sorry but all of our equipment would not connect. Lie 2!!! 3) we had to spend around $60 dollars for trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels and other things not provided by the condo. 4) the towels and wash clothes were bought at dollar general I think. They were like sandpaper. You are at the beach and getting sun. The last thing you want is to come in and scrape crap towels over your body. 5) last two nights we were there people moved in above us and it sounded like a heard of elephants. Worse than any hotel ever. 6) The floor in our unit was like walking and washboard. There were lumps and humps everywhere. The master bedroom had a cable tv wire run across the floor with duct tape. 7) the television in the living room was possessed. It was go from loud to silent with no touch to remote. None of the other electronics worked because no other remote had any batteries. If you are going to spend money on a beach property do not do it with these jokesters. Lesson learned!!! read more

The place we stayed was great and worked perfect for our family and pets. But after requesting the deposit back many times, and them responding with we will send it we still have not got our refund check. I would not recommend renting with them unless you are willing to give up your security deposit. Shame read more

We had a good experience with Laura's! There were a few mishaps here and there, but for the most part our experience was pleasant. When we arrived, we were told our keys would be in a lockbox. The code they provided us wasn't the correct code, so it took us about 30 minutes to get into our condo. However once we were in, it was fine! The condo was beautiful and clean. I wish they would've provided daily needs (trash bags, aluminum foil, paper towels, etc) but those were easy to pick up at Publix. The door to our condo wasn't in the best shape and as a result it locked us out. We had to call maintenance to let us back in, but the man (Jimmy) was truly such a nice man and he came quickly! He gave us his business card and turned an unpleasant experience into a not so bad one! The knob in the master shower wasn't secure and fell off on the first night, but we were able to "fix" it ourselves. The location of our condo couldn't have been better! Right on the beach and a 8 minute walk to the Flora-Bama! The one large issue I had was with the actual condo (the Broadmoor), not Laura's. Parking is $40/car and it's not included in the rent. The condo tells you to go to the front office and pay for your passes. However, we tried to go three separate times to the front office to pay and no one was there! And then, there were two notices left on our vehicles threatening to tow us if we didn't pay (almost every car in the garage had a warning on their car). When we finally caught them in the office, they seemed frustrated that we had "waited" to pay. Parking was the main thing that was frustrating for us during our stay. But like I said, that was not an issue with Laura's, just the particular condo. Thanks Laura's for an awesome spring break in Orange Beach! We have already recommended this condo to our friends who have booked it! :) I'm updating this review due to something that happened on the very last day of our stay. Around 10 AM Friday morning, two men knocked on our door. They said they were from insurance and needed to look at something in the condo. The men were very polite and in and out in less than 10 minutes. My issue with this was that NO ONE gave us a heads up! We had no clue these men were coming. Laura's, nor the condo, gave us a warning that insurance men would be coming this morning. The men were extremely nice, however, a heads up would've been much appreciated! Common courtesy. read more

Terrible experience. Our condo changed property mgmt companies in between the 4 day stay and trying to get anyone to help was nearly impossible. Our kitchen had roaches and we were completely disappointed with our service received. Def won't be a repeat customer. read more

The only positive thing I can say is their customer service is really pretty good. The condo we stayed in was their 2 bedroom in Phoenix II. It was disgusting. The bedding clearly hadn't been washed in forever. We actually went and bought blankets and pillows of our own and slept on top of the comforters. The vents and bathrooms were gross. I had to go get laundry detergent and wash the towels before letting my family use them. The beds were uncomfortable and old, you could hear and feel every spring in these ancient mattresses. This place honestly needs to be gutted and completely redone. read more

Will not refund deposit of $150 for over a year. Email stating refund will be sent but not yet received. DON'T NOT RENT FROM THESE DISHONEST PEOPLE read more

Had so much fun, this was the perfect rental for what we needed! Our unit was close to lots of attractions and restaurants. Can't wait to visit again!! read more

We really enjoyed the condo. It was well maintained, very clean and well equipped. I enjoyed sitting on the balcony in the morning drinking my coffee and listening to the ocean. We were very lucky to have nice weather the last week of February. The only negative I had with the property was all the stairs we had to climb . read more

Wish I had seen the other reviews first. Response time of management is poor. Like everyone else has said...wifi doesn't work unless you are the maintenance man-then it magically works when he comes and you are not here to see it. Otherwise it works for no one else, even the other residents when you politely ask them to try it out too. Condo was clean. Make sure you bring anything extra you can think of or plan to buy it while here ie...iron, hair dryer, and if you plan to cook any meals you need all seasonings. You don't even get dish soap so you can wash a dish if you dirty anything. You get one dishwasher capsule so you can do one load in a dishwasher before you leave. Hope you don't stay long.... read more

