Barefoot Bungalow

Bathrooms are TINY and one has no shelves or space to even leave a toothbrush.

This is a great property!! We had a wonderful time. The home was clean, well appointed, and with a beautiful view of the beach. We honestly don’t have a single complaint. What we do want to warn people about is the suggestion by Ryson and their affiliates that a golf cart would be a good idea during your stay. This is a flat out lie, unless of course you want to do nothing more than drive the cart from one end of the semicircle that the home sits on to the other; approximately 1/8th of a mile. Want to drive it to the beach? Nope, There is a chain and padlock keeping you from doing that. Want to drive it on the road to the nearest beach entrance? Nope, can’t do that either. Doing that, in fact, will earn you a couple of tickets from the truly delightful local police. I know, as I am now in possession of said tickets. And despite the gulf cart company telling you it’s ok, and Ryson leaving a lovely flier on the counter suggesting it’s a good idea, believe me when I say it is not. Save your money. Enjoy the property, enjoy the beach, and just do yourself the favor of walking or taking your car wherever you may need to go.

First, I'll hit on the rental company, Ryson, because they'll be your point of contact and the first experience with the property. I reserved the property and paid 50% in January for a trip we took in May. The second part of the payment was due in April. I never received an invoice or reminder for the second part of the payment. I called them a week after it was due, and was able to make the payment over the phone. Had I never called, who knows what would have become of my reservation and initial payment. I had to stop by the company's office in Galveston to collect and return the keys to the beach house. I've stayed in plenty of beach houses in Galveston, and never had to make the extra stop by an office for the keys. This seemed inconvenient, given that they could use a lock box like all other rental entities. Everything that happened in that office could have been handled by email. They handed me keys, instructions for cleanup, and directions to the beach house from their office. The directions had a wrong turn. I should have just plugged in the address into GPS, but who would have thought they directions would be incorrect? They do offer a concierge service that will bring out a canopy and other items, which was nice. My husband actually liked working with a rental company versus a private owner for this reason, and because the company sent out an inspector when we arrived and after we left to ensure everything was as it should be. Well, we got to the house, and everything was pretty great from there. It's a beautiful, clean house with an open layout. There are doors facing the beach that we opened wide every day to hear the waves, and see the beautiful view. There are two rooms on one side of the house, including the room with the bunk bed and another with a queen, and the second room with a queen is at the other side of the house. The top bunk's railing was cracked by the ladder. Our kid is small, so he couldn't break it any further, but a big kid that uses it to haul themselves up or down would snap it. I hope they fix that soon. There is a small living room downstairs, with a couch, TV, kitchenette, and bathroom, with a laundry room connected to the bathroom. The beach was a quick walk, the water is shallow for several yards out, and the shore has some shells to pick. I'd deal with the company again, now that I know what to expect. The condition of the house, the concierge, and the inspection make the inconveniences tolerable.

There is a mold problem in the lower level of the house. I am highly allergic to mold and it caused problems for me inspite of only staying in the upper level. This needs to be addressed. Otherwise, a pleasant stay and nice property.