PROS: In the private gated community of Hamilton Cove 2 miles outside of Avalon, the unit is situated about 2/3 up the hill alongside many other condos with identical layouts and gorgeous balcony views of the bay. It was well equipped, has comfortable furniture and pleasing decor. The golf cart, also older, head headlights, a cover and great to have for getting around. Clubs, rackets and beach towels were provided. (We were not able to use any of the putting greens, courts, volleyball or pool due to heavy rains and the hot tub was under repair.)
CONs: The cabinets, appliances and fixtures are old, the fans rattle and the lights are dim for winter use. Kitchen--appliances, though useable, were rusted and in need of maintenance/replacement. Ant traps were everywhere. We made sure we left no food out and saw no ants. Bathroom--shower drain, handle and faucet were also corroded with the latter leaking heavily. The towel rack was broken, pieces in the cabinet. The pocket doors through the closet from the bedroom to the bathroom automatically lock and are very difficult to open, requiring depressing a shallow quarter inch plastic button. Washer/Dryer-- in an outside closet by the front door and was unusable due to rain.
OUR EXPERIENCE: (It should be noted we paid twice the regular rate for 3 nights over New Years.) On our 2nd night insanely loud alarms went off. It was impossible to remain indoors. We had no idea what was going on and, terrified, ran out in our pajamas with our valuables in a downpour. After several calls & texts we were able to speak with Chela who let us know that the alarms were fire & flood warning but not to worry as they go off frequently. She said she'd call security to get them to turn off the alarms. After 20 minutes of hell and terror, it ended and we went back into the unit. The ceiling and floors were cracked, water was leaking from the ceiling and the rug was soaked. We begged Chela to come by to see but ultimately agreed to talk in the morning so she didn't have to brave the rains and wind. We mopped up the water, left out several containers to catch the leaks, took photos and sent them to her so she could submit them to the HOA for claims, and cleaned up the mess. The next day, Chela offered to move us to another unit for our last night's stay but we ultimately decided moving would be too much of a hassle with all our luggage.
We were offered a refund from Chela but the owners haven't responded to our emails.