I am on my fourth day of a 5 day vacation at one of Laura's condos in Gulf Shores. Well, Laura gets 5 stars for the condo. It is beautiful and everything that she said it was. I cannot deny that the accommodations are top notch.The 2 bedroom San Carlos, Unit 908, with 2 baths, full kitchen, LR, jacuzzi in the bath and lovely 9th floor view of the water is amazing. They have thought of everything in the kitchen that a family needs to cook. The unit is ultra clean and the internet connection is fast, TVs in every room (no premium channels) and the balcony view...superb. BUT the beach adjoining the condo gets 1 star from me. I had to leave it today because teens were playing football behind me, a family was throwing a Frisbee in front of me, the power boats were criss-crossing in the water towing parachutes and the wave runners were racing towing banana floats with people on them. Add to that the 5 boom boxes that were blaring everything from rock to country. There are chairs lined up like little boxes on a hillside that are very close together on the beach out back. You can rent a double chair and umbrella for $125/ week or $25/day. You get a day free when you rent it for the week. The young men who care for them are exceptionally nice and ask frequently if you want the umbrella moved. But each person is right on top of each other and surrounded by loads of people who bring their own chairs and umbrellas and set them up wherever they want to set them up. The beach itself is not that clean with lots of cigarette butts all around. On the other hand, the wife and teen daughters are not bothered by the amount of people or noise. One more day for me and most of it will be spent in the condo. The condo also has a pool filled with little kids. I wish I would have been clearer to Laura that I was looking for peace and quiet not a day at Disney World. If you are okay with crowds, noise and a typical American experience of leisure this is the place for you. If you are looking for solitude, stay home and lock yourself in the closet...it will save you a bundle of money:) read more

We rate Laura's Vacation Rentals www.laurasvacationrentals.com "1 Star". We rented a condo for a weekend in June 2017 through "Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO)" which referred us to Laura's Vacation Rentals for the actual rental of the unit in the Wind Drift, Orange Beach, AL. Laura's Vacation Rentals were prompt and timely with all electronic and phone communications, they were professional and clear with the rules and requirements everything went flawless. On the day we arrived, we entered the unit and found it full of industrial blowers and dehumidifiers. It was clear that Laura's Vacation Rentals knew of the situation and should have warn us earlier along with having options ready in case the unit repairs were not completed in time, but instead they gambled on the unit being ready and then tried to bully us into staying. We were two of many families in Orange Beach for a reunion and now had no place to stay. We lost a whole day filled with heartache, anger and stress trying to figure out what to do next and in the end we were left to fend for ourselves. Laura's Vacation Rentals were not even gracious enough to return our many requests to call us and help us resolve the situation. The unit was everything we expected from the description. The flooding came from the unit above and was not the fault of either the unit owner or Laura's Vacation Rentals, however if you are inclined to do business with Laura's Vacation Rentals, we would recommend that contingency clauses be written into the contract to cover unforeseen emergencies with options on how they would find you another unit if necessary. The 1 star rating could easily been a 5 star rating if Laura's Vacation Rentals had been upfront with the issues and an options on alternate accommodations if the unit was not ready. Jeff and Mary read more

Laura's Vacation Rentals has a range of properties in various price ranges and locations. I have found the staff to be responsive and very accommodating. I'll continue to use them in the future. read more

Wish I'd read the reviews on TA BEFORE I booked with them. This is the least responsive realty company I've rented from in AL or FL. Had a minor issue that caused us major trouble The wifi would not work in the unit. Their response? Direct quote: "Unfortunately, since we are not internet providers, the only thing on the wifi is to report it downstairs and let the front desk know so they can come fix it." I stopped by the onsite manager who said they work for the property association and don't work with renters, but agreed to report it. She also said they were never called by Laura's (they had seen a missed call on caller ID but no message was left and no request to check the wifi was made.) No one ever showed up (over 4 days that we had left there.) I had critical work items scheduled that required a decent connection, needless to say that didn't' happen. Had to find free wifi when I needed to work. I managed to piggyback on neighbors' connections sometimes but it was very spotty and slow. What bothered me most was that Laura's representatives were not the least bit bothered that we were inconvenienced. Not so much as a "hate it for you", and certainly no apology or even a call to see if it had been fixed. I can't recall the last time I had an issue with renting from VRBO, but this has been a wake up call to fully research reviews in the future. I will NOT rent from Laura's or recommend them in the future. The unit itself was nice, although there were only tiny bars of soap, no iron, no hairdryer, and no other supplies other than some salt and pepper. We've stayed in the same building several times and this was the least equipped unit we've had and the only time we've had trouble with the management. I am still astonished at how diffident they were - and would hate to think what would have happened if we had experienced a really problem like no electricity or broken appliances. Pretty sure we would have had no response for any service requests. There are plenty of realty groups that want your business, plus we've had good experiences renting directly from owners on VRBO. I'd suggest looking elsewhere. read more

DO NOT USE... Booked a condo back in March for a trip in July. Two weeks prior to the trip, after travel plans were made (including flights from across the country), we received an email saying they regret to inform us that they WILL NOT be honoring the booking. The rental company ensured us they would follow up their email with a phone call with more information which we have yet to receive a week later. All phone calls and emails have been ignored as of yet. They have been very disrespectful and unprofessional. I recommend finding a more reliable renting agency. read more

