How to book a condo or beach house

Booking, step by step

1. 1

   Pick the area first

   Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan each have their own feel. The tourism bureau's lodging search filters by area, property type (condo, beach house, hotel, resort) and amenities, and its bookings go directly to local property managers.

   Source: gulfshores.com

2. 2

   Check the age rule

   Vacation rentals in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan require the primary renter to be at least 25, present at check-in with ID, and staying for the whole rental. Hotels set their own age policies.

   Source: gulfshores.com

3. 3

   Don't plan on same-day rentals

   Per the tourism bureau, condos and beach houses can't be booked within 24 hours of arrival; hotels can be booked same-day.

   Source: gulfshores.com

4. 4

   Read the cancellation policy before you pay

   Cancellations are handled by the property manager under its own policy. The tourism bureau's booking site charges a service fee that it says is non-refundable for any reason, including natural disasters, and it recommends travel insurance.

   Source: gulfshores.com

5. 5

   Budget for lodging tax

   Short-term stays inside Gulf Shores and Orange Beach city limits carry a 16% lodging tax: 4% state, 2% Baldwin County and 10% city. Gulf Shores' police jurisdiction, just outside the city, is 11% (the city share is 5%). Orange Beach applies the tax to the rental rate, cleaning fee and parking passes where they apply.

   Source: gulfshoresal.gov + 1 more

Beachfront vs. beach view

Beachfront / Gulf-front

The property sits on the beach. Many beachfront homes have their own dune walkover to the sand. Search the bureau's beachfront filter if direct access matters to you.

Source: gulfshores.com + 1 more

Gulf-view, bay-front and lagoon

Condos are marketed as Gulf front, bay front, or lagoon and back-bay view. A view listing is not the same as beach access: ask the manager how you get to the sand and how far it is.

Source: gulfshores.com + 1 more

Ask before you book

Questions worth putting in writing: Where is the nearest public or private beach access? Is beach-chair service included or contracted on site? Is parking included, and how many cars? Is it pet-friendly?

Source: gulfshores.com + 1 more

Where to book

• Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism lodging search (opens in a new tab)

  The official tourism bureau's booking site. Reservations go straight to local property managers. A non-refundable service fee applies.

• Airbnb (opens in a new tab)

  National platform with owner-listed condos and homes.

• Vrbo (opens in a new tab)

  National platform focused on whole-home vacation rentals.

Local property managers

These are local rental companies from the first page of the tourism bureau's lodging directory, in alphabetical order. The bureau's full directory has 20 pages. This list is a directory, not an endorsement, and nobody paid to be on it.

• Beach Getaways (opens in a new tab)

  Beach houses · Tourism listing

• Brett Robinson Vacation Rentals (opens in a new tab)

  Condos and beach houses · Tourism listing

• Harris Vacations (opens in a new tab)

  Condos · Tourism listing

• Liquid Life Vacation Rentals (opens in a new tab)

  Condos · Tourism listing

• Prickett Properties (opens in a new tab)

  Condos · Tourism listing

• Spectrum Resorts (opens in a new tab)

  Resort condos · Tourism listing

• Sunset Properties (opens in a new tab)

  Beach homes and condos · Tourism listing

• Young's Suncoast Realty & Vacation Rentals (opens in a new tab)

  Beach houses · Tourism listing

Looking for a deal? The tourism bureau keeps a special offers page (opens in a new tab).