Overall, this condo was good...not great. Ultimately, it was worth it to be at that location, but next time, we will look elsewhere and avoid renting through the property manager, Vacasa. (Read on if you want more in-depth details.)
PROS: great location right on the beach and just a couple blocks from great restaurants and the heart of downtown Gulf Shores. Nicely decorated condo with a stocked kitchen (although a lot of the equipment needs updating) and well-appointed rooms.
CONS: I've never rented through Vacasa and will avoid using them in the future. First, you can tell that they don't put the same level of care into upkeep of the condo as a private renter would. The condo did indeed look very nice, but after a day or two of being in the space, you could easily tell that things needed updating or upkeep. (i.e. towel rack in bathroom fell off the wall when simply removing a towel, swivel armchair tipped over when leaning in any one direction, screws fell out of front door when it closed, etc.) No major dealbreakers, but just a lot of small things that added up to make it clear that they don't really invest in their properties. Second, the communication was terrible. We contacted them a week before we came with a question and never received a response. Then while we were there, there was major construction happening on the roof (that they never told us about), which caused the power to go out on our first morning. We called their 24/7 customer service line and sat on hold for more than 30 minutes before finally giving up. Thankfully, the power went back on after about an hour and a half. Also make sure you read all the disclaimers in the property description ... especially the part about that fact that you will have to buy a $28 parking pass :)