Yesterday Sam and I were privy to 10 units. Our visits were GREAT! Cotton Bayou Condos 1C 1E 5D 7H 9D offfered something for everybody. Harbor Cove 410 was lovely. Lei Lani Tower 406 was nearer to Perdido Florida over The Pass. The view was breathtaking. Romar Towers had beautiful views too. 4D and 5A. I fell in love with Phoenix on the Bay II 2802! 2410 wasn't too shabby itself! Down in Gulf Shores Sa and I toured Clearwater 6B "B" stands for BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! The pie'ce de resistance was Mustique 702. The entire half on that side is your condo with 360 degree views and a fantastic floor plan. AND....AND....there's 70 more to visit on www.laurasvacationrentals.com. I highly recommend using Laura's for your get aways to our beautiful emerald coast. O...Pets? Yep, you can find a unit for your babies to stay!!!!!! YEEHAW! Call today!!!!!!! No, I don't work for LVR, I just know that you can find a real doozy if you're not careful, and these moments in your world should be AWESOME!!!!!!! Many successes and enjoy our beaches! read more

walker key f9 condo...horrible!!! dryer,microwave and fire alarm all broke down during my stay.couch in living room had to be steam cleaned dueto it having horrible stains all over it.was fixed quickly but the management group had an attitude on the phone about it,zero apologies! like who cares.pool cleaning lady was rude.this condo is far from quiet,loud parties every weekend in the complex,walls paper thin so it is loud when the tenant upstairs walks around. also,zero mail delivery available here!!!!!! what the??? stayed for a month and hated every day i was there!!!!!!!!!!!! will be posting on youtube all the failures i had in this walker key f9 debacle!!!! read more

This was our first ever experience with VRBO and we loved it. Laura's Vacation was quick to respond to any question we had! We stayed in the Moonraker #11 in Gulf Shores. This unit was just what me and my family needed! Quick walk across the street to the beach, nice pool and outdoor grills. This was also a short walk (10-15 minutes) to restaurants & etc. The condo was perfect in size, with all amenities offered, and the price was EXCELLENT! Was stocked with all cooking utensil needs, trash bags, soaps, etc. Excellent communication & response time with staff when we needed something (air unit needed some TLC, no sheets for pull out couch and to check in early). We will definitely plan to stay again next year. A few downsides to the condo; Will be charged if you would like linens/towels service which should not be. We actually took additional items just in case we needed to swap out. Also no Wi-Fi is offered so if that is a definite need for you, this is not the place then. Other than those two issue, this is an excellent place to rent with the price we paid - could not have asked for more! Thank you again Laura's Vacation Rentals! read more

We rented a condo from Laura's Vacation rentals from Tuesday, June 7 to Saturday, June 11, 2016. We arrived at the condo and noticed a bad smell in the kitchen but could not find the source. We reported it and told management that we would let the condo air out and if it did not go away we would call back. Within 30 minutes of arriving at the condo my elderly father became ill and we had to find immediate care for him, that is why we did not get back to management right away about the continued smell, nor other damage/cleanliness issues we noticed before we took my dad to the doc. When things with dad settled down I called management and reported these issues. I also explained why I was delayed in reporting and the person I reported to seemed very understanding. They said that they would send maintenance and I asked for them to call when arriving at the condo so that I could be sure to be present so my dad would not have to answer the door. The maintenance man said several times that we had legitimate issues and that they had been trying to get the owner to make some of the repairs I listed as well as other things. I had found blood on a comforter. Maintenance took it and said he would try to get it cleaned and returned ASAP. I was assuming that the company would at least return our $100 cleaning fee. I called the next day and asked if our cleaning fee would be refunded. I was told that the owner of the management company would have to make that decision. I received an email for the company owner which said that the damages I had reported to them must have been caused by me and my family, including the blood on the comforter, and therefore they would not be returning our security deposit. I could not believe this! The maintenance man saw the issues and he said that some of the problems had been there for quite a while. Even the sweet girl in the office felt really bad for us and could not understand why the company owner was doing this to us. I asked for the owner to call me several times but she has refused. After we left she began adding on more damages and the amount which she claims we owe her. She sent us an email with pictures of places on the walls where paint had been scraped off possibly caused by luggage. These exact scrape marks are visible in her own website photos that customers look at before renting the condo. The photos were taken before we ever rented the condo! She claims that we complained and we refused to let anyone in to see the problems. Not true! We asked for maintenance to come and to see the problems. Maintenance gave us the option of letting them fix some of the issues immediately or wait until our rental time was up. Since it was mainly cosmetic issues and not anything critical such as a/c or plumbing we chose to wait because my dad was still sick and we did not want him disturbed. The maintenance man was very understanding, he even saw that my dad was sick and could not leave the condo. The owner is claiming that we would not allow them to do any work, and we immediately made threats and demanded money. Not true! I have been renting condos in the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area for over 20 years and I have never been treated in this manner. My husband and I have both been teachers for almost 25 years. We are honest, upstanding people. I even told her that she could call our principals for character references. We did not damage this condo in any way. She has refused to address the fact that some of the damages that she claims we caused is visible in her website pictures. This speaks volumes about her lack of honesty! I hope that other people read this report before making the mistake of renting with Laura's Vacation Rentals. I wish I had checked the BBB and saw the other 3 negative reviews before I sent them my money. read more